Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34530897›Full record

Observational studyRadiation oncology (London, England)2021

Palliative radiotherapy for painful lymph node metastases.

Kohsei Yamaguchi, Tetsuo Saito, Ryo Toya, Etsushi Tomitaka, Tomohiko Matsuyama, Yoshiyuki Fukugawa, Takahiro Watakabe, Hirohito Otsuka, Natsuo Oya

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Radiation oncology (London, England), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 27% 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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Travel distance and potential disparities in palliative radiotherapy access for cancer patients in Victoria, Australia.Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2025
    Article
  2. Palliative radiotherapy for painful non-bone-metastasis tumors.International journal of clinical oncology · 2025
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Quality of life improvement in patients with bone metastases undergoing palliative radiotherapy.Reports of practical oncology and radiotherapy : journal of Greatpoland Cancer Center in Poznan and Polish Society of Radiation Oncology · 2022
    Article
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 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Kohsei YamaguchiDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Kumamoto University Hospital, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan. yayaguchi3339@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5001-4019
Tetsuo SaitoDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Arao Municipal Hospital, Arao, Japan.
Ryo ToyaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Kumamoto University Hospital, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
Etsushi TomitakaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Kumamoto Medical Center, Kumamoto, Japan.
Tomohiko MatsuyamaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Kumamoto University Hospital, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
Yoshiyuki FukugawaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Kumamoto University Hospital, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
Takahiro WatakabeDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Kumamoto University Hospital, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
Hirohito OtsukaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Kumamoto University Hospital, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
Natsuo OyaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Kumamoto University Hospital, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
Kumamoto University Hospital · JPKumamoto Medical Center · JP

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is limited evidence concerning radiotherapy for painful lymph node metastases (PLM). We evaluated the effectiveness of radiotherapy for PLM using the International Consensus Endpoint in a subgroup analysis of a prospective observational study.

methodsIn the primary study, 302 patients received radiotherapy for painful tumors. Among them, those treated with palliative radiotherapy for PLM were analyzed in the present study. We used the Brief Pain Inventory short form to evaluate the intensity of pain and the pain interference in patient's life. We collected the Brief Pain Inventory and analgesic data at baseline and at 1, 2, and 3 months after the start of radiotherapy. Pain response was assessed using the International Consensus Endpoint. Patients were diagnosed with a predominance of other pain (POP) if non-index pain of a malignant or unknown origin was present and had a greater 'worst pain' score than the index pain.

resultsRadiotherapy for PLM was performed on 25 patients. In total, 15 (60%) patients experienced a pain response. The pain response rates for evaluable patients were 66%, 67%, and 57% at 1-, 2-, and 3-month follow-ups, respectively. At baseline and at 1, 2, and 3 months, the median index pain scores were 7, 2, 0, and 0.5, respectively. At 1 month, all pain interference scores were significantly reduced from baseline. Four (16%) patients experienced POP within three months.

conclusionRadiotherapy for PLM improved pain intensity and pain interference. Palliative radiotherapy may be a viable treatment option for PLM.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAged, 80 and overCancer PainFemaleHumansLymphatic MetastasisMaleMiddle AgedPalliative CareProspective StudiesRadiotherapy DosagePainful lymph node metastasesPain interferencePalliative radiotherapyPredominance of other pain

Identifiers

PMID34530897
PMCPMC8447670
OpenAlexW3170619561

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.