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REVIEW article

Front. Oncol.
Sec. Cancer Molecular Targets and Therapeutics
Volume 14 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1450105

The effectiveness of acupuncture in cancer pain treatment

Provisionally accepted
Kamila Krukowska Kamila Krukowska *Sylwia Krzyśkowska Sylwia Krzyśkowska Eliza Kuchta Eliza Kuchta Anna Rudzińska Anna Rudzińska Katarzyna Szklener Katarzyna Szklener Sławomir Mańdziuk Sławomir Mańdziuk
  • Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: In recent years, pain has been recognized as a primary factor significantly diminishing the quality of life in cancer patients. Recent data have prompted the establishment and increased application of non-pharmacological interventions in pain management, such as acupuncture. Objectives: This review assesses literature from 2018 to 2023 on the impact of acupuncture on pain management and quality of life in cancer patients, with a particular focus on reducing pain intensity. The effectiveness of acupuncture therapy was compared with the traditional treatment of pain symptoms, with a focus on the patients’ quality of life. Conclusions: Although no conclusive scientific evidence confirms the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating cancer pain symptoms, numerous studies have demonstrated its ability to reduce pain, better control pain, decrease analgesic intake, and significantly improve patients' quality of life. Further research is needed to unequivocally confirm the clinical benefits of acupuncture.

    Keywords: Acupuncture, Pain Management, cancer pain, Quality of Life, Complementary medicine

    Received: 16 Jun 2024; Accepted: 31 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Krukowska, Krzyśkowska, Kuchta, Rudzińska, Szklener and Mańdziuk. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Kamila Krukowska, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.