Trial reportCancer2016
Effects of infrared laser moxibustion on cancer-related fatigue: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Trial report in Cancer, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 61 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine external therapy on cancer-related fatigue: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Pooled it
- Management of Fatigue in Adult Survivors of Cancer: ASCO-Society for Integrative Oncology Guideline Update.Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2024Guideline
- Efficacy and safety of moxibustion on cancer-related fatigue: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023Pooled it
- Effectiveness of Complementary Therapies in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- The efficacy of placebo for the treatment of cancer-related fatigue: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2020Pooled it
- Ameliorative effects of Tai Chi on cancer-related fatigue: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2018Pooled it
- Infrared laser moxibustion for cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial.Breast cancer research : BCR · 2024Trial
- Moxibustion for cancer-related fatigue: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2017Trial
- Moxibustion as a Therapy for Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema in Female Adults: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial.Integrative cancer therapiesTrial
- The Feasibility of Home-Based Moxibustion for Fatigue in Peritoneal Dialysis: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Evidence-Based Perspectives on Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Cancer Treatment: Current Advances and Clinical Relevance.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2026Review
- Moxibustion for gastrointestinal cancer-related fatigue: study protocol for a randomized clinical trial.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Four-dimensional data independent acquisition proteomics and metabolomics reveal mechanisms of hydrogen-rich water at Zusanli (ST36) point against triple-negative breast cancer in mice.Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan · 2025Article
- Acupuncture and moxibustion in integrative oncology and new progress in China.Integrative medicine research · 2025Review
- Efficacy of thunder-fire moxibustion for cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer survivors: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Article
- [Complementary and integrative medicine in cancer-related fatigue].Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz · 2024Review
- Global trends and performances of infrared imaging technology studies on acupuncture: a bibliometric analysis.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2024Review
- Use of CAM among cancer patients : Results of a regional survey in Sweden.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2023Article
- Governor vessel moxibustion for cancer-related fatigue in colorectal patients: a randomized trial.Frontiers in oncology · 2023Article
- Efficacy of stimulating Mingmen (GV4) and Guanyuan (CV4) on kidney deficiency in rat model: laser irradiation traditional moxibustion.Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundFatigue is the most common symptom negatively affecting the quality of life of patients with cancer. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the preliminary efficacy and safety of 10.6-μm infrared laser moxibustion for cancer-related fatigue (CRF).
methodsThe authors conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial among 78 patients with cancer who were diagnosed with CRF. The group treated with infrared laser moxibustion received 10.6 μm of infrared laser moxibustion on the ST36 (bilateral), CV4, and CV6 acupoints. Each participant received a 20-minute treatment session 3 times per week for 4 weeks. The sham group received the same treatment duration on the same acupoints, but without infrared laser output. The outcome was change in fatigue as measured by the Chinese version of the Brief Fatigue Inventory between groups at week 4 with additional evaluation at week 8 for durability of treatment effects. A mixed effects model was used to evaluate the difference in treatment effect over time.
resultsAmong those randomized, 61 patients (78%) completed the entire study. At the end of the intervention, the individuals in the group treated with the laser were found to have significantly less fatigue than those in the sham group (3.01 vs 4.40; P = .002). The improvement in fatigue persisted to week 8, favoring the group treated with laser moxibustion (3.03 vs 4.26; P = .006). Laser moxibustion was safe, with 3 cases of mild local erythema that resolved without medical intervention reported.
conclusionsInfrared laser moxibustion appeared to be safe and efficacious for improving CRF in a Chinese patient population. Larger studies in more racial/ethnically diverse populations are needed to confirm the benefit of this technique for fatigue in patients with cancer. Cancer 2016;122:3667-72. © 2016 The Authors. Cancer published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Cancer Society. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
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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.