Trial reportCancer2013
Acupuncture in the treatment of upper-limb lymphedema: results of a pilot study.
Trial report in Cancer, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 61 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effect of eight different acupuncture and moxibustion therapies on breast cancer-related lymphedema: a Bayesian network meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Pooled it
- Acupuncture for symptom management in cancer care: an update.Current oncology reports · 2014Pooled it
- Effects of Acupuncture and Moxibustion on Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Integrative cancer therapiesPooled it
- The Effect of Acupuncture in Breast Cancer-Related Lymphoedema (BCRL): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Integrative cancer therapiesPooled it
- Acupuncture Treatment for Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema: A Randomized Pilot Study.Lymphatic research and biology · 2023Trial
- Acupuncture for breast cancer-related lymphedema: a randomized controlled trial.Breast cancer research and treatment · 2018Trial
- Effectiveness of acupuncture in rehabilitation of physical and functional disorders of women undergoing breast cancer surgery.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2016Trial
- Effect of Kinesiology Taping on breast cancer-related lymphedema: a randomized single-blind controlled pilot study.BioMed research international · 2013Trial
- Recent Advances in Therapeutic Modalities Against Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema: Future Epigenetic Landscape.Lymphatic research and biology · 2023Review
- Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation Combined with Warm Acupuncture for Breast Cancer Related Upper Limb Lymphedema: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Chinese journal of integrative medicine · 2023Article
- Prevalence of late and long-term effects of cancer (treatment) and use of complementary and alternative medicine in Norway.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2022Article
- Article
- Quality of life improvement in breast cancer survivors affected by upper limb lymphedema through a novel multiperspective physical activity methodology: a monocentric pilot study.Breast cancer (Tokyo, Japan) · 2022Article
- Article
- Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis With Acupuncture, Turmeric (Journal of chiropractic medicine · 2020Article
- Article
- Late-Onset Post-radiation Lymphedema Provoked by Bee Venom Therapy: A Case Report.Annals of rehabilitation medicine · 2018Article
- A Survey of Licensed Acupuncturists in the San Francisco Bay Area: Prevalence of Treating Oncology Patients.Integrative cancer therapies · 2018Article
- Survivorship and Advocacy in Inflammatory Breast Cancer.Journal of Cancer · 2018Article
- Effectiveness of acupuncture for breast cancer related lymphedema: protocol for a single-blind, sham-controlled, randomized, multicenter trial.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundCurrent treatments for lymphedema after breast cancer treatment are expensive and require ongoing intervention. Clinical experience and our preliminary published results suggest that acupuncture is safe and potentially useful. This study evaluates the safety and potential efficacy of acupuncture on upper-limb circumference in women with lymphedema.
methodsWomen with a clinical diagnosis of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) for 0.5-5 years and with affected arm circumference ≥2 cm larger than unaffected arm received acupuncture treatment twice weekly for 4 weeks. Affected and unaffected arm circumferences were measured before and after each acupuncture treatment. Response, defined as ≥30% reduction in circumference difference between affected/unaffected arms, was assessed. Monthly follow-up calls for 6 months thereafter were made to document any complications and self-reported lymphedema status.
resultsAmong 37 enrolled patients, 33 were evaluated; 4 discontinued due to time constraints. Mean reduction in arm circumference difference was 0.90 cm (95% CI, 0.72-1.07; P < .0005). Eleven patients (33%) exhibited a reduction of ≥30% after acupuncture treatment. Seventy-six percent of patients received all treatments; 21% missed 1 treatment, and another patient missed 2 treatments. During the treatment period, 14 of the 33 patients reported minor complaints, including mild local bruising or pain/tingling. There were no serious adverse events and no infections or severe exacerbations after 255 treatment sessions and 6 months of follow-up interviews.
conclusionsAcupuncture for BCRL appears safe and may reduce arm circumference. Although these results await confirmation in a randomized trial, acupuncture can be considered for women with no other options for sustained arm circumference reduction.
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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.