Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33586504›Full record

SynthesisIntegrative cancer therapies

Acupuncture for Arthralgia Induced by Aromatase Inhibitors in Patients with Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Xiaomeng Liu, Jing Lu, Guoxin Wang, Xiu Chen, Haiping Xv, Jing Huang, Mingxin Xue, Jinhai Tang

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Integrative cancer therapies. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.5field-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.

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

8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 20 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. 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

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Xiaomeng LiuNanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0000-0002-1212-2772
Jing LuThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
Guoxin WangNanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
Xiu ChenThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
Haiping XvThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
Jing HuangThird Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, People's Republic of China.
Mingxin XueNanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
Jinhai TangThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
Jiangsu Province Hospital · CNNanjing University of Chinese Medicine · CNKunming Medical University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia (AIA) is the most common side effect of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) used in breast cancer patients and is related to the rate of adherence to AIs. The clinical effects of acupuncture on AIA have been assessed by some randomized controlled trials (RCTs). However, some studies reported that acupuncture was effective, while others claimed that it was ineffective. To clarify the clinical and placebo effects of acupuncture in treating AIA, we conducted this meta-analysis.

methodsTwo reviewers (XL and GW) independently searched for RCTs in 5 English databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Springer, Cochrane Library) and 4 Chinese databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), SinoMed, VIP and Wanfang Database) from their inception to 30 November 2019. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, this meta-analysis was performed by fixed or random-effects models, and data were pooled with mean differences (MDs).

resultsSeven trials involving 603 patients were reviewed. The primary outcome, the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) score, significantly differed between the acupuncture and control groups [pain-related interference: MD = -1.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) [-2.99, -0.79],

conclusionThis meta-analysis showed that acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for breast cancer patients with AIA. Additional research with improved blinding methods is warranted to further explore the nature of non-specific and placebo effects in true and sham acupuncture.

Indexed as

Acupuncture TherapyBreast NeoplasmsAromatase InhibitorsArthralgiaFemaleHumansTreatment OutcomeAromatase Inhibitorsacupuncturearomatase inhibitor-induced arthralgiabreast cancermeta-analysis

Identifiers

PMID33586504
PMCPMC7883140
OpenAlexW3131398167

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.