Acupuncture and Acupressure
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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 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 September 10, 2021.
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Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese therapy that has generally become widely accepted in Western medicine. Acupuncture is based on the regulation of energy pathways and circulation through stimulation of specific points on the body surface, as evidenced by neurophysiological investigations, and has been shown effective and safe in a variety of conditions and treatment-related side effects.
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].”
Read more
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
Anxiety, Depression or Distress
Read more
- Lower anxiety with both relaxing acupressure and stimulating acupressure treatments among cancer survivors compared to usual care in a mid-sized RCT
- Fewer depressive symptoms among cancer survivors with relaxing acupressure compared to stimulating acupressure treatments or usual care in a mid-sized RCT
- Fewer symptoms in a cancer-related symptom cluster of insomnia, depression, and anxiety among people undergoing chemotherapy with self-administration of either true acupressure or sham acupressure compared to enhanced standard care in a small RCT.
- Moderately less psychological distress with acupoint stimulation in a meta-analysis of RCTs with methodological shortcomings
Breathlessness (Dyspnea)
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- Reduced breathlessness among people with advanced cancer with acupressure and reflexology, although the strength of evidence was judged as low; relief lasted for a few weeks to months
- Less severe breathlessness among people with advanced diseases including cancer with at least three weeks of acupuncture compared to sham acupuncture in a meta-analysis of RCTs
Dry Mouth (Xerostomia)
Read more
Fatigue
Read more
- Less cancer-related fatigue with acupuncture in a meta-analysis of RCTs
- Marked effect on fatigue in cancer patients, regardless of concurrent anti-cancer treatment, particularly among breast cancer patients
- Less fatigue among women with breast cancer with acupoint stimulation in a meta-analysis of RCTs
Hot Flashes
Read more
- Reduced bothersome hot flashes among women with breast cancer with electroacupuncture, more than daily gabapentin, and with fewer adverse events and longer duration of effects
- Preliminary evidence of benefit in men after prostate cancer
Ileus and Bowel Function
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- Shorter times to first flatus, shorter times to defecation and shorter hospital stays among patients receiving simo decoction (SMD, a traditional Chinese medicine) and acupuncture for five consecutive days following surgery than patients receiving another intervention or no intervention after colorectal cancer resection.
Lymphedema
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- Weak evidence of less breast cancer-related lymphedema swelling with acupuncture in a review of reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses
- Less breast cancer-related lymphedema with acupuncture combined with drugs or functional exercise in a meta-analysis of RCTs of low quality
Nausea and Vomiting
Read more
Pain
Read more
Some reviews noted that considerable heterogeneity or study bias lower the level of certainty of the evidence.
Evidence of Reduced Pain
Acupuncture is effective in reducing pain,
- Less need for general anesthesia during rectal cancer surgery, especially if used before anesthesia, in a small RCT
- Less pain among people with head and neck cancer with progressive resistance training compared to conventional treatment in a meta-analysis of RCTs with low-certainty evidence
- Reduced pain
- Less pain severity with relaxing acupressure, and less pain interference with stimulating acupressure treatments among cancer survivors compared to usual care in a mid-sized RCT
- Less general pain among women with breast cancer with acupoint stimulation in a meta-analysis of RCTs
- Decreased analgesic use when combined with analgesic therapy
- Reduced chronic muskuloskeletal pain among cancer survivors with electroacupuncture or auricular acupuncture compared to usual care
- Reduced pain compared to conventional medication for late-stage unspecified cancer
- Reduced chronic neuropathic pain related to cancer with auricular (ear) acupuncture over placebo for chronic neuropathic pain
- Comparable to conventional analgesia within the first 10 days of treatment for stomach carcinoma
- Reduced pain severity with relaxing acupressure, while stimulating acupressure was associated with reduced pain interference compared to usual care
- 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
- Lower pain and greater comfort among people undergoing laparoscopic gallbladder removal cholecystectomy with acupressure compared to no intervention in a mid-sized RCT
- Less pain
- Less pain among people with cancer undergoing bone marrow biopsy with acupressure in a small RCT
- Less aromatase inhibitor-associated joint pain (arthralgia) among postmenopausal female breast cancer survivors (but not those with metastatic cancer) with acupuncture in a meta-analysis of intervention studies
- Less surgical pain with electroacupuncture
- Less surgical pain with transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS)
No Evidence of Reduced Pain
- No difference between real and sham electroacupuncture for pain associated with ovarian cancer
- No change in pain scores or opioid use for two days following surgery with acupressure compared to sham acupressure or no intervention in a mid-sized RCT
Peripheral Neuropathy
Read more
Quality of Life and Physical Function
Read more
Evidence of Improvement
- Improved quality of life in people with cancer
- Improved quality of life in an uncontrolled pilot study of ultrasound acupuncture for people with colorectal cancer; a related clinical trial is investigating the effectiveness and safety.
