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REVIEW article

Front. Oncol.
Sec. Cancer Molecular Targets and Therapeutics
Volume 14 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1527331
This article is part of the Research Topic Renewed Insight into Cancer Mechanism and Therapy View all 7 articles

Exploration of the Quantitative-Effectiveness Association Between Acupuncture Temporal Parameters and Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Cancer Patients: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Provisionally accepted
Hao Tian Hao Tian Qin Luo Qin Luo Liuyang Huang Liuyang Huang Guang Chen Guang Chen Mingsheng Sun Mingsheng Sun FanRong Liang FanRong Liang *
  • Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China

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

    Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is one of the commonly reported symptoms impacting cancer survivors. This study evaluated and compared the effectiveness of acupuncture treatments for CIPN. Methods: We searched six databases from their inception to August 2024 to identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Primary outcomes were pain scores. Secondary outcomes were quality of life including FACT/GOG-Ntx and EORTC QLQ-C30. The robust error meta-regression (REMR) method was used to evaluate the dose-response relationship across treatment parameters, including number of sessions, frequency, and duration. Results: In total, 11 RCTs featuring 740 participants were included. The meta-analysis demonstrated that the primary analysis achieved a significant reduction in pain scores, with a standardized mean difference of [SMD= -1.23, 95% CI = (-2.22, -0.24); P < 0.01; I² = 95%], improvement quality of life including FACT/GOG-Ntx [SMD = 0.95, 95% CI = (0.02, 1.88); P < 0.01; I² = 93%] and EORTC QLQ-C30 [SMD = 0.36, 95% CI = (0.03, 0.68); P = 0.14; I² = 46%]. The nonlinear dose-response analysis suggests that pain improvement achieves the MCID at 16 treatment sessions, over 8 weeks, with a frequency of twice per week. Furthermore, analysis of the treatment duration chart shows that acupuncture maintains therapeutic effects during the follow-up period. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of these findings. Conclusion: Acupuncture demonstrates significant potential in managing CIPN, particularly through individualized treatment regimens. The identified time-dose-response relationship suggests that tailoring acupuncture frequency and duration can maximize pain relief in CIPN patients. Future high-quality studies and large-scale multicenter clinical trials are warranted to validate these findings.

    Keywords: Acupuncture, Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, Pain Management, Meta-analysis, dose-response

    Received: 13 Nov 2024; Accepted: 30 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Tian, Luo, Huang, Chen, Sun and Liang. 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: FanRong Liang, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China

    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.