Can Acupuncture Really Help with Cancer Treatment Side Effects?

ASCO and the Society for Integrative Oncology found that using acupuncture could reduce chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting during and after breast cancer treatment. The organizations issued joint guidelines in 2022 stating that acupuncture should also be recommended for general cancer pain or musculoskeletal pain. However, there remains limited awareness about this supportive modality.

Acupuncture isn't intended to replace medications like ondansetron or tramadol but it may reduce a patient's reliance on these drugs. "The purpose is to manage the patient's side effects and help improve their function so they can stick with their care plan a little more effectively,” says Timothy, Sobo, MOAM, LAc, CEC, CPT, a licensed acupuncturist at Cleveland Clinic in Beachwood, OH. “Acupuncture can limit chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, fatigue, hot flashes, anxiety, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting or pain.”

How acupuncture works

Acupuncture involves inserting tiny, sterile needles to stimulate specific points of the body. Stimulating these points elicits natural responses that release neurotransmitters and other neurochemicals, such as serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, acetylcholine and gamma-aminobutyric acid. For example, releasing endorphins helps with pain while releasing dopamine can calm your nervous system so you’re not in fight or flight mode. “Ultimately, the goal is to get the body to regulate itself to do this more effectively on its own,” explains Sobo.

Acupuncture treatment is personalized to each patient based on their side effects. Since acupuncture works on the whole body systemically, practitioners can treat multiple issues simultaneously. Depending on many factors, patients usually should expect that therapy will yield improvements after several sessions and will remain for a few days at a time.

To ensure patient safety, acupuncture should always be performed by a licensed and credentialed professional.

Referring patients

Generally speaking, patients who are suffering from mild, moderate or severe side effects such as anxiety, pain, neuropathy, nausea or vomiting may benefit from an acupuncture referral. “The sooner treatment is started, the better the chances of keeping side effects well managed,” Sobo notes.

Acupuncture risk profile

Fortunately, there is minimal risk of trying acupuncture and there are no known drug interactions. Very light bleeding or bruising or some lightheadedness could occur. Typically, even patients on a standard dose of blood thinner can receive acupuncture, depending on their platelet count.

Addressing common myths

It’s not uncommon for patients to have some misconceptions about acupuncture. They may not realize there is science supporting its use. Educating them about evidence of the therapy can help patients feel more receptive to trying acupuncture. Sobo notes that some patients may also mistakenly believe that acupuncture treats cancer. It does not. It’s a supportive therapy to specifically address side effects.

Another common worry many people have is whether acupuncture will hurt. Since the filiform needles used are extremely small (typically between 0.2-0.25 mm in diameter), the treatment is not painful.

In terms of real-world observations, Sobo has seen patients experience relief from neuropathy, nausea and vomiting. “It’s a real quality of life improvement when you can reduce a patient’s reliance on multiple medications for managing side effects,” he says.

What's next

To gain greater insights, Cleveland Clinic Cancer Institute is studying the use of acupuncture on an outpatient basis for patients during infusions. The aim is to better understand its impact on treatment-related symptoms.