Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23408333›Full record

ArticleJournal of cancer research and clinical oncology2013

Insulin-like growth factor 1 and musculoskeletal pain among breast cancer patients on aromatase inhibitor therapy and women without a history of cancer.

Lisa Gallicchio, Ryan MacDonald, Kathy J Helzlsouer

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 25% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Musculoskeletal symptoms associated with aromatase inhibitors in the treatment of early breast cancer: A scoping review of risk factors and outcomes.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Article
  3. IGF/IGF-1R signal pathway in pain: a promising therapeutic target.International journal of biological sciences · 2023
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Lisa GallicchioThe Prevention and Research Center, The Weinberg Center for Women's Health and Medicine, Mercy Medical Center, 227 St. Paul Place, 6th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA. lgallic@mdmercy.com
Ryan MacDonald
Kathy J Helzlsouer
Mercy Medical Center · USJohns Hopkins University · US

Funding

Androgens and musculoskeletal symptoms among breast cancer patients on aromataseR03CA132147 · NCI · MERCY HEALTH SERVICES · PI GALLICCHIO, LISA · 2009 to 2010
$125k
NCI NIH HHS R03 CA132147
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeMusculoskeletal pain is a common side effect of aromatase inhibitors (AIs), the adjuvant hormonal treatment of choice for postmenopausal estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer. Although the pain is usually attributed to the estrogen depletion associated with AIs, not all women on AIs experience these symptoms. Thus, the goal of this study was to examine whether changes in the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis were associated with pain among women initiating AI therapy or a comparison group of women without a history of cancer.

methodsData were analyzed from a cohort study of 52 breast cancer patients for whom AI therapy was planned and 88 women without a history of cancer. Questionnaire data on pain symptoms were collected, and blood was drawn at baseline (prior to AI therapy for patients) and 6 months after baseline. The blood samples were assayed for IGF-1 and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3).

resultsWhile results showed no statistically significant changes in any of the measures across time for either the breast cancer or the comparison group, increases in both IGF-1 concentrations and the IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio over the first 6 months of AI treatment were significantly associated with the onset or increase in musculoskeletal pain among the breast cancer patients. Associations between IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and the IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio and pain were not observed in the comparison group.

conclusionsAlthough preliminary, findings from this study implicate the IGF axis in the development of AI-associated musculoskeletal pain and represent a first step in developing effective interventions to alleviate this side effect.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAntineoplastic Agents, HormonalAromatase InhibitorsBreast NeoplasmsFemaleHumansInsulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3Insulin-Like Growth Factor IMiddle AgedMusculoskeletal PainAntineoplastic Agents, HormonalAromatase InhibitorsInsulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3Insulin-Like Growth Factor I

Identifiers

PMID23408333
PMCPMC3628436
OpenAlexW2019383241

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.