- Better quality of life among people with advanced diseases including cancer with at least three weeks of acupuncture compared to sham acupuncture among four of six RCTs reviewed
- Less sysfunction among people with head and neck cancer with progressive resistance training compared to conventional treatment in a meta-analysis of RCTs with low-certainty evidence
No Evidence of Improvement
- No improvement in quality-of-life scores in people with patients breast cancer receiving acupuncture during chemotherapy
Sleep Disruption
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Evidence of Improvement
- Improved insomnia or improved sleep
- Less sleep disturbance among people with lung cancer with acupuncture compared to controls, but only during active interventions and not persisting after completion
- Improved attention, memory and subjective cognitive function among cancer survivors with insomnia, with evidence this was due to improvement in insomnia symptoms
No Evidence of Improvement
Stress
Read more
- 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.
Read more
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.
Lower markers of coagulation among women with polycystic ovary syndrome after and for 16 weeks following 14 treatments of low-frequency electroacupuncture, but not more than with exercise in a small RCTStener-Victorin E, Baghaei F et al. Effects of acupuncture and exercise on insulin sensitivity, adipose tissue characteristics, and markers of coagulation and fibrinolysis in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: secondary analyses of a randomized controlled trial. Fertility and Sterility. 2012 Feb;97(2):501-8.
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 breathlessness (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®), The Centre for Health Innovation's Evidence-Based Monographs: Acupuncture, CAM-Cancer’s The Summaries, and other sources as noted.
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- World Health Organization. Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trial. 2002.
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- 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.
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- Gupta A, Sedhom R et al. Nonpharmacological interventions for managing breathlessness in patients with advanced cancer: a systematic review. JAMA Oncology. 2021 Feb 1;7(2):290-298.
- von Trott P, Oei SL, Ramsenthaler C. Acupuncture for breathlessness in advanced diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2020 Feb;59(2):327-338.e3.
- 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.
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- Lee PL, Tam KW, Yeh ML, Wu WW. Acupoint stimulation, massage therapy and expressive writing for breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2016;27:87-101.
- 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.
- Marchica P, D'Arpa S et al. Integrated treatment of breast cancer-related lymphedema: a descriptive review of the state of the art. Anticancer Research. 2021 Jul;41(7):3233-3246.
- Hou W, Pei L et al. Acupuncture therapy for breast cancer-related lymphedema: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research. 2019 Dec;45(12):2307-2317.
- 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.
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- Noll E, Shodhan S et al. Efficacy of acupressure on quality of recovery after surgery: randomised controlled trial. European Journal of Anaesthesiology. 2019 Aug;36(8):557-565.
- Paley CA, Johnson MI, Tashani OA, Bagnall AM. Acupuncture for cancer pain in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2015 Oct 15;(10):CD007753; 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..
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- Yin LH, Li WS, Zhao WX, Li WY. [Role of acupuncture anesthesia in operation of rectal cancer] [Article in Chinese]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2005;25(12):876-878.
- Almeida KAM, Rocha AP, Carvas N, Pinto ACPN. Rehabilitation interventions for shoulder dysfunction in patients with head and neck cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis. Physical Therapy. 2020 Oct 30;100(11):1997-2008.
