Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33285693›Full record

SynthesisMedicine2020

Manual lymphatic drainage for lymphedema in patients after breast cancer surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Mining Liang, Qiongni Chen, Kanglin Peng, Lu Deng, Li He, Yongchao Hou, Yang Zhang, Jincai Guo, Zubing Mei, Lezhi Li

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 43 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
43citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
3.1field-weighted citation impact, top 6% 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

43 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 73 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

10 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.

Mining LiangClinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province.
Qiongni ChenClinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province.
Kanglin PengClinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province.
Lu DengClinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province.
Li HeClinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province.
Yongchao HouEmergency Department, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi.
Yang ZhangNursing Teaching and Research Institute, Medical College of Guangxi University of Science and Technology, Liuzhou, Guangxi Province, 545005.
Jincai GuoDepartment of Medical Technology, Changsha Stomatological Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, 410006.
Zubing MeiDepartment of Anorectal Surgery, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203.
Lezhi LiClinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province.ORCID 0000-0001-5872-0842
Apple (Israel) · ILCentral South University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundStudies have shown that manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) has a beneficial effect on lymphedema related to breast cancer surgery. However, whether MLD reduces the risk of lymphedema is still debated. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to summarize the current evidence to assess the effectiveness of MLD in preventing and treating lymphedema in patients after breast cancer surgery.

methodsFrom inception to May 2019, PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched without language restriction. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the treatment and prevention effect of MLD with a control group on lymphedema in breast cancer patients. A random-effects model was used for all analyses.

resultsA total of 17 RCTs involving 1911 patients were included. A meta-analysis of 8 RCTs, including 338 patients, revealed that MLD did not significantly reduce lymphedema compared with the control group (standardized mean difference (SMD): -0.09, 95% confidence interval (CI): [-0.85 to 0.67]). Subgroup analysis was basically consistent with the main analysis according to the research region, the publication year, the sample size, the type of surgery, the statistical analysis method, the mean age, and the intervention time. However, we found that MLD could significantly reduce lymphedema in patients under the age of 60 years (SMD: -1.77, 95% CI: [-2.23 to -1.31]) and an intervention time of 1 month (SMD: -1.77, 95% CI: [-2.23 to -1.30]). Meanwhile, 4 RCTs including, 1364 patients, revealed that MLD could not significantly prevent the risk of lymphedema (risk ratio (RR): 0.61, 95% CI: [0.29-1.26]) for patients having breast cancer surgery.

conclusionsOverall, this meta-analysis of 12 RCTs showed that MLD cannot significantly reduce or prevent lymphedema in patients after breast cancer surgery. However, well-designed RCTs with a larger sample size are required, especially in patients under the age of 60 years or an intervention time of 1 month.

Indexed as

Manual Lymphatic DrainageBreast NeoplasmsHumansLymphedemaMastectomyRandomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Identifiers

PMID33285693
PMCPMC7717855
OpenAlexW3111908641

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.