Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29520533›Full record

Trial reportBreast cancer research and treatment2018

Acupuncture for breast cancer-related lymphedema: a randomized controlled trial.

Ting Bao, Wanqing Iris Zhi, Emily A Vertosick, Qing Susan Li, Janice DeRito, Andrew Vickers, Barrie R Cassileth, Jun J Mao, Kimberly J Van Zee

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Breast cancer research and treatment, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05762224 (Comparative Effects of Kinesio Tapping and Pressure Garments on Upper Extremity Lymphedema, Functional Disability and Quality of Life After Mastectomy), which is not on this map. Cited by 21 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 10% 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.

NCT05762224 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2021, after this paper: background citation

Comparative Effects of Kinesio Tapping and Pressure Garments on Upper Extremity Lymphedema, Functional Disability and Quality of Life After Mastectomy

TypeinterventionalSponsorRiphah International UniversityRan2021 to 2023Enrolled30ConditionsLymphedema of Upper LimbArmsEffect of kinesio taping on upper limb lymphedema
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

21 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 45 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. 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 · 2025
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
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  9. Trial
  10. Trial
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Acupuncture for the treatment of the pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance-numbness/tingling symptom cluster in breast cancer survivors: a feasibility trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
    Article
  15. Acupuncture in cancer care: a narrative review.Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992) · 2024
    Review
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Lymphatic Function in Autoimmune Diseases.Frontiers in immunology · 2019
    Review
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

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Ting BaoMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1429 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA. baot@mskcc.org.
Wanqing Iris ZhiMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1429 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Emily A VertosickMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1429 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Qing Susan LiMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1429 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Janice DeRitoMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1429 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Andrew VickersMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1429 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Barrie R CassilethMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1429 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Jun J MaoMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1429 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Kimberly J Van ZeeMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1429 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · US

Funding

X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHYP30CA008748 · NCI · SLOAN-KETTERING INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RES · PI Hongbiao Carl Lekaye · 1985 to 2026
$347.4M
Estrogen Deprivation and Aromatase Inhibitor associated ArthralgiaR01CA158243 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI MAO, JUN J · 2011 to 2015
$2.2M
Acupuncture to Prevent Chemotherapy Dose ReductionR21CA173263 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · PI BAO, TING · 2013 to 2014
$349k
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (US) P30-CA008748National Cancer Institute R21CA173263National Cancer Institute (US) R01CA158243NCI NIH HHS P30 CA008748NCI NIH HHS R01 CA158243NCI NIH HHS R21 CA173263
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeApproximately 20% of breast cancer survivors develop breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL), and current therapies are limited. We compared acupuncture (AC) to usual care wait-list control (WL) for treatment of persistent BCRL.

methodsWomen with moderate BCRL lasting greater than six months were randomized to AC or WL. AC included twice weekly manual acupuncture over six weeks. We evaluated the difference in circumference and bioimpedance between affected and unaffected arms. Responders were defined as having a decrease in arm circumference difference greater than 30% from baseline. We used analysis of covariance for circumference and bioimpedance measurements and Fisher's exact to determine the proportion of responders.

resultsAmong 82 patients, 73 (89%) were evaluable for the primary endpoint (36 in AC, 37 in WL). 79 (96%) patients received lymphedema treatment before enrolling in our study; 67 (82%) underwent ongoing treatment during the trial. We found no significant difference between groups for arm circumference difference (0.38 cm greater reduction in AC vs. WL, 95% CI - 0.12 to 0.89, p = 0.14) or bioimpedance difference (1.06 greater reduction in AC vs. WL, 95% CI - 5.72 to 7.85, p = 0.8). There was also no difference in the proportion of responders: 17% AC versus 11% WL (6% difference, 95% CI - 10 to 22%, p = 0.5). No severe adverse events were reported.

conclusionsOur acupuncture protocol appeared to be safe and well tolerated. However, it did not significantly reduce BCRL in pretreated patients receiving concurrent lymphedema treatment. This regimen does not improve upon conventional lymphedema treatment for breast cancer survivors with persistent BCRL.

Indexed as

Acupuncture TherapyAgedArmBreast Cancer LymphedemaBreast NeoplasmsFemaleHumansMiddle AgedQuality of LifeTreatment OutcomeAcupunctureBCRLBreast cancerBreast cancer-related lymphedemaLymphedema

Identifiers

PMID29520533
PMCPMC6159216
OpenAlexW3000592051

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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.