Acupuncture and Acupressure
Author
 Nancy Hepp, MS, BCCT Project Manager
Read more Ms. Hepp is a science researcher and communicator who has been writing and editing educational content on varied health topics for more than 20 years. View profile. Reviewer
 Laura Pole, RN, MSN, OCNS, BCCT Senior Researcher
Read more Ms. Pole is an oncology clinical nurse specialist who has been providing integrative oncology clinical care, navigation, consultation and education services for more than 30 years. View profile. Last updated November 6, 2020.
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Also known by these names
- Acustimulation
- Electroacupuncture
- Manual acupuncture
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Key Points
- Acupuncture is a component of traditional Chinese medicine that is widely practiced in Western medicine.
- Acupuncture and acupressure treatments stimulate designated points on the body with fine needles, pressure, or electricity.
- BCCT’s interest in these therapies is in their success in treating symptoms related to cancer and treatments, especially pain, nausea and vomiting.
- Acupuncture is recommended by the Society for Integrative Medicine and the American College of Chest Physicians for symptom management.
- Acupuncture is generally safe, well tolerated and cost-effective. A few side effects are noted, and some medical conditions may make acupuncture inappropriate.
- Acupuncture is widely available, and many conventional physicians refer patients for acupuncture therapy.
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Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese therapy that has generally become widely accepted in Western medicine. The World Health Organization published an extensive review of evidence in 2002 concluding that acupuncture is an effective treatment for many diseases, symptoms or conditions, including pain and other cancer symptoms.
Treatment involves stimulation of one or more designated points on the body with needles (acupuncture), pressure (acupressure), or electricity (electroacupuncture, EA).
Clinical Practice Guidelines
Chronic Pain
The 2016 American Society of Clinical Oncology clinical practice guideline for management of chronic pain in survivors of adult cancers concluded that benefits of acupuncture outweigh harms, although evidence quality is low. The guidelines give a weak recommendation for acupuncture to manage chronic pain.
Breast Cancer
In the 2009 Society for Integrative Oncology clinical practice guidelines, “acupuncture is strongly recommended as a complementary therapy when pain is poorly controlled, when side effects from other modalities are clinically significant, when chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) are poorly controlled, or when reducing the amount of pain medicine becomes a clinical goal. Acupuncture may also have a role in reducing xerostomia [dry mouth].”
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The 2017 Society for Integrative Oncology clinical practice guidelines regarding breast cancer patients recommends acupressure and acupuncture for reducing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
The 2015 American Cancer Society/American Society for Clinical Oncology breast cancer survivorship care guideline recommends acupuncture to treat musculoskeletal symptoms, including pain.
Lung Cancer
2013 clinical practice guidelines from the American College of Chest Physicians recommended acupuncture or related techniques as an adjunct treatment option for lung cancer patients with these conditions:
Treating the Cancer
Working against cancer growth or spread, improving survival, or working with other treatments or therapies to improve their anticancer action
Lab and Animal Evidence
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- Reduced average tumor size and other indicators of cancer using nanoporous needles in animals (needles that have micro/nano-scale pores on their surface)
Managing Side Effects and Promoting Wellness
Managing or relieving side effects or symptoms, reducing treatment toxicity, supporting quality of life or promoting general well-being
Quality of Life
A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis found that acupuncture improved quality of life in cancer patients. However, a 2019 study found that administering acupuncture during chemotherapy did not improve quality-of-life scores in breast cancer patients. Improved quality of life in an uncontrolled pilot study of ultrasound acupuncture for colorectal cancer patients; a related clinical trial is investigating the effectiveness and safety.
Anxiety or Depression
A 2018 clinical study compared relaxing acupressure, stimulating acupressure and usual care in breast cancer survivors. The study found significantly improved depressive symptoms for both acupressure treatments over usual care, with relaxing acupressure showing the most benefit. Both acupressure groups were associated with greater improvements in anxiety than usual care.
Cognitive Impairment
Acupuncture led to improvements in attention, memory and subjective cognitive function in cancer survivors with insomnia, with evidence this was due to improvement in insomnia symptoms.
Dry Mouth (Xerostomia)
Preliminary evidence suggests acupuncture may be effective in reducing xerostomia with breast cancer and head and neck cancer. Acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (ALTENS) may also be effective.
