Acupuncture is a practice that originated in China two to three thousand years ago and has become widely available and accepted in Western medicine. It involves the stimulation of designated points on the body with fine needles. Acupuncture, when administered safely by a licensed professional, is a tool to help manage many common challenges that people with cancer face during treatment. However, some benefits of acupuncture have been overstated or are simply not well understood. Acupuncture can also be expensive depending on insurance coverage (or lack thereof) and the services available in your area. Here’s what the research says about the side effects and issues that acupuncture is most effective at addressing.
This article draws on our acupuncture therapy review.
Disclaimer: This article does not constitute medical advice. The intention of this article is to provide a summary of recent medical research to help patients be informed about the effectiveness of integrative cancer care treatments. Any changes to your care should be made with your oncology team.
Acupuncture helps cancer pain
There is robust evidence that acupuncture can help with pain related to cancer and cancer treatment, especially when combined with usual care including opioids or the standard three-step analgesic method.1Jin H, Liang J, et al. 2024. External treatment of traditional Chinese medicine for cancer pain: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Medicine, 103(8), e37024; Jia L, Wang K, & Chen S. 2024. Acupuncture combined with opioid for treatment of lung cancer-related pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine, 103(42), e40158. Some studies have even shown that acupuncture can outperform standard medical treatments for pain.2Liu J, Chang J, et al. 2026. Efficacy and Safety of Acupuncture for Pain in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of pain research, 19, 588869. These benefits are shown even when comparing true acupuncture with sham acupuncture.3Wei W, Yao B, et al. 2025. Invasive or noninvasive? A systematic review and network meta-analysis of acupuncture and acupressure to treat cancer pain. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 33(11), 997; Faria M, Teixeira M, et al. 2024. Efficacy of acupuncture on cancer pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of integrative medicine, 22(3), 235–244.
These findings are consistent across several cancer types including lung cancer,4Liu J, Chang J, et al. 2026. Efficacy and Safety of Acupuncture for Pain in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of pain research, 19, 588869. liver cancer,5He Y, Xiang S, et al. 2024. Acupuncture treatment for liver cancer pain: A meta-analysis. Journal of surgical oncology, 130(1), 83–92. cervical cancer,6Shi A, Yerebake M, et al. 2026. Acupuncture as Adjunctive Therapy for Cervical Cancer Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of pain and symptom management, 71(5), e540–e557. breast cancer,7Zhang Y, Sun Y et al. 2021. Acupuncture for breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of patient-reported outcomes. Frontiers in Oncology. 11:646315. and others. Pain relief benefits are also found across many different types of pain including general cancer pain,8Jin H, Liang J, et al. 2024. External treatment of traditional Chinese medicine for cancer pain: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Medicine, 103(8), e37024. joint pain caused by aromatase inhibitors for breast cancer treatment,9Hershman DL, Unger JM, et al. 2022. Comparison of Acupuncture vs Sham Acupuncture or Waiting List Control in the Treatment of Aromatase Inhibitor-Related Joint Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA network open, 5(11), e2241720. pain after surgery,10Ma T, Xue G, et al. 2023. Effects of acupuncture on postoperative pain in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Asian journal of surgery, 46(11), 5029–5031. and chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (see next section for more on acupuncture’s benefits for peripheral neuropathy).11Cai L, Lin L, et al. 2026. Efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: a systematic review and network meta-analysis for randomized controlled trials. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 34(3), 174.
It is worth noting here that many acupuncture-related methods, including acupressure, auricular acupuncture, and electroacupuncture have been shown to have similar benefits as traditional acupuncture for pain management.12Wei W, Yao B, et al. 2025. Invasive or noninvasive? A systematic review and network meta-analysis of acupuncture and acupressure to treat cancer pain. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 33(11), 997; Epstein AS, Liou KT, et al. 2023. Acupuncture vs Massage for Pain in Patients Living With Advanced Cancer: The IMPACT Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA network open, 6(11), e2342482. Acupressure is extremely accessible and can even be practiced at home.
