Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23435597›Full record

SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2013

Acupuncture for cancer-related fatigue: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.

Paul Posadzki, Tae-Woong Moon, Tae-Young Choi, Tae-Yong Park, Myeong Soo Lee, Edzard Ernst

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
26citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
30.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

26 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 67 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Cancer-Related Fatigue, Version 2.2015.Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN · 2015
    Guideline
  8. Pooled it
  9. The effectiveness and safety of moxibustion for treating cancer-related fatigue: a systematic review and meta-analyses.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2014
    Pooled it
  10. Pooled it
  11. Trial
  12. Article
  13. Acupuncture in cancer care: a narrative review.Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992) · 2024
    Review
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. Article
  17. Convergent priorities and tensions: a qualitative study of the integration of complementary and alternative therapies with conventional cancer treatment.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2018
    Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Paul PosadzkiMedical Research Division, KM Health Technology Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 483 Exporo, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-811, South Korea. paul.posadzki@pcmd.ac.uk
Tae-Woong Moon
Tae-Young Choi
Tae-Yong Park
Myeong Soo Lee
Edzard Ernst
Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine · KRPeninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeManaging cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is an important element of the palliative care of cancer patients. The aim of this systematic review was to critically evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture (AT) or electroacupuncture (EA) for CRF.

methodsFourteen databases were searched from their respective inception to November 2012. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of AT or EA for the treatment of CRF were considered for inclusion. The risk of bias/methodological quality was assessed using the method suggested by the Cochrane Collaboration.

resultsSeven RCTs met the eligibility criteria. Most were small pilot studies with serious methodological flaws. Four of the RCTs showed effectiveness of AT or AT in addition to usual care (UC) over sham AT, UC, enhanced UC, or no intervention for alleviating CRF. Three RCTs showed no effect of AT/EA over sham treatment.

conclusionOverall, the quantity and quality of RCTs included in the analysis were too low to draw meaningful conclusions. Even in the positive trials, it remained unclear whether the observed outcome was due to specific effects of AT/EA or nonspecific effects of care. Further research is required to investigate whether AT/EA demonstrates specific effects on CRF.

Indexed as

Acupuncture TherapyAgedElectroacupunctureFatigueFemaleHumansMaleNeoplasmsPalliative CareRandomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Identifiers

PMID23435597
OpenAlexW1981364044

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.