East Asian herbal medicine for cancer pain: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis with using association rule analysis to identify core herb pattern

Background Cancer pain is an important factor in cancer management that affects a patient's quality of life and survival-related outcomes. The aim of this review is to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral administration East Asian herbal medicine (EAHM) for primary cancer pain, and to explore core herb patterns based on collected data. Methods A comprehensive literature search will be conducted in 10 electronic databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature, EMBASE, Korean Studies Information Service System, Research Information Service System Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, Korea Citation Index, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), CiNii for randomized controlled trials from their inception until August 19, 2021. Statistical analysis will be performed in the software R version 4.1.1. and R studio program using the default settings of the 'meta' package. When heterogeneity in studies is detected, the cause will be identified through meta regression and subgroup analysis. Methodological quality will be assessed independently using the revised tool for risk of bias in randomized trials (Rob 2.0). Results This study will provide more comprehensive and specific evidence of EAHM for cancer pain management. Conclusions Based on the results of this review, it is expected that the efficacy and safety of East Asian herbal medicine for cancer pain may be confirmed. In addition, it will be possible to derivation of a core herb pattern related to this research topic through additional association rule mining analysis.