Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34983587›Full record

ReviewChinese medicine2022

Acupuncture for cancer pain: an evidence-based clinical practice guideline.

Long Ge, Qi Wang, Yihan He, Darong Wu, Qi Zhou, Nenggui Xu, Kehu Yang, Yaolong Chen, Anthony Lin Zhang, Haiqing Hua and 13 more

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Chinese medicine, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07051265 (Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation), which is not on this map. Cited by 35 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
35citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
18.8field-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.

NCT07051265 naenrolling by invitationnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) or Acupressure on Pain in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

TypeinterventionalSponsorKaohsiung Veterans General Hospital.Ran2025 to 2026Enrolled240ConditionsHead and Neck Cancer, Cancer PainArmsTranscutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), Acupressure
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

35 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 67 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Invasive or noninvasive? A systematic review and network meta-analysis of acupuncture and acupressure to treat cancer pain.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
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  7. Buccal Acupuncture Reduces the Dose of Sufentanil Needed in Laparoscopic Gynecological Surgery.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2025
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  8. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for cancer-related pain management in patients receiving chronic opioid therapy: a randomized clinical trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023
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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

23 authors at 12 institutions in 3 countries.

Long Ge *Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
Qi Wang *Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
Yihan He *Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
Darong Wu *Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
Qi Zhou *Evidence-Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
Nenggui Xu *South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
Kehu Yang *Evidence Based Social Science Research Centre, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
Yaolong Chen *WHO Collaborating Center for Guideline Implementation and Knowledge Translation, Lanzhou, China.
Anthony Lin Zhang *China-Australia International Research Centre for Chinese Medicine, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Haiqing Hua *Oncology Department of Bayi Hospital, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
Jinchang Huang *The Third Affiliated Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Ka-Kit Hui *Center for East-West Medicine, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, USA.
Fanrong Liang *Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
Linpeng Wang *Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Bin Xu *Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Medicine Research of Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
Yufei Yang *Department of Oncology, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Weimin Zhang *Department of Oncology, Southern Theater Command General Hospital of PLA, Guangzhou, China.
Baixiao Zhao *School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Bing Zhu *Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Beijing, China.
Xinfeng GuoGuangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China. guoxinfeng@gzucm.edu.
Charlie Changli XueGuangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China. charlie.xue@rmit.edu.au.
Haibo ZhangGuangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China. haibozh@gzucm.edu.cn.
International Trustworthy traditional Chinese Medicine Recommendations (TCM Recs) Working Group
Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine · CNLanzhou University · CNNanjing University of Chinese Medicine · CNBeijing University of Chinese Medicine · CNRMIT University · AUUniversity of California, Los Angeles · USCapital Medical University · CNChengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine · CNChinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College · CNGeneral Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command · CNGuangdong Academy of Medical Sciences · CNGuangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine · CN

Funding

National Key R&D Program, China National Centre for Biotechnology Development No.2019YFC1709805
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis study aims to develop an evidence-based clinical practice guideline of acupuncture in the treatment of patients with moderate and severe cancer pain.

methodsThe development of this guideline was triggered by a systematic review published in JAMA Oncology in 2020. We searched databases and websites for evidence on patient preferences and values, and other resources of using acupuncture for treatment of cancer pain. Recommendations were developed through a Delphi consensus of an international multidisciplinary panel including 13 western medicine oncologists, Chinese medicine/acupuncture clinical practitioners, and two patient representatives. The certainty of evidence, patient preferences and values, resources, and other factors were fully considered in formulating the recommendations. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was employed to rate the certainty of evidence and the strength of recommendations.

resultsThe guideline proposed three recommendations: (1) a strong recommendation for the treatment of acupuncture rather than no treatment to relieve pain in patients with moderate to severe cancer pain; (2) a weak recommendation for the combination treatments with acupuncture/acupressure to reduce pain intensity, decrease the opioid dose, and alleviate opioid-related side effects in moderate to severe cancer pain patients who are using analgesics; and (3) a strong recommendation for acupuncture in breast cancer patients to relieve their aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia.

conclusionThis proposed guideline provides recommendations for the management of patients with cancer pain. The small sample sizes of evidence limit the strength of the recommendations and highlights the need for additional research.

Indexed as

AcupunctureCancer painEvidence-based practicePractice guideline

Identifiers

PMID34983587
PMCPMC8728906
OpenAlexW4206034541

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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.