Fatigue
A 2018 meta-analysis concluded that "acupuncture had a marked effect on fatigue in cancer patients, regardless of concurrent anti-cancer treatment, particularly among breast cancer patients."
Hot Flashes
A randomized placebo control trial of women with breast cancer experiencing bothersome hot flashes found that electroacupuncture (EA) produced the greatest reduction in hot flashes with fewer adverse events than daily gabapentin. EA was also associated with the longest duration of effect 16 weeks after study treatment completion.
A 2010 review of treatments for hot flashes in men after prostate cancer found preliminary evidence of benefit from acupuncture.
Ileus and Bowel Function
In a randomized study of postoperative ileus (obstruction of the ileum or other part of the intestine) after colorectal cancer resection, patients receiving simo decoction (SMD, a traditional Chinese medicine) and acupuncture for five consecutive days following surgery experienced significantly shorter hospital stays, shorter times to first flatus and shorter times to defecation than patients receiving another intervention or no intervention.
Nausea and Vomiting
Cancer patients reported reduced nausea following acupuncture treatment. Randomized trials showed evidence of reduced nausea and vomiting with electroacupuncture after thoracic surgery. Acupuncture enhanced the effectiveness of ondansetron in reducing nausea, vomiting, abdominal distention and diarrhea in colorectal cancer patients receiving hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy after surgery.
Pain
A 2019 meta-analysis found real (compared with sham) acupuncture was associated with reduced pain, and "acupuncture combined with analgesic therapy was associated with decreased analgesic use. However, heterogeneity lowered the level of certainty of the evidence." A 2020 review also found acupuncture and accupressure are effective in reducing pain.
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A review in 2017 categorized acupuncture ”as having strong positive evidence” for pain management.
A systematic review in 2016 made these conclusions regarding acupuncture's effects on pain, noting that all studies had a high risk of bias:
- Benefits of acupuncture over conventional medication for late-stage unspecified cancer
- No difference between real and sham electroacupuncture for pain associated with ovarian cancer
- Benefits for auricular (ear) acupuncture over placebo for chronic neuropathic pain related to cancer
- No differences between conventional analgesia and acupuncture within the first 10 days of treatment for stomach carcinoma—acupuncture relieved pain as well as conventional analgesia
A 2018 clinical study compared relaxing acupressure, stimulating acupressure and usual care in breast cancer survivors. The study found that only relaxing acupressure was associated with greater reductions in pain severity, while only stimulating acupressure was associated with greater reductions in pain interference.
A small randomized, sham-controlled study found no evidence of improved pain in women with ovarian cancer during chemotherapy, but a multicenter study found that cancer patients reported reduced pain following acupuncture treatment.
Randomized trials showed evidence of reduced pain with electroacupuncture after thoracic surgery.
Reduced reported pain in an uncontrolled pilot study of ultrasound acupuncture for colorectal cancer patients; a related clinical trial is investigating the effectiveness and safety.
Peripheral Neuropathy
Cancer patients reported reduced neuropathy following acupuncture treatment.
Small studies suggest that acupuncture improved peripheral nerve symptoms and function, lowered incidence of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, and reduced the need to for symptom mitigation in colorectal cancer patients.
Preliminary evidence suggests that acupuncture can relieve peripheral neuropathy in breast cancer survivors.
Reduced toxicity to nerves from chemotherapy in an uncontrolled pilot study of ultrasound acupuncture for colorectal cancer patients; a related clinical trial is investigating the effectiveness and safety.
Sleep Disruption
A 2017 review found acupuncture improved insomnia.
A small randomized, sham-controlled study found no evidence of improved insomnia in women with ovarian cancer during chemotherapy.
An uncontrolled study of patients with a variety of cancer types found improved sleep and improved quality of life with acupuncture.
Stress
Cancer patients reported reduced stress following acupuncture treatment.
Reducing Risk
Reducing the risk of developing cancer or the risk of recurrence
An important function of many integrative cancer therapy protocols is to alter the tumor microenvironment so that it is inhospitable to the development, growth and spread of cancer. Chronic inflammation, such as occurs when a wound doesn’t heal, can lead to fibrosis, which can then contribute to cancer growth.
