Systematic review and meta-analysis of acupuncture for pain caused by liver cancer

Objective: The objective of this study is to systematically review and analyze the efficacy of acupuncture for pain caused by primary liver cancer (PLC). Materials and Methods: We searched databases, including PubMed, Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Science and Technology Periodicals Database (VIP), Wanfang, and SinoMed/Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM), and retrieved randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that used acupuncture as the primary intervention to treat pain caused by PLC. Two investigators then screened the articles, extracted and pooled data, and evaluated the risk of bias of the included articles according to the Cochrane Handbook. RevMan5.3 was used for the meta-analysis of eligible RCTs. Results: A total of 145 articles were retrieved; after screening, 8 RCTs involving 496 patients were eventually included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that acupuncture effectively improved cancer pain and was superior to Western medicine. Moreover, acupuncture was fast-acting for pain relief, prolonged the relief, and prevented relapse. Its adverse reaction rate was also significantly lower than that of Western medicine. No significant difference was observed in Visual Analog Scale score between acupuncture and Western medicine. Conclusion: Acupuncture relieves pain caused by liver cancer and can be used as an adjunct and alternative therapy for drug treatment. The existing research evidence is not yet objective or comprehensive, and more rigorous clinical trials are needed to validate the results.