A review of the potential use of melatonin in cancer treatment: Data analysis from Clinicaltrials.gov

• Published in: Medicine (Baltimore) 2024-11, Vol.103 (45), p.e40517
• Main Authors: Alshehri, Fahad S, Althobaiti, Yusuf S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Melatonin - therapeutic use; Neoplasms - drug therapy; Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
• ISSN: 1536-5964; 0025-7974; 1536-5964
• DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000040517

Melatonin's antioxidative and immune effects suggest potential in cancer therapy. This review assesses related clinical trials on ClinicalTrials.gov. All ClinicalTrials.gov trials registered up to January 17, 2024 were examined, focusing on trials that involved use of melatonin in cancer treatment. A 46 trials were summarized by their study status, study phase, study type, funder type and study results in the use of melatonin in cancer treatment. The examination of the research data revealed a collective count of 46 clinical trials enlisted on ClinicalTrials.gov, all focus around the utilization of melatonin in cancer treatment. Among these, 24 trials had reached completion, constituting 91.3% of the entire trials, while 5 trials were presently in the recruitment phase, making up 10.8% of the total. None of these trials had received approval for marketing yet. The majority focus of the analysis encompassed interventional studies, around 42 trials and representing 91.3% of the overall trials, thereby incorporating most enrolled patients. In contrast, observational studies are a smaller fraction, comprising 4 trials (8.6% of the total), with a correspondingly lower number of involved patients. Regarding funding sources, most registered studies secured funding from diverse entities such as individuals, universities, and organizations, constituting 95.6% of all trials. In comparison, a minority of studies received funding from the National Institutes of Health, comprising 5 trials and accounting for 10.8% of the total trials. The analysis of 46 clinical trials on melatonin's use in cancer treatment reveals a significant importance on interventional studies. Overall, these findings contribute to the evolving understanding of melatonin's role in cancer treatment.