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Because wound healing occurs in connective tissue, the impacts of therapies on inflammation of this tissue are of interest. Early animal studies involving stretching inflamed connective tissue show promising results in reducing inflammation and in reducing tumor volume. Acupuncture and manual therapy both stretch connective tissue, and so using acupuncture to mitigate the influence of inflammation and fibrosis on tumor development and growth shows promise in preventing the escalation of cancer. However, evidence is very preliminary at this point.
Optimizing Your Terrain
Creating an environment within your body that does not support cancer development, growth or spread
Electroacupuncture during laparoscopic radical rectectomy for rectal cancer decreased markers of inflammation after surgery.
Access
Acupuncture has become widely but not universally available in hospitals and independent small practices. Conventional physicians and nurse practitioners often refer patients for acupuncture treatments. If your healthcare team cannot refer you to or recommend an acupuncturist, an internet search may locate one nearby. BCCT encourages you to check licensing and certification of acupuncturists before scheduling.
Cautions
Acupuncture is generally safe, well tolerated, and cost-effective. However, some adverse effects are experienced by up to 10 percent of patients, although some studies report a much lower number. and others a higher number. Effects may include these:
Expand list
- Pain or bleeding at needling sites
- Hematoma, leaking of blood outside blood vessels
- Fatigue
- Lightheadedness
- Drowsiness
- Localized skin irritation and infections (rare since national certification requirements for clean-needle techniques were developed and enforced as an acupuncture licensure requirement)
Patients are advised to find fully qualified, licensed and certified acupuncturists. Many conventional physicians make referrals to such acupuncturists.
Patients with any of these conditions may be advised not to engage in treatments:
- Pregnancy
- Lymphedema (in the affected limb)
- Pacemaker use
- Low platelet count or other severe clotting disorder
- An unstable spine
- Neutropenia
According to the Society for Integrative Oncology clinical practice guidelines for integrative therapies in breast cancer care, “electroacupuncture should not be used in patients with a pacemaker or implantable defibrillators and that special attention is required when treating patients who are pregnant, have seizure disorders, or are disoriented.”
Integrative Programs, Protocols and Medical Systems
- Programs and protocols
- Alschuler & Gazella complementary approaches:
- Block program
- Chang strategies:
- Improving quality of life
- Part of a treatment “cocktail” with other therapies
- MacDonald breast cancer program
- McKinney protocols:
- Traditional systems
Non-cancer Uses of Acupuncture or Acupressure
BCCT has not reviewed the effectiveness of this therapy for non-cancer uses.
Acupuncture
- Osteoarthritis of the knee
- Chronic neck pain
- Chronic headache
- Fibromyalgia symptoms
- Low back pain
- Bell’s palsy
- High blood pressure
- Hot flash severity in postmenopausal women
- Depression symptoms
- Reducing stroke risk in patients with traumatic brain injury
- Allergic rhinitis
- Allergic asthma
- Smoking cessation
- Adjunct to standard treatment for dyspnea on exertion
- Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for autoimmune disorders and other non-cancer diseases and disorders
- Peripheral neuropathy due to diabetes, AIDS and other non-cancer conditions
Electroacupuncture
- Stress urinary incontinence
- Improving reproductive outcomes in women following in vitro fertilization
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain
- Procedural anxiety in patients undergoing lithotripsy
- Reducing postoperative nausea and vomiting
Acupressure
- Preprocedural anxiety in children
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This summary draws from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s About Herbs, National Cancer Institute’s Acupuncture (PDQ®), Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre's Evidence-Based Monographs: Acupuncture, CAM-Cancer’s The Summaries, and other sources as noted.
- World Health Organization. Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trial. 2002.
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- Deng GE, Frenkel M et al. Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for integrative oncology: complementary therapies and botanicals. Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology. 2009 Summer;7(3):85-120.
- Greenlee H, DuPont-Reyes MJ et al. Clinical practice guidelines on the evidence-based use of integrative therapies during and after breast cancer treatment. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2017 May 6;67(3):194-232.
- Runowicz CD, Leach CR et al. American Cancer Society/American Society for Clinical Oncology breast cancer survivorship care guideline. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2016 Jan-Feb;66(1):43-73.
- Deng GE, Rausch SM et al. Complementary therapies and integrative medicine in lung cancer: diagnosis and management of lung cancer, 3rd ed: American College of Chest Physicians evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. Chest. 2013 May;143(5 Suppl):e420S-e436S.
