Acupuncture for insomnia in people with cancer.

Researchers reviewed five studies involving 402 people with cancer, mostly women with breast cancer, to see if acupuncture helps with insomnia. They compared acupuncture to fake acupuncture, no treatment, and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). When compared to fake acupuncture, real acupuncture showed little to no difference in reducing insomnia severity or improving sleep quality, though some minor improvements in sleep diary measures were noted. When compared to no treatment, acupuncture may slightly reduce insomnia severity and improve sleep quality and some sleep measures like total sleep time, but there was an increased risk of side effects. When compared to CBT-I, acupuncture was probably less effective at reducing insomnia severity and improving most sleep measures, though it did increase total sleep time. The researchers rated the quality of evidence as very low to moderate, meaning we cannot be very certain about these findings. The studies were small and had some methodological limitations. Most participants were female breast cancer patients who had already completed their primary cancer treatment. Larger, better-designed studies with more diverse cancer populations are needed to draw definitive conclusions about whether acupuncture truly helps with cancer-related insomnia. If you're considering acupuncture for insomnia related to cancer, consult with a licensed acupuncturist who has experience working with cancer patients.

This Cochrane systematic review analyzed five RCTs (n=402) evaluating acupuncture for cancer-related insomnia, predominantly in female breast cancer survivors post-treatment. Evidence certainty ranged from very low to moderate due to bias risk and small sample sizes. Compared to sham acupuncture, real acupuncture showed no clinically meaningful differences in ISI (MD -3.17, 95% CI -10.39 to 4.05) or PSQI scores (MD -1.16, 95% CI -3.53 to 1.22). Versus inactive controls, acupuncture demonstrated slight improvements in ISI (MD -3.88) and PSQI (MD -2.20), though only TST improvement (MD 34.61 min) exceeded the minimally important difference. Compared to CBT-I, acupuncture was inferior across most outcomes, with higher ISI (MD 2.60) and PSQI scores (MD 1.51), though TST increased (MD 26.80 min). Adverse event risk increased versus controls. Clinical takeaway: Current evidence does not strongly support acupuncture over established interventions like CBT-I for cancer-related insomnia; larger, rigorous trials needed.