Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026
Acupoint Application Combined with Acupressure as an Adjunctive Therapy for Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting
Published on: June 21, 2024
A Retrospective Assessment of Symptom Reduction With Group Acupuncture at an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer
Maria Grosso Zelaya1, Moshelle Borjigin1, Reza Lahiji2
1Integrative Oncology and Survivorship, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Abstract:
Acupuncture is increasingly integrated into oncology care as a nonpharmacologic strategy for managing cancer- and treatment-related symptoms. However, specific symptom responses remain incompletely characterized. This study retrospectively evaluated changes in individual symptoms following completion of a structured group acupuncture regimen at an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. Patients treated at our Integrative Oncology and Survivorship Program between 2023 and 2025 who completed ≥8 acupuncture sessions and pre- and post-treatment Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCaW) questionnaires were included. Patients identified and rated their two most bothersome symptoms on a 0-6 Likert scale. Symptoms were categorized into 20 domains. Pre-to-post changes were assessed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Among 723 patients (median age 60 years; 78.8% female; 36.0% Black), breast cancer was the most common diagnosis (52.8%). Reported symptoms included peripheral neuropathy (n=293), generalized pain (n=245), fatigue (n=120), hot flashes (n=96), and insomnia (n=83), with a median severity score of 5. Significant improvements were observed across all domains (p<0.05) except depression and urinary incontinence (p = 0.057). Large effect sizes (r≥0.8) were noted for upper gastrointestinal symptoms (r = -0.86), radiation-related changes (r = -0.80), lower gastrointestinal symptoms (r = -0.79), and oral-salivary gland symptoms (r = -0.79). High-prevalence symptoms, including neuropathy (Mdn: 5 vs 4, p<0.001), pain (5 vs 3, p<0.001), fatigue (5 vs 3, p<0.001), hot flashes (5 vs 3, p<0.001), and insomnia (5 vs 4, p<0.001), demonstrated substantial improvement. Completion of a structured group acupuncture regimen was associated with broad improvements in all but two patient-identified symptoms. Controlled studies are warranted to further define acupuncture's role in comprehensive oncology symptom management.