- Lee BR, Kim HR et al. Enhanced therapeutic treatment of colorectal cancer using surface-modified nanoporous acupuncture needles. Scientific Reports. 2017;7(1):12900.
- Lin WF, Zhong MF et al. Efficacy of complementary and integrative medicine on health-related quality of life in cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancer Management and Research. 2019;11:6663-6680.
- Brinkhaus B, Kirschbaum B et al. Prophylactic acupuncture treatment during chemotherapy with breast cancer: a randomized pragmatic trial with a retrospective nested qualitative study. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 2019;178(3):617–628.
- Chien A, Yang CC et al. Ultrasound acupuncture for oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy in patients with colorectal cancer: a pilot study. PM&R. 2020;10.1002/pmrj.12361.
- Chan K, Lui L et al. The efficacy and safety of electro-acupuncture for alleviating chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in patients with colorectal cancer: study protocol for a single-blinded, randomized sham-controlled trial. Trials. 2020;21(1):58.
- Zick SM, Sen A. Impact of self-acupressure on co-occurring symptoms in cancer survivors. JNCI Cancer Spectrum. 2018 Nov 1;2(4): pky064.
- Liou KT, Root JC et al. Effects of acupuncture versus cognitive behavioral therapy on cognitive function in cancer survivors with insomnia: a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. Cancer. 2020;126(13):3042-3052.
- Deng GE, Frenkel M et al. Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for integrative oncology: complementary therapies and botanicals. Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology. 2009 Summer;7(3):85-120.
- O'Sullivan EM, Higginson IJ. Clinical effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of irradiation-induced xerostomia in patients with head and neck cancer: a systematic review. Acupuncture in Medicine. 2010 Dec;28(4):191-9; Kahn ST, Johnstone PA. Management of xerostomia related to radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Oncology (Williston Park). 2005 Dec;19(14):1827-32; discussion 1832-4, 1837-9.
- Iovoli AJ, Ostrowski A et al. Two- versus four-times weekly acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia: a pilot study. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2020;26(4):323-328.
- Zhang Y, Lin L, Li H, Hu Y, Tian L Effects of acupuncture on cancer-related fatigue: a meta-analysis. Support Care Cancer. 2018 Feb;26(2):415-425.
- Mao JJ, Bowman MA et al. Electroacupuncture versus gabapentin for hot flashes among breast cancer survivors: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2015 Nov 1;33(31):3615-20.
- Frisk J. Managing hot flushes in men after prostate cancer—a systematic review. Maturitas. 2010 Jan;65(1):15-22.
- Yang Y, Zuo HQ et al. Comparison of efficacy of simo decoction and acupuncture or chewing gum alone on postoperative ileus in colorectal cancer resection: a randomized trial. Scientific Reports. 2017 Jan 19;7:37826.
- Fink J, Burns J et al. A quality brief of an oncological multisite massage and acupuncture therapy program to improve cancer-related outcomes. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2020 Sep;26(9):820-824.
- Zhou M, Li Y et al. [Clinical research of electroacupuncture on the analgesic effect of thoracic perioperative stage]. [Article in Chinese] Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2017 Jul 12;37(7):705-709; Gan TJ, Jiao KR, Zenn M, Georgiade G. A randomized controlled comparison of electro-acupoint stimulation or ondansetron versus placebo for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Anesthesia and Analgesia. 2004 Oct;99(4):1070-5, table of contents.
- Gu XY, Gao ZQ, Zhang ZJ, Huang ZM, Xie XH. [Influence of warming needling technique on gastrointestinal reaction after hyperthermic intrape-ritoneal chemotherapy in patients with postoperation of colon cancer] [Article in Chinese]. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2020;45(4):315-319.
- He Y, Guo X et al. Clinical evidence for association of acupuncture and acupressure with improved cancer pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Oncology. 2019 Dec 19.
- Behzadmehr R, Dastyar N, Moghadam MP, Abavisani M, Moradi M. Effect of complementary and alternative medicine interventions on cancer related pain among breast cancer patients: a systematic review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2020;49:102318.
- Lin YC, Wan L, Jamison RN. Using integrative medicine in pain management: an evaluation of current evidence. Anesthesia & Analgesia. 2017 Dec;125(6):2081-2093.
