ReviewToxins2020
Botulinum Neurotoxins and Cancer-A Review of the Literature.
Review in Toxins, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 3 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
22 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 47 citations in OpenAlex.
- Intradermal Incobotulinum Toxin A for Postbreast Cancer Treatment Asymmetry: A Literature Review and Case Report.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2025Pooled it
- Botulinum Toxin for Pain Relief in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Toxins · 2024Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Understanding nerve-tumor interactions: From basic biology to therapeutic innovation.Genes & diseases · 2026Review
- Investigating the dual nature ofLe infezioni in medicina · 2026Review
- Cancer-nervous system crosstalk: from biological mechanism to therapeutic opportunities.Molecular cancer · 2025Review
- The Esthetic Use of Botulinum Toxins in Cancer Patients: Providing a Foundation for Future Indications.Toxins · 2025Review
- Botulinum Therapy for Pain Caused by Spasticity in Advanced Stages of Brain Tumor in Adolescents: A Case Report.Clinical medicine insights. Case reports · 2025Article
- Article
- Review
- Management of pain in cancer patients - an update.Ecancermedicalscience · 2024Article
- Cancer Pain Management: A Narrative Review of Current Concepts, Strategies, and Techniques.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2023Review
- Clinical Presentation and Management of Malignant Psoas Syndrome: A Scoping Review of Case Reports and Case Series.Cureus · 2023Article
- Pretreatment pain predicts perineural invasion in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023Article
- Sensory Nerves Impede the Formation of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures and Development of Protective Antimelanoma Immune Responses.Cancer immunology research · 2022Article
- Preclinical Evidence for the Role of Botulinum Neurotoxin A (BoNT/A) in the Treatment of Peripheral Nerve Injury.Microorganisms · 2022Review
- Role of TRPM2 in brain tumours and potential as a drug target.Acta pharmacologica Sinica · 2022Review
- Botulinum toxin in cancer therapy-current perspectives and limitations.Applied microbiology and biotechnology · 2022Review
- Peripherally Administered Botulinum Toxin Type A Localizes Bilaterally in Trigeminal Ganglia of Animal Model.Toxins · 2021Article
- Botulinum Toxin in Movement Disorders: An Update.Toxins · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) possess an analgesic effect through several mechanisms including an inhibition of acetylcholine release from the neuromuscular junction as well as an inhibition of specific pain transmitters and mediators. Animal studies have shown that a peripheral injection of BoNTs impairs the release of major pain transmitters such as substance P, calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) and glutamate from peripheral nerve endings as well as peripheral and central neurons (dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord). These effects lead to pain relief via the reduction of peripheral and central sensitization both of which reflect important mechanisms of pain chronicity. This review provides updated information about the effect of botulinum toxin injection on local pain caused by cancer, painful muscle spasms from a remote cancer, and pain at the site of cancer surgery and radiation. The data from the literature suggests that the local injection of BoNTs improves muscle spasms caused by cancerous mass lesions and alleviates the post-operative neuropathic pain at the site of surgery and radiation. It also helps repair the parotid damage (fistula, sialocele) caused by facial surgery and radiation and improves post-parotidectomy gustatory hyperhidrosis. The limited literature that suggests adding botulinum toxins to cell culture slows/halts the growth of certain cancer cells is also reviewed and discussed.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.