Zhao Yi, Cao Wendi, Zhang Hengheng, Rong Qingxi, He Mingxuan, Wu Meijie, Zhao Yi, Yang Ping
Breast Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University & Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Qinghai University, Xining, 810000, China.
J Cancer Surviv. 2025 Aug 19. doi: 10.1007/s11764-025-01869-3.
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common side effect in cancer patients, often emerging within the first month of chemotherapy. Severe CIPN can disrupt daily life, necessitating chemotherapy adjustments or discontinuation, which may increase cancer mortality. No standardized treatment exists, but acupuncture is widely used in China for CIPN.This study aimed to comprehensively assess the actual efficacy of acupuncture in treating CIPN in cancer patients.
We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library up to October 2024 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture for CIPN, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (RoB 2.0) and the modified Jadad scale. A random-effects model was used to analyze the Effect Size (ES) and 95% Confidence Interval (CI).Data analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software.
The final analysis incorporated 1,048 patients from 18 studies. The results presented in the forest plot demonstrated that, when compared to the control group, acupuncture exhibited superior efficacy in improving CIPN symptoms (RR = 1.11, 95%CI [1.01,1.21]), alleviating pain (SMD = -0.93, 95%CI [-1.63,-0.22]), enhancing quality of life (QoL) (MD = - 1.14, 95%CI [- 1.97, - 0.31]), and reducing chemotherapy-related neurotoxicity (MD = - 3.34, 95%CI [- 5.24, - 1.44]). Additionally, in alleviating CIPN-related pain, simple acupuncture demonstrates superior efficacy compared to electroacupuncture.
This study clearly demonstrates that acupuncture offers more substantial benefits to CIPN patients compared to usual care, medication, vitamin, and sham acupuncture. This research serves as a valuable reference for cancer patients, physicians, nurses, and other professional medical practitioners.
化疗引起的周围神经病变（CIPN）是癌症患者常见的副作用，常在化疗的第一个月内出现。严重的CIPN会扰乱日常生活，需要调整化疗方案或停药，这可能会增加癌症死亡率。目前尚无标准化治疗方法，但在中国，针灸被广泛用于治疗CIPN。本研究旨在全面评估针灸治疗癌症患者CIPN的实际疗效。
我们检索了截至2024年10月的PubMed、Web of Science、Embase和Cochrane图书馆，以查找关于针灸治疗CIPN的随机对照试验（RCT），遵循系统评价和Meta分析的首选报告项目（PRISMA）。使用Cochrane偏倚风险工具（RoB 2.0）和改良的Jadad量表评估方法学质量。采用随机效应模型分析效应大小（ES）和95%置信区间（CI）。使用RevMan 5.3软件进行数据分析。
最终分析纳入了18项研究中的1048例患者。森林图中的结果表明，与对照组相比，针灸在改善CIPN症状（RR = 1.11，95%CI [1.01,1.21]）、减轻疼痛（SMD = -0.93，95%CI [-1.63,-0.22]）、提高生活质量（QoL）（MD = -1.14，95%CI [-1.97,-0.31]）以及降低化疗相关神经毒性（MD = -3.34，95%CI [-5.24,-1.44]）方面表现出更好的疗效。此外，在减轻CIPN相关疼痛方面，单纯针灸比电针显示出更好的疗效。
本研究清楚地表明，与常规护理、药物、维生素和假针灸相比，针灸为CIPN患者带来了更多实质性益处。本研究为癌症患者、医生、护士和其他专业医疗从业者提供了有价值的参考。
