Can acupuncture help treat cancer?
Acupuncture is commonly used for cancer-related conditions worldwide, and evidence is increasing year on year. If you use keywords to search “acupuncture/oncology”, there are thousands articles from 1991 to 2023 to show the recent research about acupuncture is used for treating cancer-related symptoms.
What kind of cancer-related conditions will be considered with acupuncture treatment?
Acupuncture showed effective on systemic conditions in relation to different cancers, including cancer-related pain, fatigue, insomnia, quality of life; conditions in relation to chemo-radiotherapy, including nausea and vomiting and bone marrow suppression ; and conditions in relation to specific cancers, including breast cancer-related menopause, hot flashes, arthralgia , and nasopharyngeal cancer-related dysphagia . Acupuncture appeared to have benefit for patients with lymphoedema , gastrointestinal function , and xerostomia. Limited evidence showed inconsistent results on acupuncture for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy , depression and anxiety . Acupuncture was regarded as a safe therapy for cancer patients as no severe adverse events related were reported.
Brons: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36099656/
