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Review
. 2016 Aug 18;1(4):344-350.
doi: 10.1016/j.adro.2016.08.002. eCollection 2016 Oct-Dec.

Use of acupuncture to alleviate side effects in radiation oncology: Current evidence and future directions

Rebecca Asadpour  1   2 , Zhiqiang Meng  3 , Kerstin A Kessel  1   4 , Stephanie E Combs  1   4   2
Affiliations
Review

Use of acupuncture to alleviate side effects in radiation oncology: Current evidence and future directions

Rebecca Asadpour et al. Adv Radiat Oncol. .

Abstract

Several reports have shown that acupuncture is an effective method of complementary medicine; however, only a few of these reports have focused on oncological patients treated with radiation therapy. Most of these studies discuss a benefit of acupuncture for side-effect reduction; however, not all could demonstrate significant improvements. Thus, innovative trial designs are necessary to confirm that acupuncture can alleviate side effects related to radiation therapy. In the present manuscript, we perform a broad review and discuss pitfalls and limitations of acupuncture in parallel with standard radiation therapy, which lead the way to novel treatment concepts.

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