Transcutaneous electronic acupoint stimulation improves bone marrow suppression in lung cancer patients following chemotherapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of transcutaneous electronic acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on bone marrow suppression in patients with lung cancer after chemotherapy. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of 6 databases until November 2022 and included 6 randomized controlled trials comprising 534 patients in our analysis. Eligible randomized controlled trials were included based on predefined inclusion criteria. The weighted mean difference (WMD) was calculated with all of the continuous outcomes. Heterogeneity among the included studies was evaluated using Cochran I 2 and Q statistics. When the value of I 2 was over 50%, a random-effects model was used. Egger test was used to assess publication bias, and trim and fill analysis was conducted if bias was detected. Results: Our analysis found that TEAS significantly increased white blood cell counts (WMD: 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.40–1.18, P < .001), platelet counts (WMD: 45.45, 95% CI: 30.47–60.43, P < .001), and comfort score (WMD: 6.89, 95% CI: 5.12–8.66, P < .001) compared to the conventional group. However, no significant difference was observed in red blood cell counts (WMD: 0.00, 95% CI: −0.10 to 0.10, P = .97) and hemoglobin level (WMD: −0.01, 95% CI: −2.49 to 2.46, P = .99) between the 2 groups. Conclusions: We tentatively conclude that TEAS can reduce bone marrow suppression risk and improve comfort in lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. However, larger randomized controlled trials with more diverse patient populations and blood routine indexes are urgently needed to confirm these findings.