title: Acupuncture for symptom management in cancer care: an update.
abstract: In a previous systematic review of the worldwide literature of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving needle insertion into acupuncture points for symptom management in cancer patients, we identified only one high-quality RCT that was deemed to have a low risk of bias. Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane (all databases), Scopus, and PubMed were searched from inception through December 2011 with no language limits applied. A total of 41 RCTs met all inclusion criteria and were rated. In the current review, we examined 18 trials published since our last report. The purpose of this update was to emphasize important recent findings and discuss how concerns such as blinding, separating non-specific placebo effects from specific needling effects, determining biologic mechanisms and dosing parameters, evaluating determinants of response such as expectation, controlling for sources of bias, and the lack of standardization in treatment and study methods may affect the interpretation of study results.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Oncology, Integrative Medicine Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Unit 0462, Houston, TX, 77030, USA, kaygarcia@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: M Kay
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McQuade
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spano
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009325:Nausea / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents