Acupuncture for thyroid nodule treatment A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Introduction: Thyroid nodules are scattered lesions caused by abnormal local growth of thyroid cells. In recent years, their prevalence rate has been rising gradually, and the probability of cancerations has also been increasing gradually. Therefore, we must pay more attention to them and carry out early intervention. However, at present, most of the intervention measures for patients with thyroid nodules are mainly clinical observation and follow-up, and no clear and effective drug intervention therapy has been proposed. The curative effect of acupuncture on thyroid nodules has been proved clinically. However, as there is no clear mechanism of action, no specific operation methods or Suggestions, it is necessary to make a systematic evaluation of acupuncture therapy, so as to lay a foundation for further research in the future. Methods and analysis: The following databases will be searched from their inception to June 2020: Electronic database includes PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Nature, Science online, Chinese Biomedical Database WanFang, VIP medicine information, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Primary outcomes: Color ultrasound of thyroid and cervical lymph nodes, FT3, FT4, TSH, TGAB, TPOAB, insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR). Data will be extracted by 2 researchers independently, risk of bias of the meta-analysis will be evaluated based on the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. All data analysis will be conducted by data statistics software Review Manager V.5.3. and Stata V.12.0. Results: The results of this study will systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy for patients with thyroid nodule. Conclusion: Through the systematic review of this study, the evidence of the treatment of thyroid nodule by acupuncture has been summarized so far, so as to provide guidance for further promoting the application of acupuncture therapy in patients with thyroid nodule. Ethics and dissemination: This study is a systematic review, the outcomes are based on the published evidence, so examination and agreement by the ethics committee are not required in this study. We intend to publish the study results in a journal or conference presentations.