Acupuncture relieves peripheral neuropathy symptoms
Peripheral neuropathy, which includes pain, tingling, numbing, or burning sensations outside of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), is a side effect experienced by many people going through chemotherapy. There is substantial evidence that acupuncture can help reduce pain and other nerve symptoms for people across all cancer types, even when compared to sham acupuncture.13Cai L, Lin L, et al. 2026. Efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: a systematic review and network meta-analysis for randomized controlled trials. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 34(3), 174; Chan K, Lui L, et al. 2023. Efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture for oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy in colorectal cancer patients: a single-blinded, randomized, sham-controlled trial. Acupuncture in medicine : journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society, 41(5), 268–283. Electroacupuncture (acupuncture treatment that includes a mild electric current running through the needles) may be the most effective for reducing neuropathy-related symptoms.14Zhang T. Zhang Q, et al. 2023. The Efficacy of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Network Meta-Analysis. Alternative therapies in health and medicine, 29(8), 898–906; Yeh ML, Liao RW, et al. 2024. Acupuncture-related interventions improve chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 24(1), 310.
Acupuncture supports recovery from surgery
Many studies show benefits for recovery after many types of cancer surgery. Acupuncture may speed up recovery after colorectal or gastric cancer surgery and may even help shorten length of hospital stay.15Zhu M, Chen L, et al. 2026. A systematic review and meta-analysis of acupuncture versus sham/placebo acupuncture for postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction in cancer patients: Evidence from randomized controlled trials. Medicine, 105(4), e47305; Wu Y, Li X, et al. 2026. Influence of acupuncture and moxibustion on postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction among patients with gastrointestinal cancer: A network meta-analysis. Complementary therapies in medicine, 97, 103331; Qi L, Shi H, et al. 2023. The effect of acupuncture on recovery after colorectal cancer resection: A systematic review meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Medicine, 102(35), e34678; Gu XY, Gao ZQ, et al. 2020 [Influence of warming needling technique on gastrointestinal reaction after hyperthermic intrape-ritoneal chemotherapy in patients with postoperation of colon cancer] [Article in Chinese]. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 45(4):315-319.
Acupuncture also seems to have benefits for recovery after gynecological or prostate cancer surgery including shortening recovery time, reducing pain, and reducing complications related to bladder control and urinary tract infections.16Xu H, He Y, et al. 2025. Acupuncture treatment of postoperative urinary retention in cervical cancer: Systematic evaluation and meta-analysis. Medicine, 104(8), e41520; Tan J, Gong R, et al. 2023. Meta-analysis of clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture versus conventional treatment for postoperative urinary retention in cervical cancer. Medicine, 102(43), e35580; Ben-Arye E, Segev Y, et al. 2023. Acupuncture during gynecological oncology surgery: A randomized controlled trial assessing the impact of integrative therapies on perioperative pain and anxiety. Cancer, 129(6), 908–919; Tang Y, Cai Y, et al. 2026. Comparative efficacy and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of postprostatectomy urinary incontinence: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Medicine, 105(3), e44085.
See our blog post How Acupuncture Helps Recovery After Cancer Surgery ›
Acupuncture may help some people with nausea and vomiting
Acupuncture may have some beneficial effects for nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy treatment, however, the evidence is less clear. Many studies have found that acupuncture reduces the incidence of delayed and acute nausea and vomiting when compared to or combined with conventional anti-nausea treatments.17Wang Y, Wang F, et al. 2025. Effect of non-pharmacological interventions on chemotherapy induced delayed nausea and vomiting for tumors: A systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis. Complementary therapies in medicine, 88, 103124; Xie T, Liu C, et al. 2025. Efficacy and Safety of Different Acupuncture Treatments for Cancer-Related Pain: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. Integrative cancer therapies, 24, 15347354251314500; Kim DH, Park MS, et al. 2026. Effectiveness of Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Patients Undergoing Standard Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Integrative cancer therapies, 25, 15347354261419716. Other studies have shown no beneficial effect on nausea at all (acute or delayed) but some increased control of delayed vomiting18Kim SA, Yeo S, & Lim S. 2025. Effectiveness and Safety of Acupuncture for Nausea and Vomiting in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 61(7), 1287. and/or some increased control of acute vomiting.19Yan Y, López-Alcalde J, et al. 2023. Acupuncture for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancer medicine, 12(11), 12504–12517.
