ArticlePlastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open2020
Treatment of Post-mastectomy Lymphedema with Herbal Medicine: An Innovative Pilot Study.
Article in Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 4 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pharmacotherapy agents in prevention and treatment of breast cancer-related lymphedema: a systematic scoping review.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Pooled it
- Ultrasound Irradiation as a Candidate Procedure to Improve the Transdermal Drug Delivery to the Tail Edema of a Mouse Model.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Article
- Acquired lymphedema: Molecular contributors and future directions for developing intervention strategies.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLymphedema of the arms or legs is a difficult clinical problem yet devoid of effective treatment. Lymphedema is the result of obstructed lymphatic flow secondary to chronic infection, parasitic infestation, or postsurgical obstruction (eg, after axillary dissections). We arranged this clinical trial to investigate whether patients with limb lymphedema can benefit from a standard dose of
methodThe pilot study was designed as a self-control clinical trial. Patients with post-mastectomy lymphedema were recruited. A double-herb formulation (
resultsThere were no reported adverse effects or complications; there were no episodes of infection during the period of study. There was a tendency of limb volume reduction by 6 months, which, however, did not reach statistical significance. There was a significant improvement in appearance and symptom scores as was assessed with the LYMQOL questionnaire.
conclusionsThe oral herbal formula improved the symptomatology and QOL among the pilot group of patients with post-mastectomy lymphedema. Side effects were absent, and there was a trend of lymphedema reduction.
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.