- 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; 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; 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; 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.
- Zick SM, Sen A. Impact of self-acupressure on co-occurring symptoms in cancer survivors. JNCI Cancer Spectrum. 2018 Nov 1;2(4): pky064.
- Lee PL, Tam KW, Yeh ML, Wu WW. Acupoint stimulation, massage therapy and expressive writing for breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2016;27:87-101.
- 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.
- Mao JJ, Liou KT et al. Effectiveness of electroacupuncture or auricular acupuncture vs usual care for chronic musculoskeletal pain among cancer survivors: The PEACE Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncol. 2021 Mar 18.
- Paley CA, Johnson MI, Tashani OA, Bagnall AM. Acupuncture for cancer pain in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2015 Oct 15;(10):CD007753.
- Paley CA, Johnson MI, Tashani OA, Bagnall AM. Acupuncture for cancer pain in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2015 Oct 15;(10):CD007753.
- 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.
- 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.
- Topdemir EA, Saritas S. The effect of acupressure and reiki application on patient's pain and comfort level after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a randomized controlled trial. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. 2021 May;43:101385.
- Calcagni N, Gana K, Quintard B. A systematic review of complementary and alternative medicine in oncology: psychological and physical effects of manipulative and body-based practices. PLoS One. 2019 Oct 17;14(10):e0223564.
- Sharifi Rizi M, Shamsalinia A, Ghaffari F, Keyhanian S, Naderi Nabi B. The effect of acupressure on pain, anxiety, and the physiological indexes of patients with cancer undergoing bone marrow biopsy. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. 2017 Nov;29:136-141.
- Yang GS, Kim HJ et al. Interventions for the treatment of aromatase inhibitor-associated arthralgia in breast cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancer Nursing. 2017 Jul/Aug;40(4):E26-E41.
- Zhou M, Li Y et al. Clinical research of electroacupuncture on the analgesic effect of thoracic perioperative stage.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.
- Huang W, Yu TY, Long WF, Xiao JB. [Application of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation combined with transversus abdominis plane block to enhanced recovery after surgery in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection: a randomized controlled clinical trial] [Article in Chinese]. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2018;43(10):611-615; Yu JM, Qu PS et al. Observation on the analgesic effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for breast radical carcinoma operation. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2010 Feb;35(1):43-6.
- Paley CA, Johnson MI, Tashani OA, Bagnall AM. Acupuncture for cancer pain in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2015 Oct 15;(10):CD007753.
- Noll E, Shodhan S et al. Efficacy of acupressure on quality of recovery after surgery: randomised controlled trial. European Journal of Anaesthesiology. 2019 Aug;36(8):557-565.
- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
- von Trott P, Oei SL, Ramsenthaler C. Acupuncture for breathlessness in advanced diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2020 Feb;59(2):327-338.e3.
- Almeida KAM, Rocha AP, Carvas N, Pinto ACPN. Rehabilitation interventions for shoulder dysfunction in patients with head and neck cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis. Physical Therapy. 2020 Oct 30;100(11):1997-2008.
- 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.
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- 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.
- 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.
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- 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.
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More Information
General Information about Acupuncture
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Acupuncture Use with Cancer
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- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center About Herbs: Acupuncture
- National Cancer Institute: Acupuncture (PDQ®)
- 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
- 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.
Clinical Trials
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For Healthcare Professionals
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More from Our Resources Database
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- 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
- Jonathan Simon: Acupuncture in Cancer Care
- Gary Deng, MD, PhD: Complementary Therapies for Pain Management
- Ting Bao, MD: The Role of Integrative Therapy in Cancer Care
- National Cancer Institute: Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Health Professionals
- National Cancer Institute: Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine
- Michael Lerner: Choices In Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complementary Approaches to Cancer
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network Patient and Caregiver Resources
- Carole O'Toole and Carolyn B. Hendricks: Healing outside the Margins: The Survivor's Guide to Integrative Cancer Care
- Cancer Research UK
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