Acupuncture should be considered for symptom management where there are limited treatment options, using current peer-reviewed guidelines and clinical reasoning. Much of the primary research reported in reviews is innovative and indicates potential benefit for people with cancer-related symptoms. The complexity of acupuncture as an intervention needs to be acknowledged in future research designs and when reviewing research findings. An iterative approach using adequate interventions, appropriate outcome measures and adherence to reporting standards is required to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in cancer supportive and palliative care.

Introduction: Many cancer patients experience sleeping difficulties which can persist several years after the completion of cancer treatment. Previous research suggests that acupuncture, and variants of acupuncture (acupressure, auricular therapy) may be effective treatment options for sleep disturbance. However, current evidence is limited for cancer patients. Methods: Feasibility study with 3 arms. Seven cancer patients with insomnia randomised to receive either auricular therapy (attaching semen vaccariae seeds to ear acupoints) (n=4), selfacupressure (n=1) or no treatment (n=2). Participants assigned to receive auricular therapy or selfacupressure stimulated the acupoints each night an hour before retiring to bed. The duration of participant involvement was 5 weeks. Subjective sleep quality was measured at baseline and posttreatment using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The impact of treatment on concerns of importance to the participants themselves was measured using the Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCaW). Each participant also completed a treatment log book.