Acupuncture in Oncology: The Effectiveness of Acupuncture May Not Depend on Needle Retention Duration

Oh, B; Eade, T; Kneebone, A; Hruby, G; Lamoury, G; Pavlakis, N; Clarke, S; Zaslawski, C; Marr, I; Costa, D; Back, M

Acupuncture in Oncology: The Effectiveness of Acupuncture May Not Depend on Needle Retention Duration

Oh, B

Eade, T Kneebone, A Hruby, G Lamoury, G Pavlakis, N Clarke, S Zaslawski, C

Marr, I Costa, D Back, M

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Integrative Cancer Therapies, 2018, 17 (2), pp. 458 - 466
Issue Date:: 2018-06-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Oh, B https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6063-4548	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Eade, T	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Kneebone, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Hruby, G	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Lamoury, G	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Pavlakis, N	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Clarke, S	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Zaslawski, C https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5618-5161	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Marr, I	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Costa, D	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Back, M	en_US
dc.date.issued	2018-06-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Integrative Cancer Therapies, 2018, 17 (2), pp. 458 - 466	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1534-7354	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/128202
dc.description.abstract	© 2017, © The Author(s) 2017. Background. Guidelines surrounding optimum needle retention duration in acupuncture have not been established, despite a growing evidence base for acupuncture over recent decades. This retrospective study explored the effect of varying acupuncture needle retention durations in cancer patients. Method. Patients received either 2 (n = 35), 10 (n = 53), or 20 minutes (n = 54) of acupuncture once a week for 6 weeks. Outcomes of anxiety and depression, stress, fatigue, and quality of life (QOL), with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Fatigue, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life, were measured at baseline and at 6 weeks following the intervention. Results. The mean age of participants was 58 years (n = 152). The majority were female, diagnosed with breast cancer. Depression, stress, fatigue, and QOL were significantly improved in all 3 groups at 6 weeks postintervention. No significant differences in all outcomes were found between the 3 groups (≤2 vs 10 minutes vs 20 minutes). There were no differences with the satisfaction of the acupuncture services and perceived efficacy of acupuncture among the 3 groups. More than 95% of participants indicated that they would recommend acupuncture to other cancer patients, friends, and their family members. Conclusion. The efficacy of acupuncture may not only depend on needle retention duration, but may also be associated with multiple factors. Considering the limitations of this study design, robust randomized controlled studies are warranted to confirm the findings.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Integrative Cancer Therapies	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1177/1534735417734912	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Complementary & Alternative Medicine	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Breast Neoplasms	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Fatigue	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Acupuncture Therapy	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Retrospective Studies	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Needles	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Depression	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Anxiety	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Medical Oncology	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Quality of Life	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Middle Aged	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Male	en_US
dc.title	Acupuncture in Oncology: The Effectiveness of Acupuncture May Not Depend on Needle Retention Duration	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	17	en_US
utslib.for	1112 Oncology and Carcinogenesis	en_US
utslib.for	1104 Complementary and Alternative Medicine	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Medical and Molecular Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	2	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	17	en_US

Abstract:

© 2017, © The Author(s) 2017. Background. Guidelines surrounding optimum needle retention duration in acupuncture have not been established, despite a growing evidence base for acupuncture over recent decades. This retrospective study explored the effect of varying acupuncture needle retention durations in cancer patients. Method. Patients received either 2 (n = 35), 10 (n = 53), or 20 minutes (n = 54) of acupuncture once a week for 6 weeks. Outcomes of anxiety and depression, stress, fatigue, and quality of life (QOL), with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Fatigue, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life, were measured at baseline and at 6 weeks following the intervention. Results. The mean age of participants was 58 years (n = 152). The majority were female, diagnosed with breast cancer. Depression, stress, fatigue, and QOL were significantly improved in all 3 groups at 6 weeks postintervention. No significant differences in all outcomes were found between the 3 groups (≤2 vs 10 minutes vs 20 minutes). There were no differences with the satisfaction of the acupuncture services and perceived efficacy of acupuncture among the 3 groups. More than 95% of participants indicated that they would recommend acupuncture to other cancer patients, friends, and their family members. Conclusion. The efficacy of acupuncture may not only depend on needle retention duration, but may also be associated with multiple factors. Considering the limitations of this study design, robust randomized controlled studies are warranted to confirm the findings.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/128202