There is also evidence that the observed benefits of acupuncture for nausea and vomiting may be due to a placebo effect. Studies that compare true acupuncture and sham acupuncture fail to consistently show that true acupuncture has effects that are different from sham acupuncture.20Yan Y, López-Alcalde J, et al. 2023. Acupuncture for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancer medicine, 12(11), 12504–12517; Kim SA, Yeo S, & Lim S. 2025. Effectiveness and Safety of Acupuncture for Nausea and Vomiting in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 61(7), 1287. Acupuncture may be worth trying if you experience chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, however, the degree to which acupuncture helps reduce nausea and vomiting symptoms is not well understood.
Acupuncture may have a placebo effect on reducing anxiety and depression
Acupuncture appears to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression among people with cancer when compared to usual care, including standard medications.21Zheng D. Lin X, et al. 2025. The impact of emotional freedom techniques on anxiety, depression, and anticipatory grief in people with cancer: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Journal of psychosomatic research, 192, 112088; Fangfang MA, Hewei Z, et al. 2023. Acupuncture and moxibustion for malignant tumor patients with psychological symptoms of insomnia, anxiety and depression: a systematic review and Meta-analysis. Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan, 43(3), 441–456; Wang T, Tan JB. et al. 2023. Effects of somatic acupoint stimulation on anxiety and depression in cancer patients: An updated systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 51, 101735. However, true acupoint stimulation does not show any additional benefit for anxiety or depression when compared to sham acupoint stimulation or massage.22Wang T, Tan JB. et al. 2023. Effects of somatic acupoint stimulation on anxiety and depression in cancer patients: An updated systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 51, 101735; Dilaveri CA, Croghan IT et al. 2020. Massage compared with massage plus acupuncture for breast cancer patients undergoing reconstructive surgery. Journal of Alternative and ComplementaryMedicine. 26(7):602-609 This may be due to a placebo effect and/or other variables that have not been included in clinical studies. For example, acupuncture sessions tend to encourage a meditative state, which has been shown to have positive effects on anxiety and depression.
We don’t know if acupuncture helps with insomnia or other sleep disturbance issues
The evidence is inconclusive as to whether acupuncture can help reduce insomnia or other symptoms related to sleep disturbance among people with cancer. Some studies show improvements in some sleep measures such as sleep efficiency and time spent asleep.23Khosravaninezhad Y, Moshfeghinia R, et al. 2025. Effect of acupressure and acupuncture on sleep quality in cancer patients with insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Explore (New York, N.Y.), 21(4), 103192; Ma Q, Liu C, et al. 2025. Acupuncture for insomnia in people with cancer. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 12(12), CD015177; Li K & Luo Y. 2025. Efficacy of electroacupuncture in the treatment of insomnia in cancer patients: A meta-analysis. Medicine, 104(1), e41123. However, the research does not consistently show that acupuncture treatment contributes to improvements in overall sleep quality, especially when compared with sham acupuncture.24Khosravaninezhad Y, Moshfeghinia R, et al. 2025. Effect of acupressure and acupuncture on sleep quality in cancer patients with insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Explore (New York, N.Y.), 21(4), 103192; Zhang J, Zhang Z, et al. 2022. Acupuncture for cancer-related insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology, 102, 154160.
Many studies show improvements in insomnia severity and/or incidence among people with cancer treated with acupuncture,25Sun X, Zhang Y, et al. 2025. Comparative efficacy of interventions for insomnia in cancer patients: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung, 29(2), 133; Li K & Luo Y. 2025. Efficacy of electroacupuncture in the treatment of insomnia in cancer patients: A meta-analysis. Medicine, 104(1), e41123; Liu P, Li L, et al. 2024. Acupuncture for cancer-related insomnia: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ supportive & palliative care, 14(4), 378–391. while many other studies show no improvements in insomnia severity or incidence, especially when compared to sham acupuncture.26Weng Y, Ren X, et al. 2024. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for the treatment of insomnia in breast cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Complementary therapies in medicine, 86, 103087; Fangfang MA, Hewei Z, et al. 2023. Acupuncture and moxibustion for malignant tumor patients with psychological symptoms of insomnia, anxiety and depression: a systematic review and Meta-analysis. Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan, 43(3), 441–456. https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20230313.001; Lu W, Matulonis UA et al. 2012. The feasibility and effects of acupuncture on quality of life scores during chemotherapy in ovarian cancer: results from a pilot, randomized sham-controlled trial. Medical Acupuncture. 24(4):233-240.
