During moxibustion, a trained practitioner burns an herb to apply heat close to the skin at specific points, which can lead to improvements in several common side effects of cancer treatments.

How can moxibustion help you? What the research says

We summarize the clinical evidence for each medical benefit here. We begin with our assessment of the strength of evidence within each category, followed by a brief summary of individual studies or reviews of several studies. In assessing the strength of evidence, we consider the study design, number of participants, and the size of the treatment effect (how much outcomes changed with treatment).

To see more details, click the plus sign to the right of any section.

Preclinical evidence is summarized in Are you a health professional? ›

Optimizing your body terrain

Does moxibustion promote an environment within your body that is less supportive of cancer development, growth, or spread? We present the evidence.

See Optimizing Your Body Terrain ›

Find medical professionals who specialize in managing body terrain factors: Finding Integrative Oncologists and Other Practitioners ›

We also recommend that you share with your doctor the information here about how moxibustion might affect these terrain factors if you have any imbalances.

Immune function

People with cancer treated with moxibustion showed signs of increased immune activation across several studies.

Inflammation

People with cancer treated with moxibustion showed signs of less inflammation in one study.

Moxibustion combined with other therapies

Managing side effects and promoting wellness

Is moxibustion linked to fewer or less severe side effects or symptoms? Is it linked to less toxicity from cancer treatment? Does it support your quality of life or promote general well-being? We present the evidence.

Anxiety

People with cancer pain showed less anxiety after being treated with acupuncture and heat-sensitive moxibustion in one study.

Blood-related side effects

People undergoing chemotherapy who were treated with moxibustion showed higher white blood cell counts across several studies.

People undergoing chemotherapy and radiation who were treated with moxibustion showed higher serum hemoglobin across several studies.

People undergoing chemotherapy and radiation who were treated with moxibustion showed higher platelet counts compared to no additional treatment in one study, but not when compared to conventional treatment for platelets.

Breathlessness

People with advanced cancer treated with moxibustion showed less breathlessness in one study.

Changes in appetite

People with advanced cancer who were treated with moxibustion showed better appetite in one study.

Fatigue

People with cancer who were treated with moxibustion showed less fatigue across several combined analyses of studies.

Gastrointestinal symptoms

People with cancer treated with moxibustion experienced less nausea and vomiting in many studies, plus less constipation or diarrhea in small studies.

People recovering from gastrointestinal surgery for cancer who were treated with moxibustion showed faster bowel recovery in a combined analysis of studies.

Lymphedema

People with breast cancer treated with moxibustion had less lymphedema in an analysis of studies.

Pain

People with cancer who were treated with moxibustion showed less soreness in one study.

Quality of life and physical function

People with cancer who were treated with moxibustion showed improved performance status (ability to do daily activities) across three combined analyses of studies, though the improvement may have been less than for acupuncture.

People with cancer who were treated with moxibustion showed less weakness across several studies.

Other side effects and symptoms

People who were treated with acupuncture had shorter hospital stays after colorectal cancer surgery in one study.

People with malignant pleural effusion (cancer cells in the fluid surrounding the lungs) who were treated with moxibustion in addition to chemotherapy showed fewer symptoms in one study.

People recovering from gynecological surgery for cancer who were treated with moxibustion showed less urinary retention across several studies.

Moxibustion combined with other therapies

Keep reading about moxibustion

Authors

Nancy Hepp, MS

past Lead Researcher
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Ms. Hepp is a researcher and communicator who has been writing and editing educational content on varied health topics for more than 20 years. She serves as lead researcher and writer for CancerChoices and also served as the first program manager. Her graduate work in research and cognitive psychology, her master’s degree in instructional design, and her certificate in web design have all guided her in writing and presenting information for a wide variety of audiences and uses. Nancy’s service as faculty development coordinator in the Department of Family Medicine at Wright State University also provided experience in medical research, plus insights into medical education and medical care from the professional’s perspective.

Nancy Hepp, MS past Lead Researcher

Laura Pole, MSN, RN, OCNS

Senior Clinical Consultant
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Laura Pole is senior clinical consultant for CancerChoices. Laura is an oncology clinical nurse specialist who has been providing integrative oncology clinical care, navigation, consultation, and education services for over 40 years. She is the co-creator and co-coordinator of the Integrative Oncology Navigation Training at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts in Washington, DC. Laura also manages the “Media Watch Cancer News That You Can Use” listserv for Smith Center/Commonweal. In her role as a palliative care educator and consultant, Laura has served as statewide Respecting Choices Faculty for the Virginia POST (Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment) Collaborative as well as provided statewide professional education on palliative and end-of-life care for the Virginia Association for Hospices and Palliative Care.

For CancerChoices, Laura curates content and research, networks with clinical and organizational partners, brings awareness and education of integrative oncology at professional and patient conferences and programs, and translates research into information relevant to the patient experience as well as clinical practice.

Laura sees her work with CancerChoices as a perfect alignment of all her passions, knowledge and skills in integrative oncology care. She is honored to serve you.

Laura Pole, MSN, RN, OCNS Senior Clinical Consultant

Sophie Kakarala

Research Assistant
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Sophie received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Cambridge, where she studied Middle Eastern languages and the philosophy of science. She then completed a premedical post-baccalaureate at the City University of New York. Before joining CancerChoices, she worked for several years at the Cornell Center for Research on End-of-Life Care, where she helped to conduct research on terminal illness and grief. Working in end-of-life research filled her with the conviction that all patients deserve free, accessible, and scientifically accurate information about the therapies available to them. While taking classes in anthropology, she also became curious about traditional medical knowledge and philosophies. These interests led her to CancerChoices. She is delighted to be part of CancerChoices’s work creating rigorous, evidence-based treatment guides for patients and physicians.

Sophie Kakarala Research Assistant

Reviewer

Dr. Ryan served as a research associate for CancerChoices. She is a licensed and board certified naturopathic physician and acupuncturist in Oregon. Dr. Ryan is the founder of Gentle Natural Wellness, a clinic specializing in bridging classical Chinese medicine with naturopathic medicine to provide individualized, compassionate care for people in the community. A Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine and Master of Science in Oriental Medicine with honors from the National University of Natural Medicine, research in medical anthropology at the University of Hawai’i and George Mason University, language and culture programs at Obirin University (Tokyo) and Sogang University (Seoul), and studies of Chinese herbal medicine and qigong in China have provided a diverse background that has helped form a foundation for her community health and healing path.

Emily Ryan, ND, MSOM, LAc Research Associate

Last update: August 27, 2025

Last full literature review: September 2021

CancerChoices provides information about integrative in cancer care, a patient-centered approach combining the best of conventional care, self care and evidence-informed complementary care in an integrated plan cancer care. We review complementaryin cancer care, complementary care involves the use of therapies intended to enhance or add to standard conventional treatments; examples include supplements, mind-body approaches such as yoga or psychosocial therapy, and acupuncture therapies and self-care lifestyle actions and behaviors that may impact cancer outcomes; examples include eating health-promoting foods, limiting alcohol, increasing physical activity, and managing stress practices to help patients and professionals explore and integrate the best combination of conventionalthe cancer care offered by conventionally trained physicians and most hospitals; examples are chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy and complementary therapies and practices for each person.

Our staff have no financial conflicts of interest to declare. We receive no funds from any manufacturers or retailers gaining financial profit by promoting or discouraging therapies mentioned on this site.

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