[Evidence mapping of clinical research on Chinese patent medicines for treating lung cancer in recent five years].

A systematic review and quality assessment of clinical studies on Chinese patent medicines for treating lung cancer in recent five years were conducted by evidence mapping. Systematic searches were conducted in databases including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, EMbase, and Cochrane Library, covering the period from January 2020 to June 2025. The distribution and quality of clinical research evidence were presented by a combination of figures, tables, and textual descriptions. A total of 377 publications(320 RCTs, 52 systematic reviews/Meta-analyses, 2 network Meta-analyses, and 3 guidelines/expert consensus documents) were included. The results were presented through figures and tables. Over the past five years, the number of clinical research publications on Chinese patent medicines for treating lung cancer showed a declining trend. The studies involved 51 Chinese patent medicines, primarily Aidi Injection and Compound Kushen Injection, often used in combination with chemotherapy or targeted drugs. Intervention durations were concentrated at 6 and 12 weeks. The complications and adverse events of primary concern were mainly pulmonary infections and pleural effusions. Outcome measures covered seven categories: symptoms/signs, biochemical tests, and safety events, while fewer focused on TCM syndromes or long-term prognosis. Most randomized clinical trials(RCTs) require methodological improvements in design and implementation rigor, primarily concerning unclear allocation concealment and blinding bias. The overall quality of systematic reviews/Meta-analyses was low, with most failing to retrieve gray literature or register studies prospectively. Guidelines/expert consensus documents require refinement in both rigor and practical applicability. The findings indicate significant therapeutic advantages of Chinese patent medicines for lung cancer, though evidence-based support remains insufficient. High-quality, multicenter, large-sample, long-term follow-up clinical studies are needed to enhance the scientific rigor and standardization of systematic reviews/Meta-analyses and guidelines/expert consensus documents, thereby providing evidence-based guidance for the clinical application of Chinese patent medicines in lung cancer treatment.