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World J Gastrointest Oncol. Jul 15, 2026; 18(7): 120031
Published online Jul 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v18.i7.120031
Published online Jul 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v18.i7.120031
Chinese herbal medicine for colorectal cancer: An overview of systematic reviews and evidence map
He-Ping Wang, Xiao-Yan Qin, Rui-Ke Gao, Jie Li, Department of Oncology, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100053, China
Xiao-Yan Qin, Graduate School, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
Bo-Wen Xu, Department of Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Changsha 100053, Hunan Province, China
Tai-Cheng Lu, Department of Oncology, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100010, China
Ming Lin, Department of Oncology, Sanming Integrated Medicine Hospital, Sanming 365000, Fujian Province, China
Co-first authors: He-Ping Wang and Xiao-Yan Qin.
Author contributions: Wang HP, Qin XY and Xu BW were involved in the conception and design; Wang HP, Qin XY and Xu BW registered the protocol and performed the search, screen, inclusion, and quality assessment of the included studies; Wang HP, Qin XY and Xu BW contributed to draft the first version of this manuscript; Lu TC, Gao RK and Lin M provided critical revisions; Li J and Gao RK revised the manuscript; Li J, as the corresponding author, supervised the entire research project, including conceptualization, methodology design, and supervision of the manuscript drafting. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript. Wang HP and Qin XY contributed equally to this work as co-first authors.
Supported by China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CACMS) Innovation Fund/Scientific and Technological Innovation Project of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No. CI2023C012YL; Innovation Team and Talents Cultivation Program of National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No ZYYCXTD-C-202205; Health Research Project of Hunan Provincial Health Commission, No. 20257728; High-Level Talent Support Program of Hunan Cancer Hospital, No. 20250731-1046; and Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 2026JJ82680.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Corresponding author: Jie Li, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Oncology, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No. 5 Beixiange Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100053, China. qfm2020jieli@yeah.net
Received: February 13, 2026
Revised: March 8, 2026
Accepted: April 21, 2026
Published online: July 15, 2026
Processing time: 144 Days and 16.5 Hours
Revised: March 8, 2026
Accepted: April 21, 2026
Published online: July 15, 2026
Processing time: 144 Days and 16.5 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Previous studies have reported the potential effects of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment, but in the absence of quality evaluation. This study comprehensively assessed the quality of reporting, methodology, and evidence of previously published systematic reviews (SRs). Evidence with moderate certainty showed that orally administered CHM and CHM injections combined with chemotherapy have promising effects on tumor response and performance status of patients with advanced CRC. This study presents an evidence map for better understanding. Most of the included SRs had unsatisfactory methodological quality, and SRs should be well designed and focus on more specific populations and interventions.