Acupuncture for cancer pain and related symptoms

Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2013 Mar;17(3):321. doi: 10.1007/s11916-013-0321-3.

Abstract

Cancer pain is one of most prevalent symptoms in patients with cancer. Acupuncture and related techniques have been suggested for the management of cancer pain. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for adult cancer pain recommends acupuncture, as one of several integrative interventions, in conjunction with pharmacologic intervention as needed. This review presents the latest available evidence regarding the use of acupuncture for cancer pain. It also provides "actionable" acupuncture protocols for specific cancer pain conditions and related symptoms in order to provide more clinically relevant solutions for clinicians and cancer patients with pain. These conditions include postoperative cancer pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting, postsurgical gastroparesis syndrome, opioid-induced constipation, opioid-induced pruritus, chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, aromatase inhibitor-associated joint pain, and neck dissection-related pain and dysfunction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acupuncture Therapy* / methods
  • Acupuncture Therapy* / trends
  • Analgesics, Opioid / administration & dosage
  • Analgesics, Opioid / adverse effects*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects*
  • Female
  • Guidelines as Topic
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Nausea / chemically induced
  • Nausea / therapy*
  • Neoplasms / complications*
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Pain Management / methods
  • Pain, Intractable / drug therapy
  • Pain, Intractable / etiology
  • Pain, Intractable / therapy*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • United States
  • Vomiting / chemically induced
  • Vomiting / therapy*

Substances

  • Analgesics, Opioid
  • Antineoplastic Agents