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This systematic review and network meta-analysis examined the comparative effectiveness of five traditional Chinese medicine non-pharmacological therapies in cancer patients experiencing chemotherapy-related symptoms. Thirty-five randomised controlled trials involving 2,025 patients were included, evaluating acupuncture, auricular therapy, manual acupoint therapy, mind-body exercise therapy, and moxibustion across six outcomes: quality of life, sleep quality, fatigue, general mood, anxiety, and depression.
The results revealed that no single therapy was superior across all outcomes; rather, each intervention demonstrated distinct, symptom-specific benefits. Manual acupoint therapy ranked highest for improving overall quality of life and sleep quality. Mind-body exercise therapy proved most effective for enhancing general mood and reducing depression. Auricular therapy demonstrated the greatest benefit for reducing fatigue and anxiety, achieving the top ranking for both of these outcomes. Moxibustion and acupuncture also featured in the comparisons, though they did not rank first for any individual outcome in this analysis.
The authors suggest these findings support a personalised approach to integrating traditional Chinese medicine into supportive cancer care, whereby the choice of therapy is matched to a patient’s predominant symptoms rather than applying a one-size-fits-all strategy. The researchers acknowledge that further high-quality trials are needed to strengthen confidence in these findings.
Conclusion: Traditional Chinese medicine non-pharmacological therapies each offer distinct, symptom-specific benefits for chemotherapy patients, supporting their individualised integration into supportive cancer care.
Source: Zhang X, Song J, Liu H and colleagues. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 42507011) · doi:10.1007/s00520-026-10990-7