- Paley CA, Johnson MI, Tashani OA, Bagnall AM. Acupuncture for cancer pain in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2015 Oct 15;(10):CD007753.
- Zick SM, Sen A. Impact of self-acupressure on co-occurring symptoms in cancer survivors. JNCI Cancer Spectrum. 2018 Nov 1;2(4): pky064.
- Lu W, Matulonis UA et al. The feasibility and effects of acupuncture on quality of life scores during chemotherapy in ovarian cancer: results from a pilot, randomized sham-controlled trial. Medical Acupuncture. 2012 Dec;24(4):233-240.
- Fink J, Burns J et al. A quality brief of an oncological multisite massage and acupuncture therapy program to improve cancer-related outcomes. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2020 Sep;26(9):820-824.
- Zhou M, Li Y et al. [Clinical research of electroacupuncture on the analgesic effect of thoracic perioperative stage]. [Article in Chinese] Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2017 Jul 12;37(7):705-709; Gan TJ, Jiao KR, Zenn M, Georgiade G. A randomized controlled comparison of electro-acupoint stimulation or ondansetron versus placebo for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Anesthesia and Analgesia. 2004 Oct;99(4):1070-5, table of contents.
- Chien A, Yang CC et al. Ultrasound acupuncture for oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy in patients with colorectal cancer: a pilot study. PM&R. 2020;10.1002/pmrj.12361.
- Chan K, Lui L et al. The efficacy and safety of electro-acupuncture for alleviating chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in patients with colorectal cancer: study protocol for a single-blinded, randomized sham-controlled trial. Trials. 2020;21(1):58.
- Fink J, Burns J et al. A quality brief of an oncological multisite massage and acupuncture therapy program to improve cancer-related outcomes. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2020 Sep;26(9):820-824.
- Derksen TM, Bours MJ, Mols F, Weijenberg MP. Lifestyle-related factors in the self-management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in colorectal cancer: a systematic review. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2017;2017:7916031.
- Kim TH, Kang JW, Lee MS. Current evidence of acupuncture for symptoms related to breast cancer survivors: a PRISMA-compliant systematic review of clinical studies in Korea. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018 Aug;97(32):e11793; Lu W, Giobbie-Hurder A et al. Acupuncture for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in breast cancer survivors: a randomized controlled pilot trial. Oncologist. 2020;25(4):310-318.
- Chien A, Yang CC et al. Ultrasound acupuncture for oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy in patients with colorectal cancer: a pilot study. PM&R. 2020;10.1002/pmrj.12361.
- Chan K, Lui L et al. The efficacy and safety of electro-acupuncture for alleviating chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in patients with colorectal cancer: study protocol for a single-blinded, randomized sham-controlled trial. Trials. 2020;21(1):58.
- Zhou ES, Gardiner P, Bertisch SM. Integrative medicine for insomnia. Medical Clinics of North America. 2017 Sep;101(5):865-879.
- Lu W, Matulonis UA et al. The feasibility and effects of acupuncture on quality of life scores during chemotherapy in ovarian cancer: results from a pilot, randomized sham-controlled trial. Medical Acupuncture. 2012 Dec;24(4):233-240.
- Davenport L. Insomnia in cancer patients: interventions that may help. Medscape Medical News. May 18, 2018. Viewed May 31, 2018; Mao JJ, Xie S et al. The effect of acupuncture versus cognitive behavior therapy on insomnia in cancer survivors: a randomized clinical trial. 2018 ASCO Meeting Abstract. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 36, 2018 (suppl; abstr 10001).
- Fink J, Burns J et al. A quality brief of an oncological multisite massage and acupuncture therapy program to improve cancer-related outcomes. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2020 Sep;26(9):820-824.
- Langevin H. Fascie, acupuncture and manual therapy. Presentation at the Society for Integrative Oncology Conference. November 2015, Boston, Massachusetts.
- Pei X, Zhou Z, Xu G. [Effect of electroacupuncture for immune function of patients treated with laparoscopic radical rectectomy for rectal cancer] [Article in Chinese]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2016;36(6):613-616.
- Yamashita H, Tsukayama H, Tanno Y, Nishijo K. Adverse events in acupuncture and moxibustion treatment: a six-year survey at a national clinic in Japan. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 1999 Jun;5(3):229-36.
