Table 1 Characteristics of included studies
Studies | No. of patients | Acupuncture group | Control group intervention | Assessment of outcomes | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Â | Â | Acupoints | Intervention | Â | Â | Â |
Cai and Wu [19] | 80 | Fixed points: ST36 | Acupuncture + GP and Ondansetrontdn Dexamethasone | GP and Ondansetron Dexamethasone | Nausea and vomiting | 8 weeks |
Chen [20] | 32 | Fixed points: ST36 and BL23 | Astragalus injection in acupuncture points + NP/CE and Huangqilifei decoction | NP/CE and Huangqilifei decoction | Tumor response; immunomodulation (CD3+, CD4+, CD4/CD8); KPS; survival rate; chemotoxicity | 8 weeks |
Chen [21] | 60 | Fixed points: BL13, LU1, LU9, ST36, PC6, etc. | Acupuncture + TP/GP and Chinese herbs by syndrome differentiation | TP/GP and Chinese herbs by syndrome differentiation | Tumor response; clinical symptom improvement; immunomodulation | 8 weeks |
Chen [22] | 60 | Fixed points: RN4 | Ginger moxibustion + general nursing care | General nursing care | Sleep quality and WBCs | 10 days |
Chen et al. [23] | 50 | Fixed points: LU9, PC6, ST36, BL23, DU14 | Acupuncture + CAP/EP | CAP/EP | NK and leukocyte cells | 8 weeks |
Ding [24]a | 86 | Fixed points : LU9, BL13, ST36, ST40, SP3, BL20, BL43 (bilateral) | Acupuncture + Fu zhen gan fei decoction | Fu zhen gan fei Decoction | Clinical symptom improvement; WBCs; Hb; Plt; KPS | 8 weeks |
Ding [25]b | 32 | Fixed points: ST36, PC6 | Acupuncture + cis-platinum based chemotherapy and ondansetron | Cis-platinum based chemotherapy and ondansetron | Nausea and vomiting | 4 weeks |
Fan & Wei [26] | 80 | Fixed points: ST36 | Vitamin B6 acupoint injection + NP/TP chemotherapy combined with ondansetron | NP/TP chemotherapy combined with ondansetron | Nausea and vomiting; KPS | Not reported |
Gu et al. [27] | 40 | Fixed points: ST36, RN4, BL23, DU4 | Acupoint plaster application + Chinese herbs (unclear ingredient) | Chinese herbs (unclear ingredient) | Immunomodulation (CD3+, CD4+, CD4/CD8), IL-2 | 8 weeks |
He & Lou [28] | 49 | PC6, LI10, SP46, SP4 (bilateral); RN12 (unilateral); auricular point: liver, spleen, shen men, jiao gan | Acupoint stimulation + EP with ondansetron | EP with ondansetron | Nausea and vomiting; chemotoxicity | 3 days |
Huang [29] | 40 | LU9, BL13, BL17, ST36 (bilateral) | Crude herb moxibustion (Semen Brassicae, Manchurian Wildginger, Ephedra sinica Stapf ) + cis-platinum based chemotherapy | Cis-platinum based chemotherapy | Chemotoxicity; living quality; body weight; clinical symptoms; tumor size; immunomodulation (CD3+, CD4+, CD4/CD8) | 6 weeks |
Huang et al. [30] | 80 | PC6, ST21, ST36 (bilateral) | Acupoint plaster application + NP/GP with ondansetron | NP/GP with ondansetron | Survival; KPS; clinical symptom improvement; chemotoxicity | 3 weeks |
Jiang et al. [31] | 43 | BL23, ST36 (bilateral); DU4, RN4 (unilateral) | Acupoint plaster application decoction (of herbal medicine) + gemcitabine/ pemetrexed/docetaxel | Gemcitabine/pemetrexed/docetaxel | Time to progression (TTP); quality of life | 8 weeks |
Li [32] | 60 | BL13, BL15, BL17 (bilateral) | Acupoint plaster application with decoction (of Semen Brassicae, Manchurian Wildginger, Ephedra sinica Stapf) + Diprophylline | Diprophylline | Dyspnea valuated by numeric scale | 7 days |
