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  • Title: What is wrong with the meta-analyses on honey and oral mucositis due to cancer therapies?
    Author: Münstedt K, Männle H.
    Journal: Complement Ther Med; 2020 Mar; 49():102286. PubMed ID: 32147054.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVES: The results of meta-analyses currently represent the highest level of evidence in modern medicine. Taking the example of radiotherapy and radiochemotherapy-induced oral mucositis and the effects of honey, we analysed six meta-analyses on the topic to assess the quality of the meta-analyses. DESIGN: We analysed the various meta-analyses in detail and compared whether the authors have correctly included the various trials or not. RESULTS: We found that the quality of these meta-analyses was low. Especially the more recent meta-analyses included trials in which radiotherapy was not part of the medical intervention or where substances other than pure honey were used. CONCLUSIONS: It is impossible to determine the underlying reasons why these meta-analyses were able to pass the peer-review system without the request for adequate improvements prior to publication. According to the literature at least 7% of the included meta-analyses revealed false results, but it was assumed that due to limitations of external validity and to the decreased likelihood of updating positive meta-analyses, the true proportion of false positives in the meta-analysis was likely to be higher. However, it is crucial that when severe flaws in meta-analyses are detected that they be reported or the meta-analyses are withdrawn, otherwise the normal reader will take the results as given.
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