Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36973688›Full record

Trial reportBMC complementary medicine and therapies2023

Electroacupuncture for the management of symptom clusters in cancer patients and survivors (EAST).

Lifang Xie, Ding Quan Ng, Matthew Heshmatipour, Munjal Acharya, Paul Coluzzi, Nerida Guerrero, Sanghoon Lee, Shaista Malik, Ritesh Parajuli, Craig Stark and 4 more

2 registry-linked trialsOpen access · goldFull text readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 10 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
4.0field-weighted citation impact, top 7% 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.

NCT05283577 naactive not recruitingnot on this map

Electroacupuncture for the Management of Symptom Clusters in Cancer Patients and Survivors (EAST): A Feasibility Study

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of California, IrvineRan2022 to 2026Enrolled70ConditionsCancerArmsElectroacupuncture, Sham-Electroacupuncture
NCT07583979 phase3not yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

ElectroAcupuncture to Manage Symptoms of Cognitive Toxicity in Cancer Survivors: Assessing impLementation, Cost, and effectIveness for inteGratioN (EAST-ALIGN)

TypeinterventionalSponsorNational Cancer Centre, SingaporeRan2026 to 2029Enrolled168ConditionsCancer-related Cognitive ImpairmentArmsTrue electroacupuncture, Sham electroacupuncture
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The effectiveness of electroacupuncture in the treatment of cancer-related fatigue: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
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  8. Response to Wang et al. and Shen et al.Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2026
    Article
  9. Acupuncture for the treatment of the pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance-numbness/tingling symptom cluster in breast cancer survivors: a feasibility trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
    Article
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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

14 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Lifang XieSusan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, University of California Irvine Health, Irvine, CA, USA.
Ding Quan NgDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Matthew HeshmatipourDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Munjal AcharyaSchool of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Paul ColuzziSchool of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Nerida GuerreroDepartment of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Hyundai Cancer Institute at Children's Healthcare of Orange County, Orange, CA, USA.
Sanghoon LeeSchool of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Shaista MalikSusan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, University of California Irvine Health, Irvine, CA, USA.
Ritesh ParajuliSchool of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Craig StarkThe Facility for Imaging and Brain Research (FIBRE), University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Rongwen TainThe Facility for Imaging and Brain Research (FIBRE), University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Keri ZabokrtskyDepartment of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Hyundai Cancer Institute at Children's Healthcare of Orange County, Orange, CA, USA.
Lilibeth TornoDepartment of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Hyundai Cancer Institute at Children's Healthcare of Orange County, Orange, CA, USA.
Alexandre ChanDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA. a.chan@uci.edu.
University of California, Irvine · USChildren's Hospital of Orange County · USKyung Hee University · KRSamueli Institute · US

Funding

Univ.of Calif., Irvine Cancer Center Support GrantP30CA062203 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI Melanie Funes · 1994 to 2026
$57.9M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA062203
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNeuropsychiatric symptoms, comprising cognitive impairment, fatigue, insomnia, depression, and anxiety, are prevalent and may co-occur during and after chemotherapy treatment for cancer. Electroacupuncture (EA), which involves mild electrical stimulation with acupuncture, holds great potential in addressing the management of individual symptoms. However, there is a lack of studies evaluating if EA can manage concurrent neuropsychiatric symptoms in cancer (i.e., symptom cluster). Hence, we designed a trial to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of administering EA as an intervention to mitigate neuropsychiatric symptom clusters amongst cancer patients and survivors.

methodsThe EAST study is a randomized, sham-controlled, patient- and assessor-blinded clinical trial. Sixty-four cancer patients and survivors with complaints of one or more neuropsychiatric symptom(s) in the seven days prior to enrollment are recruited from the University of California Irvine (UCI) and Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). Individuals with needle phobia, metastases, bleeding disorders, electronic implants, epilepsy, exposure to acupuncture in the three months prior to enrollment, and who are breastfeeding, pregnant, or planning to get pregnant during the duration of the study will be excluded. Screening for metal fragments and claustrophobia are performed prior to the optional neuroimaging procedures. Recruited patients will be randomized (1:1) in random blocks of four or six to receive either ten weekly verum EA (treatment arm, vEA) or weekly sham EA (control arm, sEA) treatment visits with a follow-up appointment four to twelve weeks after their last treatment visit. The treatment arm will receive EA at 13 acupuncture points (acupoints) chosen for their therapeutic effects, while the control arm receives minimal EA at 7 non-disease-related acupoints. Questionnaires and cognitive assessments are administered, and blood drawn to assess changes in symptom clusters and biomarkers, respectively.

conclusionThe EAST study can provide insight into the efficacy of EA, an integrative medicine modality, in the management of cancer symptom clusters in routine clinical practice.

trial registrationThis trial is registered with clinicaltrials.gov NCT05283577.

Indexed as

ElectroacupunctureNeoplasmsChildHumansSurvivorsSyndromeTreatment OutcomeCancerElectroacupunctureIntegrative oncologyRandomized controlled trialSymptom cluster

Identifiers

PMID36973688
PMCPMC10041509
OpenAlexW4361006010

What OpenQuestion holds

Textfull text, public
LicenceCC BY
measurements read13
identifiers read2
Read underepoch 390

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.