- Odsberg A, Schill U, Haker E. Acupuncture treatment: side effects and complications reported by Swedish physiotherapists. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2001 Mar;9(1):17-20.
- Filshie J. Safety aspects of acupuncture in palliative care. Acupuncture in Medicine. 2001 Dec;19(2):117-22.
- Greenlee H, DuPont-Reyes MJ et al. Clinical practice guidelines on the evidence-based use of integrative therapies during and after breast cancer treatment. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2017 May 6;67(3):194-232.
- Alschuler LN, Gazella KA. The Definitive Guide to Cancer, 3rd Edition: An Integrative Approach to Prevention, Treatment, and Healing Berkeley, California: Celestial Arts. 2010.
- Block KI. Life over Cancer: The Block Center Program for Integrative Cancer Treatment. New York: Bantam Dell. 2009.
- Chang R. Beyond the Magic Bullet: The Anti-Cancer Cocktail. New York: Square One Publishers. 2012.
- MacDonald B. The Breast Cancer Companion: A Complementary Care Manual: Third Edition. (self-published, Amazon, 2016).
- McKinney N. Naturopathic Oncology, 3rd Edition. Victoria, BC, Canada: Liaison Press. 2016.
View All References
More Information
- Memorial Sloan Kettering About Herbs: Acupuncture
- National Cancer Institute: Acupuncture (PDQ®)
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Acupuncture: In Depth
- CAM-Cancer:
- Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre Evidence-Based Monographs: Acupuncture
- Acumedicine.Acupuncture.pc website Cancer Care page: in three videos on this page, Kevin Mutschler, LAc, demonstrates several acupressure techniques for relieving various symptoms
- Mayo Clinic: Tests and Procedures: Acupuncture
- Moss Reports (purchase required): Select from the list of cancers down the left side of the page for a report describing uses of conventional, complementary, alternative and integrative therapies related to that cancer. Ralph Moss is among the most knowledgeable and balanced researchers of integrative cancer therapies. The cost of his Moss Reports is not negligible, but many patients find them of considerable value. Moss is also available for consultations.
- World Health Organization: Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trial (2002)
- Clinical Trials:
- For healthcare professionals:
- Gurdev Parmar and Tina Kaczor: Textbook of Naturopathic Oncology
- University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine: Integrative Pain Management Series
- Dawn Lemanne and Victoria Maizes: Advising Women Undergoing Treatment for Breast Cancer
- BCCT, KNOW Oncology and Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre: Patient Education Brochures
- Block KI, Block PB, Gyllenhaal C: Integrative Treatment for Colorectal Cancer
- Integrative Cancer Review
- National Cancer Institute: Cancer Pain Control: Support for People with Cancer
- Barbara MacDonald, ND, LAc: The Breast Cancer Companion: A Complementary Care Manual: Third Edition
- September 2018 Issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
- Wayne Jonas, MD: Your Healing Journey: A Patient’s Guide to Integrative Breast Cancer Care
- The New School at Commonweal: Dwight McKee, MD: 40 Years Practicing Integrative Cancer Medicine, Part 2
- National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health: PDQ® Cancer Information Summaries
- Raymond Chang, MD: Beyond the Magic Bullet: The Anti-Cancer Cocktail
- Donald I. Abrams, MD, and Andrew T. Weil, MD: Integrative Oncology, 2nd Edition
- Neil McKinney, BSc, ND: Naturopathic Oncology, 3rd Edition
- Lise Alschuler, ND, FABNO, and Karolyn Gazella: The Definitive Guide to Cancer, 3rd Edition
- Keith I. Block, MD: Life over Cancer: The Block Center Program for Integrative Cancer Treatment
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: Integrative Medicine Education & Training Programs
- Carole O'Toole and Carolyn B. Hendricks: Healing outside the Margins: The Survivor's Guide to Integrative Cancer Care
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network Patient and Caregiver Resources
- National Cancer Institute: Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Health Professionals
- Gary Deng, MD, PhD: Complementary Therapies for Pain Management
- Cancer Research UK
- Jonathan Simon: Acupuncture in Cancer Care
- Michael Lerner: Choices In Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complementary Approaches to Cancer
- National Cancer Institute: Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine
- Ting Bao, MD: The Role of Integrative Therapy in Cancer Care
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