{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T19:18:04Z","timestamp":1790709484283,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,15]],"date-time":"2024-03-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1710460800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Toxins"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Cancer pain is one of the most disabling symptoms complained by cancer patients, with a crucial impact on physical and psychological well-being. Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) type A and B have emerged as potential interventions for chronic pain; however, their role in these patients is still debated. Thus, this systematic review of randomized controlled trials aimed at assessing the effects of BoNT treatment for cancer pain to guide physicians in an evidence-based approach integrating BoNT in cancer care. Out of 5824 records, 10 RCTs satisfied our eligibility criteria and were included in the present work for a total of 413 subjects with several cancer types (breast, head and neck, esophageal, and thoracic\/gastric cancers). While some studies demonstrated significant pain reduction and improved quality of life post-BoNT-A injections, outcomes across different cancer types were inconclusive. Additionally, several effects were observed in functioning, dysphagia, salivary outcomes, esophageal strictures, gastric emptying, and expansions. This review emphasizes the need for further standardized research to conclusively establish the efficacy of BoNT in comprehensive cancer pain management.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/toxins16030153","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,18]],"date-time":"2024-03-18T04:25:15Z","timestamp":1710735915000},"page":"153","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Botulinum Toxin for Pain Relief in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9035-1485","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lorenzo","family":"Lippi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical and Rehabilitative Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont \u201cA. Avogadro\u201d, 28100 Novara, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Scientific Research, Campus LUdeS, Off-Campus Semmelweis University of Budapest, 1085 Budapest, Hungary"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5541-8346","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessandro","family":"de Sire","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Graecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"},{"name":"Research Center on Musculoskeletal Health, MusculoSkeletalHealth@UMG, University of Catanzaro \u201cMagna Graecia\u201d, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0510-0329","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessio","family":"Turco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical and Rehabilitative Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont \u201cA. Avogadro\u201d, 28100 Novara, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1878-4694","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Martina","family":"Ferrillo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro \u201cMagna Graecia\u201d, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Serdar","family":"Kesikburun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ankara Gaziler Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Education and Research Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Gulhane Medical School, University of Health Sciences Turkey, 06800 Ankara, Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8440-6283","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessio","family":"Baricich","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical and Rehabilitative Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont \u201cA. Avogadro\u201d, 28100 Novara, Italy"},{"name":"Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, \u201cOspedale Maggiore della Carit\u00e0\u201d University Hospital, 28100 Novara, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stefano","family":"Carda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neuropsychology and Neurorehabilitation Service, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital, 1004 Lausanne, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5141-0681","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marco","family":"Invernizzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical and Rehabilitative Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont \u201cA. Avogadro\u201d, 28100 Novara, Italy"},{"name":"Translational Medicine, Dipartimento Attivit\u00e0 Integrate Ricerca e Innovazione (DAIRI), Azienda Ospedaliera SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, 15121 Alessandria, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"de Sire, A., Lippi, L., Ammendolia, A., Cisari, C., Venetis, K., Sajjadi, E., Fusco, N., and Invernizzi, M. (2021). Physical exercise with or without whole-body vibration in breast cancer patients suffering from aromatase inhibitor\u2014Induced musculoskeletal symptoms: A pilot randomized clinical study. J. Pers. Med., 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/jpm11121369"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Caraceni, A., and Shkodra, M. (2019). Cancer pain assessment and classification. Cancers, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/cancers11040510"},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"8028","article-title":"Axillary web syndrome in women after breast cancer surgery referred to an Oncological Rehabilitation Unit: Which are the main risk factors? 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