Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38713422›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2024

Acupuncture for the treatment of the pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance-numbness/tingling symptom cluster in breast cancer survivors: a feasibility trial.

Ki Kyung Kwon, Judith Lacey, Kim Kerin-Ayres, Gillian Heller, Suzanne Grant

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07481903 (Effect of Acupuncture on Psychoneurological Symptom Cluster in Breast Cancer Survivors), which is not on this map. Cited by 6 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

NCT07481903 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Effect of Acupuncture on Psychoneurological Symptom Cluster in Breast Cancer Survivors

TypeinterventionalSponsorFirst Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese MedicineRan2026 to 2028Enrolled228ConditionsPsychoneurological Symptom Cluster(Pain, Insomnia, Anxiety, Fatigue, Depression, Subjective Cognitive Decline), Pain, Insomnia, AnxietyArmselectroacupuncture, sham electroacupuncture
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Factors influencing acupuncture regimen completion by breast cancer patients: real-world data from an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
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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

5 authors.

Ki Kyung KwonNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia. ki.kwon@lh.org.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-1295-8549
Judith LaceyNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3751-406X
Kim Kerin-AyresChris O'Brien Lifehouse Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
Gillian HellerChris O'Brien Lifehouse Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1270-1499
Suzanne GrantNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9491-203X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeBreast cancer survivors following disease-modifying treatment frequently experience multiple-concurrent symptoms (Jansana et al. in Int J Cancer 149(10):1755 1767, 2021), negatively impacting their quality of life and increasing the risk of polypharmacy (Alwhaibi et al. in J Oncol Pharm Pract 26(5):1052 1059, 2020). This study evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of acupuncture for the management of the pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance-numbness/tingling symptom cluster in breast cancer survivors, and investigates relationships between the symptom cluster and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome diagnosis.

methodsThis was a single-arm, pre-test/post-test feasibility trial conducted at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse Hospital, Australia. Breast cancer survivors who completed treatment and experienced clinically significant levels of two or more symptoms (pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, numbness/tingling) were eligible to participate in the individualized, pragmatic 6-week acupuncture intervention. The primary outcome was feasibility and acceptability. Effectiveness was explored using a symptom cluster mean score.

resultsTwenty women enrolled in the study over an 11-week period and 90% completed the study. Most women agreed or completely agreed that acupuncture was feasible (85%), acceptable (90%), and appropriate (90%). Both mean and composite symptom cluster scores were significantly reduced (p < 0.001), as were individual symptom scores in fatigue (p < 0.001), sleep disturbance (p = 0.04), and numbness/tingling (p = 0.01). TCM syndromes most closely associated with this symptom cluster were Spleen qi deficiency and Heart fire. No adverse events were reported.

conclusionThis study demonstrated that acupuncture was safe and feasible, justifying a powered randomized control trial. Preliminary findings suggest beneficial effects of acupuncture for the management of the pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance-numbness/tingling symptom cluster for women with breast cancer. TCM syndromes identified in this trial may be used to guide acupuncture treatment protocols. CLINICAL

trial registrationThis trial was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12622000590763) on 21 April 2022.

Indexed as

Acupuncture TherapyBreast NeoplasmsCancer SurvivorsFatigueFeasibility StudiesSleep Wake DisordersAdultAgedAustraliaFemaleHumansMedicine, Chinese TraditionalMiddle AgedPain ManagementQuality of LifeAcupunctureCancerIntegrative oncologyModel validitySymptom clusters

Identifiers

PMID38713422
PMCPMC11076364

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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.