Efficacy and Safety of Acupuncture against Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. The review has been registered on the “PROSPERO” website; the registration number is CRD42020151654. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed on 7 electronic databases from the time of inception to March 2020. RCTs studies on acupuncture for CIPN compared with medication or sham acupuncture were included. Statistical analysis was carried out using RevMan 5.3. RESULTS: In total, 19 RCTs covering 1174 patients were enrolled. The results showed that acupuncture significantly increased the effective rate of CIPN compared with medicine and sham acupuncture. And acupuncture had a good effect on the recovery of nerve conduction velocity and improving pain. Among the acupoints involved in the treatment of CIPN, LI4, LI11, ST36, EX10 (Bafeng), and EX-UE 9 (Baxie) were the most commonly used. CONCLUSION: The use of acupuncture in the management of CIPN is safe and effective. The most used acupoints for CIPN are LI4, LI11, ST36, EX10 (Bafeng), and EX-UE 9 (Baxie).