Chinese patent medicine Fei-Liu-Ping ointment as an adjunctive treatment for non-small cell lung cancer: protocol for a systematic review

INTRODUCTION: Fei-Liu-Ping ointment has been widely applied as adjunctive drug in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, there has been no systematic review of research findings regarding the efficacy of this treatment. Here, we provide a protocol for assessing the effectiveness and safety of Fei-Liu-Ping ointment in the treatment of NSCLC. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The electronic databases to be searched will include MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in the Cochrane Library, Excerpt Medica Database (EMBASE), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Scientific Journal Database (VIP), Wanfang Database and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM). Papers in English or Chinese published from inception to 2016 will be included without any restrictions. We will conduct a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trial if possible. The therapeutic effects according to the standard for treatment of solid tumours by the WHO and the quality of life as evaluated by Karnofsky score and weight will be applied as the primary outcomes. We will also evaluate the data synthesis and risk of bias using Review Manager 5.3 software. DISSEMINATION: The results of this review will offer implications for the use of Fei-Liu-Ping ointment as an adjunctive treatment for NSCLC. This knowledge will inform recommendations by surgeons and researchers who are interested in the treatment of NSCLC. The results of this systematic review will be disseminated through presentation at a conference and publication of the data in a peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42016036911.