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Acupuncture for cancer-related fatigue: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials

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Abstract

Purpose

Managing cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is an important element of the palliative care of cancer patients. The aim of this systematic review was to critically evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture (AT) or electroacupuncture (EA) for CRF.

Methods

Fourteen databases were searched from their respective inception to November 2012. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of AT or EA for the treatment of CRF were considered for inclusion. The risk of bias/methodological quality was assessed using the method suggested by the Cochrane Collaboration.

Results

Seven RCTs met the eligibility criteria. Most were small pilot studies with serious methodological flaws. Four of the RCTs showed effectiveness of AT or AT in addition to usual care (UC) over sham AT, UC, enhanced UC, or no intervention for alleviating CRF. Three RCTs showed no effect of AT/EA over sham treatment.

Conclusion

Overall, the quantity and quality of RCTs included in the analysis were too low to draw meaningful conclusions. Even in the positive trials, it remained unclear whether the observed outcome was due to specific effects of AT/EA or nonspecific effects of care. Further research is required to investigate whether AT/EA demonstrates specific effects on CRF.

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Acknowledgement

PP, TWM, TYC, TYP, and MSL were supported by KIOM (K12130, C12080).

Disclosures

All authors declare no competing interests.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Research Division, KM Health Technology Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 483 Exporo, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-811, South Korea

    Paul Posadzki, Tae-Woong Moon, Tae-Young Choi, Tae-Yong Park & Myeong Soo Lee

  2. Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK

    Paul Posadzki, Myeong Soo Lee & Edzard Ernst

Authors
  1. Paul Posadzki
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  2. Tae-Woong Moon
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  3. Tae-Young Choi
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  4. Tae-Yong Park
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  5. Myeong Soo Lee
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  6. Edzard Ernst
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul Posadzki.

Appendix. A detailed search strategy for MEDLINE

Appendix. A detailed search strategy for MEDLINE

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  2. 2.

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  3. 3.

    1 OR 2

  4. 4.

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  5. 5.

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  6. 6.

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  7. 7.

    exp RADIOTHERAPY/

  8. 8.

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  9. 9.

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  10. 10.

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  11. 11.

    (leukaemi$ or leukemi$).mp.

  12. 12.

    (tumour$ or tumor$).mp.

  13. 13.

    malignan$.mp.

  14. 14.

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  15. 15.

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  16. 16.

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  19. 19.

    (bone adj marrow adj5 transplant$).mp.

  20. 20.

    FATIGUE/

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    (tired$ or weary or weariness or exhaustion or exhausted or lackluster or ((astenia or asthenic) and syndrome) or ((lack or loss or lost) adj3 (energy or vigour))).mp.

  23. 23.

    (apathy or apathetic or lassitude or weakness or lethargy or lethargic or (feeling adj3 (drained or sleepy or sluggish))).mp.

  24. 24.

    4 OR 5 OR 6 OR 7 OR 8 OR 9 OR 10 OR 11 OR 12 OR 13 OR 14 OR 15 OR 16 OR 17 OR 18 OR 19 OR 20 OR 21 OR 22 OR 23

  25. 25.

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    (clin$ adj5 trial$).ti,ab.

  27. 27.

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  28. 28.

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  29. 29.

    control$.ti,ab.

  30. 30.

    prospectiv$.ti,ab.

  31. 31.

    exp clinical trial/

  32. 32.

    follow-up studies/or prospective studies/

  33. 33.

    double-blind method/or random allocation/or single-blind method/

  34. 34.

    exp Research Design/

  35. 35.

    25 OR 26 OR 27 OR 28 OR 29 OR 30 OR 31 OR 32 OR 33 OR 34

  36. 36.

    3 AND 24 AND 35

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Posadzki, P., Moon, TW., Choi, TY. et al. Acupuncture for cancer-related fatigue: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Support Care Cancer 21, 2067–2073 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-013-1765-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-013-1765-z

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