Abstract
BACKGROUND: Acute radiation esophagitis (ARE) is a frequently observed complication of radiotherapy for malignant tumors. QingReJieDu (QRJD) therapy is commonly used for the prevention and treatment of ARE. There is a lack of evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese medicine in preventing ARE. Therefore, the objective of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy and safety of QRJD therapy in preventing ARE. METHODS: Systematic searches were conducted across 8 databases from their inception to December 30, 2023. This study included randomized controlled trials that assessed the effectiveness of QRJD therapy in preventing ARE. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Cochrane collaboration tool. Data analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 and Stata 15. RESULTS: Eleven randomized controlled studies involving 754 participants were included in this analysis. The results demonstrated that QRJD therapy effectively prevented the occurrence of ARE (relative risk = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.80-0.89, P < .001), as well as the development of grade ≥ 3 ARE (relative risk = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.28-0.59, P < .001). Furthermore, QRJD therapy delayed the time of the first episode of ARE (weighted mean difference = 5.67, 95% CI: 5.33-6.02, P < .001). No significant increase in adverse events was observed with the QRJD therapy. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that QRJD therapy has a significant preventive effect on ARE in clinical practice. However, it is important to note that these findings should be confirmed through more rigorously designed, multicenter, large-sample, and large-scale randomized controlled trials.