Hong Kong Med J 2025;31(Suppl 1):S27-31
Acupuncture for insomnia in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy: a randomised sham-controlled trial (abridged secondary publication)
J Zhang1,2, Z Qin1, TH So3, TY Chang4, S Yang1, H Chen1, WF Yeung5, KF Chung6, PY Chan1, LX Lao1,7, ZJ Zhang1,8
1 School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
2 Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinical Study Centre, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
3 Department of Clinical Oncology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
4 Comprehensive Oncology Centre, Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
5 School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China
6 Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
7 Virginia University of Integrative Medicine, Virginia, USA
8 Department of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
 
 
  1. Insomnia is a highly prevalent symptom during and after chemotherapy.
  2. Acupuncture was not superior to the sham control in reducing the Insomnia Severity Index score from baseline to 6 weeks (mean difference= -0.4, P=0.609). However, it achieved superior short-term and long-term outcomes in improving sleep onset latency, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. The acupuncture group exhibited a higher cessation rate of sleeping medication use (56.5% vs 14.3%, P=0.011).
  3. Acupuncture could be considered for the management of chemotherapy-associated insomnia and for tapering or replacing sleeping medications in patients with breast cancer.