Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31304088›Full record

ReviewIntegrative medicine research2019

Evidence, safety and recommendations for when to use acupuncture for treating cancer related symptoms: a narrative review.

Stephen Birch, Myeong Soo Lee, Terje Alraek, Tae-Hun Kim

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Integrative medicine research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
5.8field-weighted citation impact, top 5% 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

20 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 48 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Effect of acupuncture in myelosuppression and quality of life in women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy: a randomized clinical study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023
    Trial
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Evaluating the outcomes and patient experience of group and individual acupuncture in an NHS cancer care setting: a mixed-methods study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Acupuncture in cancer care: recommendations for safe practice (peer-reviewed expert opinion).Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
    Review
  10. Review
  11. Acupuncture in cancer care: a narrative review.Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992) · 2024
    Review
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Stephen BirchDepartment of Health Sciences, Kristiania University College, Oslo, Norway.
Myeong Soo LeeClinical Medicine Division, Korean Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Terje AlraekDepartment of Health Sciences, Kristiania University College, Oslo, Norway.
Tae-Hun KimClinical Trial Center, Kyung-Hee University, Korean Medical Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Høyskolen Kristiania · NOKorea Institute of Oriental Medicine · KRKyung Hee University Medical Center · KR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRecently research on acupuncture for cancer related symptoms has significantly increased. To what extent have medical professionals recommended to use acupuncture in light of that evidence?

methodsEvidence of effectiveness and safety was found by searching Pubmed for reviews to identify for what conditions and general results. Publications that recommend acupuncture in oncology were searched in the database of an ongoing general search for publications that recommend acupuncture. This database was developed by searching google for publications that recommend the use of acupuncture with the terms 'name of symptom' and 'clinical practice guideline' or 'treatment guideline'.

resultsAcupuncture is moderately or weakly effective for 19 symptoms in patients with cancer and cancer survivors. Acupuncture is a safe therapy in cancer care if administered by trained acupuncturists. Acupuncture is targeted to improve symptoms associated with the cancer and different cancer treatments, not to treat the cancer itself. More than 350 publications by clinical practice guideline groups and expert groups, including public health statements made by national and government agencies recommended the use of acupuncture for 61 cancer related symptoms many with positive evidence of effectiveness.

conclusionThe strength of evidence is weak for many indications, however the evidence for many standard therapies is either not very strong or if stronger, the incidence of adverse events is more, which makes acupuncture a treatment option despite the weak evidence. We have found evidence that many oncologists around the world have started to incorporate acupuncture into the treatment of various cancer related symptoms.

Indexed as

AcupunctureCancer symptomsGuidelinesRecommendationsReview

Identifiers

PMID31304088
PMCPMC6600712
OpenAlexW2945516539

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.