Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41460589›Full record

SynthesisBreast cancer research and treatment2025

The impact of breast cancer treatment on sleep disturbance: a systematic review.

Emma-Kate Carson, Haryana M Dhillon, Janette L Vardy, Chris Brown, Claire Mok, Alisha Panambalana, Belinda E Kiely

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Breast cancer research and treatment, 2025. 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
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. 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

7 authors.

Emma-Kate CarsonFaculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia. emmakate.carson@health.nsw.gov.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9684-0247
Haryana M DhillonCentre for Medical Psychology & Evidence-Based Decision-Making, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Janette L VardyFaculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Chris BrownFaculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Claire MokNorthern Sydney Cancer Centre, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.
Alisha PanambalanaSt Vincent's Hospital, 390 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia.
Belinda E KielyFaculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPeople receiving treatment for breast cancer often report sleep disturbance. This systematic review explored the prevalence and impact of breast cancer treatment on sleep disturbance.

methodsThe Medline, Embase, CINAHL Plus with full text, Psych INFO, Cochrane Library/Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus databases were searched up to December 2024. Eligible studies recruited people undergoing breast cancer treatment and reported the impact of treatment on their sleep. Two authors reviewed full-text publications for eligibility, data extraction, and quality appraisal. Demographics and sleep outcomes were summarised via descriptive statistics.

resultsAmong the 32,119 studies identified, 80 met the eligibility criteria. Studies have used a variety of sleep assessment measures and thresholds to define sleep disturbance. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and actigraphy were the most frequently used, 63% and 24%, respectively. The mean prevalence of poor sleep quality (as per the PSQI) for each treatment was as follows: surgery, 63%; chemotherapy, 62%; radiation therapy, 64%; and endocrine therapy, 57%; and clinically significant insomnia (as per the Insomnia Severity Index) for surgery, 20%; chemotherapy, 24%; radiation therapy, 23%; and endocrine therapy, 35%. A significant increase in sleep disturbance related to cancer treatment was reported in 62% of the studies assessing chemotherapy, 39% assessing radiation therapy, 20% assessing endocrine therapy, and 17% assessing breast surgery.

conclusionSleep disturbance is reported in approximately 60% of people receiving treatment for breast cancer, with chemotherapy being the most studied treatment. The prevalence and severity of sleep disturbance vary across studies due to the heterogeneity of assessment tools used, and thresholds to define poor sleep. This highlights the need for a consistent method of assessing sleep disturbance and the need for effective strategies to improve sleep.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsSleep Wake DisordersFemaleHumansPrevalenceSleep QualityBreast cancerBreast surgeryChemotherapyEndocrine therapyInsomniaRadiotherapySleep disturbanceSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID41460589

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.