ReviewClinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil)2026
Melatonin's oncostatic effects in experimental breast cancer: A systematic review of dose-response and apoptotic mechanisms in animal models.
Review in Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Melatonin beyond chronobiology: integrating pharmacokinetics, dose-exposure forecasting, and clinical evidence.Molecular biology reports · 2026Review
- Independent prognostic ımpact of perineural ınvasion in breast cancer patients with residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992) · 2026Article
- Evaluation of routine four-quadrant re-excision in patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery.Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992) · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Breast cancer remains a major health concern for women because of its prevalence and high morbidity and mortality rates. Metastasis represents the most severe prognosis, and many studies have been conducted to understand the mechanisms involved in cell migration and the factors influencing this process.
objectivesTo evaluate the effects of melatonin on breast cancer cells through a systematic literature review.
methodSystematic review of the literature was carried out through PubMed, Embase and Web of Science as scientific search platforms using Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) with the keywords (P) "rat" or "murine"; (I) "melatonin'', "pineal'' and "indolamine''; (C) "breast cancer model'', "mammary cancer model'' and "breast tissue'' and (O) "proliferation" and "cell migration." The inclusion criteria were full-text, open-access articles in Portuguese, English, or Spanish that focused on the antioxidant and proapoptotic actions of melatonin on breast cancer cells. The exclusion criteria were articles published >20-years ago, those with missing methodological information, and those not describing the dosage and specificity of the research product used. The findings of each included study were structured in tables with details about the sample size, dose of melatonin, and route of administration. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. This study was registered in PROSPERO (n° CRD42025635531).
resultsA total of 257 articles were selected from the databases; 25 were read in full, resulting in 10 articles selected for this systematic review, with a total population of 756 animals studied. From the studies analyzed, six showed a reduction in tumors in correlation with the apoptosis process. This review shows that melatonin can inhibit tumorigenesis in three studies with the lowest risk of bias, which reinforces the oncostatic action of melatonin. However, several studies have combined other substances to evaluate their oncostatic action, making it difficult to infer the mechanisms involved. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the mechanisms through which melatonin acts in mammary carcinogenesis.
conclusionThe literature shows that in animal models of breast tumors, high doses of melatonin can induce tumor reduction by cell death through apoptosis. However, further studies are required to understand the mechanisms by which this hormone acts in mammary carcinogenesis.
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