A recent study found that people who go into acupuncture treatment expecting that it will help their insomnia were more likely to experience improvements in insomnia symptoms, strongly indicating an “expectancy” or placebo effect.27Li X, Bao T, et al. 2023. Does expectancy affect insomnia treatment response in cancer survivors receiving acupuncture and cognitive behavioral therapy?. Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice, 17(3), 826–835.
There is no strong evidence that acupuncture reduces hot flashes
The research does not consistently show that acupuncture reduces the incidence or severity of hot flashes, a common side effect of hormone-based treatments for breast cancer or prostate cancer. Some studies have shown a positive effect28Yuanqing P, Yong T et al. 2020. Acupuncture for hormone therapy-related side effects in breast cancer patients: a grade-assessed systematic review and updated meta-analysis. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 19:1534735420940394; Tao WW, Tao XM, Song CL. Effects of non-pharmacological supportive care for hot flushes in breast cancer: a meta-analysis. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2017 Jul;25(7):2335-2347; Capodice JL, Cheetham P, et al. 2011. Acupuncture for the treatment of hot flashes in men with advanced prostate cancer. International Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2(1):51-55. while many other studies show no effect, especially when compared to sham acupuncture.29Xu DF, Zheng HZ, et al. 2025. Acupuncture Relative to Sham Control in Managing Breast Cancer-Related Hot Flashes: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Complementary medicine research, 32(5), 387–401; Chien TJ, Liu CY, Fang CJ, Kuo CY. 2020. The maintenance effect of acupuncture on breast cancer-related menopause symptoms: a systematic review. Climacteric. 23(2):130-139; Chien TJ, Hsu CH, et al. 2017. Effect of acupuncture on hot flush and menopause symptoms in breast cancer—a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 12(8):e0180918; Chen YP, Liu T et al. 2016. Acupuncture for hot flashes in women with breast cancer: a systematic review. Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics. 12(2):535-42; Salehi A, Marzban M, Zadeh AR. 2016. Acupuncture for treating hot flashes in breast cancer patients: an updated meta-analysis. Supportive Care in Cancer. 24(12):4895-4899. Other treatments for hot flashes might be a better investment.
Talk to your oncology team about adding acupuncture to your care
Always talk to your doctor and your oncology team before changing anything about your cancer care.
Acupuncture is generally considered a safe and low-risk practice when administered by a licensed practitioner.30Fangfang MA, Hewei Z, et al. 2023. Acupuncture and moxibustion for malignant tumor patients with psychological symptoms of insomnia, anxiety and depression: a systematic review and Meta-analysis. Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan, 43(3), 441–456; Wu X, Chung VC, et al. 2015. Effectiveness of acupuncture and related therapies for palliative care of cancer: overview of systematic reviews. Scientific Reports. 5:16776. It may be most effective for helping manage pain, peripheral neuropathy symptoms, and preparing for or recovering from surgery. Acupuncture might also help other common side effects such as nausea, vomiting, anxiety, and depression; however, the evidence is unclear. Acupuncture’s effect on insomnia, sleep disturbance, and hot flashes is likely to be placebo at best; so it may be better to focus your time and resources on other ways to address these issues.
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References
Olivia Pearman is an experienced researcher who is passionate about access to scientific information. She has over a decade of research experience with a PhD from the University of Colorado at Boulder, a Master’s from the Yale School of the Environment, and a Bachelor of Science from Clemson University. Throughout her career, she has honed her skills in translating research for all audiences and is thrilled to work with CancerChoices to help make scientific knowledge available for everybody.