A large number of taxonomies are used to rate the quality of an individual study and the strength of a recommendation based on a body of evidence. We have developed a new grading scale that will be used by several family medicine and primary care journals (required or optional), with the goal of allowing readers to learn one taxonomy that will apply to many sources of evidence. Our scale is called the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy. It addresses the quality, quantity, and consistency of evidence and allows authors to rate individual studies or bodies of evidence. The taxonomy is built around the information mastery framework, which emphasizes the use of patient-oriented outcomes that measure changes in morbidity or mortality. An A-level recommendation is based on consistent and good quality patient-oriented evidence; a B-level recommendation is based on inconsistent or limited quality patientoriented evidence; and a C-level recommendation is based on consensus, usual practice, opinion, disease-oriented evidence, or case series for studies of diagnosis, treatment, prevention, or screening. Levels of evidence from 1 to 3 for individual studies also are defined. We hope that consistent use of this taxonomy will improve the ability of authors and readers to communicate about the translation of research into practice. Review articles (or overviews) are highly valued by physicians as a way to keep up to date with the medical literature. Sometimes, though, these articles are based more on the authors' personal experience, or anecdotes, or incomplete surveys of the literature than on a comprehensive collection of the best available evidence. As a result, there is an ongoing effort in the medical publishing field to improve the quality of review articles through the use of more explicit grading of the strength of evidence on which recommendations are based.

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Purpose Although fatigue, sleep disturbance, depression, and anxiety are associated with pain in breast cancer patients, it is unknown if acupuncture can decrease these co-morbid symptoms in cancer patients with pain. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of electro-acupuncture on fatigue, sleep, and psychological distress in breast cancer survivors who experience joint pain related to aromatase inhibitors (AIs). Patients and methods We performed a randomized controlled trial of an eight-week course of electro-acupuncture (EA) as compared to waitlist control (WLC) and sham acupuncture (SA) in postmenopausal women with breast cancer who self-reported joint pain attributable to aromatase inhibitors. Fatigue, sleep disturbance, anxiety, and depression were measured by the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The effects of EA and SA vs. WLC on these outcomes were evaluated using mixed-effects models. Results Of the 67 randomly assigned patients, baseline pain interference was associated with fatigue (Pearson correlation coefficient r =0.75, p<0.001), sleep disturbance (r=0.38, p=0.0026), and depression (r= 0.58, p<0.001). Compared to the WLC, EA produced significant improvement in fatigue (p=0.0095), anxiety (p=0.044), and depression (p=0.015) and non-significant improvement in sleep disturbance (p=0.058) during the 12 week intervention and follow up period. In contrast, SA did not produce significant reduction in fatigue and anxiety symptoms, but produced significant improvement in depression compared with WLC (p=0.0088). Conclusion Compared to usual care, EA produced significant improvement in fatigue, anxiety, and depression, whereas SA improved only depression in women experiencing AI-related arthralgia. Clinical Trial Registration NCT01013337

Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) is recommended for postmenopausal women primarily for reduction of menopausal symptoms and prevention of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. However, only 35% to 40% of women ever start ERT, and many do not continue it. One of the reasons women are reluctant to receive postmenopausal ERT is that they perceive prescription estrogens as being "unnatural." Because of this, there is increasing interest in the use of plant-derived estrogens, also known as phytoestrogens. This article reviews the evidence for the potential of phytoestrogens, either in dietary or supplemental form, to replace traditional forms of ERT. A comprehensive search of the English-language literature identified more than 1000 articles published in the past 30 years about phytoestrogens. In total, 74 studies were selected for inclusion in this review based on relevance, inclusion of human subjects wherever possible, and study design. The studies examine phytoestrogens' inhibition of the growth of cancer cell lines in vitro and in animals. They also look at the role of phytoestrogens in the reduction of cholesterol levels, and the use of one phytoestrogen derivative, ipriflavone, in the prevention of osteoporosis. Some small studies examine the role of phytoestrogens in the prevention of menopausal symptoms. Evidence for the potential health benefits of phytoestrogens is increasing. However, the clinically proven health benefits of prescribed ERT far outweigh those of phytoestrogens. Therefore, there is insufficient evidence to recommend the use of phytoestrogens in place of traditional ERT, or to make recommendations to women about specific phytoestrogen products.

