Enhancing wound recovery in chemotherapy‐induced leukopenia for malignant tumours: A meta‐analysis of acupuncture treatment efficacy

Abstract

This meta-analysis study aimed to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture in enhancing wound recovery in patients experiencing leukopenia following chemotherapy for malignant tumours. A comprehensive search was conducted to collect randomized controlled trials and observational studies focusing on leukopenia post-chemotherapy in malignant tumour patients. Data analysis was performed using Revman 5.3 software. Eleven articles were included, encompassing 957 patients. The meta-analysis revealed that, compared with control groups, patients receiving acupuncture showed a significantly higher total effectiveness rate (p < 0.05). Subgroup analysis indicated superior outcomes in groups receiving acupuncture combined with moxibustion (p < 0.05) and acupuncture combined with Western medicine (p < 0.05), with the former outperforming the latter. Notably, acupuncture was found to improve white blood cell (WBC) counts on 3rd, 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th days post-treatment, with significant differences compared with control groups. These improvements were time dependent and more pronounced than in control groups. Acupuncture demonstrated significant, time-dependent capability to enhance wound recovery in leukopenia following chemotherapy for malignant tumours. The combination of acupuncture and moxibustion was found to be more effective than acupuncture combined with Western medicine. This study highlighted the potential of acupuncture as a complementary therapy in managing chemotherapy-induced leukopenia, contributing positively to the wound healing process in cancer patients.