Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37051548›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in oncology2023

Acupuncture therapies for cancer-related fatigue: A Bayesian network meta-analysis and systematic review.

Hao Tian, Yunhui Chen, Mingsheng Sun, Liuyang Huang, Guixing Xu, Chunyang Yang, Qin Luo, Ling Zhao, Zheng Wei, Fanrong Liang

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in oncology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
6.4field-weighted citation impact, top 4% 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

10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Acupuncture for chemotherapy-induced dysgeusia (AcuDysg): a randomized controlled trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Trial
  3. Trial
  4. Trial
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. The role of disease duration in the use of complementary and integrative medicine for cancer-related fatigue: a cross-sectional study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Article
  8. [Complementary and integrative medicine in cancer-related fatigue].Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz · 2024
    Review
  9. Acupuncture in cancer care: a narrative review.Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992) · 2024
    Review
  10. 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

10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Hao TianCollege of Acupuncture and Tuina, The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Yunhui ChenCollege of Acupuncture and Tuina, The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Mingsheng SunCollege of Acupuncture and Tuina, The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Liuyang HuangCollege of Acupuncture and Tuina, The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Guixing XuCollege of Acupuncture and Tuina, The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Chunyang YangCollege of Acupuncture and Tuina, The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Qin LuoCollege of Acupuncture and Tuina, The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Ling ZhaoCollege of Acupuncture and Tuina, The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Zheng WeiTraditional Chinese Medicine Department, People's Hospital of Deyang City, Deyang, Sichuan, China.
Fanrong LiangCollege of Acupuncture and Tuina, The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine · CNChina Association of Acupuncture-Moxibustion · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most commonly reported symptoms impacting cancer survivors. This study evaluated and compared the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatments for CRF. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China Biology Medicine China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and WanFang Database from inception to November 2022 to identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing acupuncture treatments with sham interventions, waitlist (WL), or usual care (UC) for CRF treatment. The outcomes included the Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and pair-wise and Bayesian network meta-analyses were performed using STATA v17.0. Results: In total, 34 randomized controlled trials featuring 2632 participants were included. In the network meta-analysis, the primary analysis using CFS illustrated that point application (PA) + UC (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -1.33, 95% CI = -2.02, -0.63) had the highest probability of improving CFS, followed by manual acupuncture (MA) + PA (SMD = -1.21, 95% CI = -2.05, -0.38) and MA + UC (SMD = -0.80, 95% CI = -1.50, -0.09). Moreover, the adverse events of these interventions were acceptable. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that acupuncture was effective and safe on CRF treatment. However, further studies are still warranted by incorporating more large-scale and high-quality RCTs. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier CRD42022339769.

Indexed as

acupunctureacupuncture therapycancer-related fatiguenetwork meta-analysissystematic review

Identifiers

PMID37051548
PMCPMC10083363
OpenAlexW4361011419

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.