Background Arthralgia is a common and debilitating side effect experienced by breast cancer patients receiving aromatase inhibitors (AIs) and often results in premature drug discontinuation. Methods We conducted a randomized controlled trial of electro-acupuncture (EA) as compared to waitlist control (WLC) and sham acupuncture (SA) in postmenopausal women with breast cancer who self-reported arthralgia attributable to AIs. Acupuncturists performed ten EA/SA treatments over eight weeks using a manualized protocol with 2 Hz electro-stimulation delivered by a TENS unit. Acupuncturists administered SA using Streitberger (non-penetrating) needles at non-traditional acupuncture points without electro-stimulation. The primary endpoint was pain severity by Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) between EA and WLC at Week 8; durability of response at Week 12 and comparison of EA to SA were secondary aims. Findings Of the 67 randomly assigned patients, mean reduction in pain severity was greater in the EA group than in the WLC group at Week 8 (−2.2 vs. −0.2, p=0.0004) and at Week 12 (−2.4 vs. −0.2, p<0.0001). Pain-related interference measured by BPI also improved in the EA group compared to the WLC group at both Week 8 (−2.0 vs. 0.2, p=0.0006) and Week 12 (−2.1 vs. −0.1, p=0.0034). SA produced a magnitude of change in pain severity and pain-related interference at Week 8 (−2.3, −1.5 respectively) and Week 12 (−1.7, −1.3 respectively) similar to that of EA. Participants in both EA and SA groups reported few minor adverse events. Interpretations Compared to usual care, EA produced clinically important and durable improvement in arthralgia related to AIs in breast cancer patients, and SA had a similar effect. Both EA and SA were safe.

Although BCSs perceived high quality of general care provided by their PCPs, they were not as confident with their PCPs' ability to deliver cancer-specific survivorship care. Interventions need to be tested to improve oncology-primary care communication and PCP knowledge of cancer-specific survivorship care.

Our results indicate that diminished Th17 and Th1/17 responses, rather than Th1 responses, are particularly relevant to the abrogation of new relapsing disease activity observed in this cohort of patients with aggressive MS following chemoablation and HSCT.

Purpose Arthralgia is common in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors (BCS) receiving aromatase inhibitors (AI). This study aims to evaluate the perceived onset, characteristics, and risk factors for AI-related arthralgia (AIA). Patients and Methods We performed a cross-sectional survey of postmenopausal BCS receiving adjuvant AI therapy at a university-based oncology clinic. Patient-reported attribution of AIs as a cause of joint pain was used as the primary outcome. Multivariate logistic regression analyses (MVA) were performed to evaluate risk factor(s). Results Among 300 participants, 139 (47%) attributed AI as a cause of their current arthralgia. Of these patients, 74% recognized onset of AIA within three months since medication initiation, and 67% rated joint pain moderate or severe in the previous seven days. In a MVA, time since last menstrual period (LMP) was the only significant predictor of AIA. Controlling for covariates, those who had LMP within five years had the highest probability of reporting AIA (73%), while those with LMP beyond ten years had the lowest (35%; adjusted odds radio, 3.39, 95% confidence interval, 1.21-9.44, P=0.02). Wrists/hands, ankles/feet, elbows and knees appeared to be more strongly associated with AI-related symptoms than non-AI related joint symptoms (all p<0.01). Conclusions AIA is common, begins within the first three months of therapy in most patients, and appears to be inversely related to the length of time since cessation of menstrual function. These findings suggest that estrogen withdrawal may play a role in the mechanism of this disorder.