Safety of Acupuncture Using Semi-Permanent Needles in a Pediatric Cancer Unit: A Retrospective Study

To determine the safety of semi-permanent needles alone or combined with filiform needles in patients treated within a pediatric oncology unit during antineoplastic therapy.

A retrospective review of electronic medical records at the Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona of Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Spain. Data were collected from September 1, 2019, to September 30, 2021, including all oncology patients treated with semi-permanent needles at the integrative pediatric oncology unit. The primary outcome was the safety of acupuncture in pediatric cancer patients, specifically assessing infection and bleeding risks, considering sequential levels of neutropenia and thrombocytopenia.

A total of 196 patients (59.2% boys, 40.8% girls) underwent acupuncture. The median age at first treatment was 11.82 years (range: 0.2-34.0 years). The median number of treatments per patient was 4 (range: 1-44), totaling 1107 acupuncture sessions. Of these, 370 (33.4%) were performed in patients with neutropenia and 305 (27.6%) in patients with thrombocytopenia. A total of 9360 semi-permanent needles and 5125 filiform needles were used. No cases of sepsis, local infections, or skin irritation were reported within 72 hours post-removal. One self-limited adverse event-a superficial ear hematoma in a patient with grade 4 thrombocytopenia-was observed, which resolved spontaneously without complications.

Semi-permanent needle therapy, alone or combined with filiform needles, is a safe acupuncture modality when used within pediatric oncology settings, including care contexts that encompass a small number of adolescents and young adults. This study supports the feasibility of incorporating semi-permanent needles into integrative oncology protocols within pediatric oncology practice.

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05585463).