A systematic review and Meta-analysis of the correlation between traditional Chinese medicine constitution and colorectal cancer

ZENG Yue; GUAN Yue; WANG Xiaoqing; LI Min; DUAN Peibei; XU Rui

doi:10.12102/j.issn.2095-8668.2025.19.003

Abstract：Objective:To summarize the research results and current status of the correlation between colorectal cancer and traditional Chinese medicine constitution,explore the constitutional distribution characteristics of colorectal cancer under the theoretical system of traditional Chinese medicine,and provide evidence-based medical support for the clinical practice of using traditional Chinese medicine to prevent colorectal cancer.Methods:Computer searched databases such as CNKI,WanFang Data,VIP,PubMed,Web of Science,EMbase.Clinical research literature on the correlation between colorectal cancer and traditional Chinese medicine constitution was compiled and summarized.The retrieval time was from the inception to July 20,2024.Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4 and Stata 15.0 software.Results:A total of 11 articles were included,involving 2 349 patients.The combined results of cross-sectional studies showed that the main physical types of colorectal cancer patients were Yang deficiency(18％),damp heat(17％),Qi deficiency(14％),and phlegm dampness(12％).The Meta-analysis results of case-control studies showed that the proportion of Qi deficiency constitution in colorectal cancer population was 1.83 times that of the general population,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05),while there was no significant statistical significance in other constitutions.Conclusion:Current evidence shows that the main constitution types of colorectal cancer patients include Yang deficiency,damp heat,Qi deficiency,and phlegm dampness,among which Yang deficiency is the most common,and Qi deficiency may be an important risk factor for the occurrence of colorectal cancer.