Integrating English and Chinese evidence on acupuncture and moxibustion for cancer-related fatigue (CRF): a decade of research and clinical recommendations.
This review evaluates the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion for CRF management and provides evidence-informed clinical recommendations. The review intends to answer the questions: (1) How effective and safe are acupuncture and moxibustion in managing CRF? (2) What clinical recommendations can be provided from the evidence?
A systematic literature search across seven English and Chinese databases, identifying 13 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2015 and 2025, involving 919 participants with various cancer types.
Acupuncture and/or moxibustion significantly alleviated CRF with p-values ranging from < 0.001 to 0.050. In contrast, control groups demonstrated either no statistically significant change or a significantly lower magnitude of improvement, with clinical response rates (34.60%-66.67%) consistently inferior to those observed in the intervention groups (68.00% to 86.67%). Commonly selected acupoints included Zusanli (ST36), Qihai (CV6), and Guanyuan (CV4). Treatment protocols were categorized into short-term (≤ 3 weeks), cycle-based (synchronized with chemotherapy cycles), and long-term (up to 6 months), with needle retention times of 10 to 30 min. All studies reported high safety profiles, with no adverse events. CRF was measured using validated instruments such as the Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS), Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS), and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue (FACT-F), showing consistent improvements.
Acupuncture and moxibustion are safe and effective for CRF and may be integrated into supportive oncology care alongside exercise, mind-body intervention, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to enhance quality of life in oncology populations. However, limited sample sizes and methodological heterogeneity highlight the need for larger and well-designed studies to strengthen the evidence.
A systematic literature search across seven English and Chinese databases, identifying 13 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2015 and 2025, involving 919 participants with various cancer types.
Acupuncture and/or moxibustion significantly alleviated CRF with p-values ranging from < 0.001 to 0.050. In contrast, control groups demonstrated either no statistically significant change or a significantly lower magnitude of improvement, with clinical response rates (34.60%-66.67%) consistently inferior to those observed in the intervention groups (68.00% to 86.67%). Commonly selected acupoints included Zusanli (ST36), Qihai (CV6), and Guanyuan (CV4). Treatment protocols were categorized into short-term (≤ 3 weeks), cycle-based (synchronized with chemotherapy cycles), and long-term (up to 6 months), with needle retention times of 10 to 30 min. All studies reported high safety profiles, with no adverse events. CRF was measured using validated instruments such as the Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS), Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS), and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue (FACT-F), showing consistent improvements.
Acupuncture and moxibustion are safe and effective for CRF and may be integrated into supportive oncology care alongside exercise, mind-body intervention, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to enhance quality of life in oncology populations. However, limited sample sizes and methodological heterogeneity highlight the need for larger and well-designed studies to strengthen the evidence.