Lin et al. [33] | 83 | BL17 (bilateral) | Acupuncture + NP/EP | NP/EP | Chemotoxicity (reduction of WBCs, Hb, Plt) ; KPS | 10 days |
Lin et al. [34] | 80 | four flowers acupoints: BL17, BL19 (bilateral) | Moxibustion + NP with Granisetron hydrochloride | NP with Granisetron Hydrochloride | Chemotoxicity (reduction of WBCs, Hb, Plt) | 10 days |
Lin [34] | 60 | ST36, BL13 (bilateral) | Acupoint injection (Chuan ke zhi) + Aminophylline injection | Aminophylline injection | KPS; immunomodulation (CD3+, CD4+); clinical symptoms improvement | 2 weeks |
Liu & Wang [35] | 60 | RN12 | Acupoint plaster application with herbal medicine (Pinellia Tuber and Syzygium aromaticum, etc.) + cis-platinum based chemotherapy + Granisetron hydrochloride injection | Cis-platinum based chemotherapy + Granisetron Hydrochloride injection | KPS; appetite score | 3 days |
Lou [36] | 51 | bilateral: ST36, RN4, LU5 | Acupoint magnet + GP | GP | Immunomodulation (CD3+, CD4+, CD4/CD8) | 2 weeks |
Ou Yang et al. [37] | 69 | RN8 | Moxibustion with salt + NP/GP | NP/GP | Clinical symptom improvement; immunomodulation (CD3+, CD4+, CD11+); nausea and vomiting | 4 ~ 8 weeks |
Qiao et al. [38] | 56 | Ashi acupoints, ST36, KI1 | Millimeter wave treatment + Gu se fang granules | Gu se fang granules | Clinical symptom improvement; KPS | 4 weeks |
Shi et al. [39] | 32 | ST36, BL23, BL20, RN6, RN4, LU10, LI10, LI4, SI3, PC4, PC6, SJ6 (bilateral) | Acupuncture + general anesthesia | General anesthesia | Immunomodulation (CD3+, CD4+, CD4/CD8) | Not reported |
Tao et al. [40] | 100 | ST36, PC6 (bilateral); RN4 | Acupoint plaster application + chemotherapy with metoclopramide or ondansetron | Chemotherapy with metoclopramide or ondansetron | Nausea and vomiting | 7 days |
Wang [41] | 60 | Four flowers acupoints: BL17, BL19 (bilateral) | Moxibustion + NP | NP | TNF-α, IL-2, WBCs; nausea and vomiting; KPS | 7 days |
Xu [42] | 60 | Four flowers acupoints: BL17, BL19 (bilateral) | Fire needle therapy + GP/DP combined with ondansetron | GP/DP combined with ondansetron | Immunomodulation (CD3+, CD4+, CD4/CD8); TNF-α, IL-2; KPS | 7 days |
Xu et al. [43] | 45 | ST36, DU14 | Acupoint injection (Radix Sophorae Flavescentis extraction) + anti-tumor Chinese herbs | Anti-tumor Chinese herbs | KPS; blood cells; chemotoxicity (WBCs, Hb, Plt) | 4 weeks |
Xuan et al. [44] | 60 | BL13 (bilateral); DU14 | Acupoint plaster application + traditional Chinese medicine | Traditional Chinese medicine | Immunomodulation (CD3+, CD4+, CD4/CD8); KPS | 4 weeks |
Zhang [45] | 60 | Four flowers acupoints: BL17, BL19 (bilateral) | Moxibustion + GP/DP combined with ondansetron | GP/DP combined with ondansetron | Immunomodulation (CD3+, CD4+, CD4/CD8), TNF-α, IL-2, CSF; KPS | 7 days |
Zhang & Cheng. [46] | 40 | ST36, BL13 | Chuan ke zhi injection combined with Aminophylline injection to acupoint + routine treatment for symptoms | Routine treatment for symptoms | Lung function, clinical symptoms; immunomodulation (CD3+, CD4+, CD4/CD8) | 2 weeks |
Zhou et al. [47] | 15 | ST36, BL23, BL20, RN6, RN4, LU10, LI10, LI4, SI3, PC4, PC6, SJ6 (bilateral) | Acupuncture + general anesthesia | General anesthesia | Immunomodulation (CD3+, CD4+, CD4/CD8) | Not reported |
Zhou et al. [48] | 35 | Acupoint selection treatment based on syndrome differentiation | Abdominal acupuncture + routine treatment for symptoms | Routine treatment for symptoms | KPS, EORTC-QLQ-C30 | 4 weeks |