<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec id="j_fon-2018-0030_s_006_w2aab3b7b7b1b6b1aab1c17b1Aa"><h3>Objective</h3><p>To evaluate the available evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of auricular acupressure (AA) therapy for preventing constipation in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.</p></sec><sec id="j_fon-2018-0030_s_007_w2aab3b7b7b1b6b1aab1c17b2Aa"><h3>Methods</h3><p>The following databases were searched from their inception until August 2017: Ovid Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Allied and Alternative Medieine (AMED). We also searched four Chinese databases: Chinese BioMedical Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WANFANG Data, and Chinese VIP Database. Only the RCTs related to the effects of AA therapy on preventing constipation in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy were included in this study. Quantitative syntheses of data from RCTs were conducted using RevMan 5.3 software. Study selection, data extraction, and validation were performed independently by two authors. Cochrane criteria for risk of bias were used to assess the methodological quality of the trials.</p></sec><sec id="j_fon-2018-0030_s_008_w2aab3b7b7b1b6b1aab1c17b3Aa"><h3>Results</h3><p>Four RCTs met the inclusion criteria, and most were of low methodological quality. Study participants in the AA plus routine care group showed significantly greater improvements in the response rate (risk ratio [RR] = 1.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.14,1.42], <italic>P &lt;</italic> 0.01) with low heterogeneity <sup>χ2</sup> = 2.31, <italic>P</italic> = 0.31, l<sup>2</sup> = 14%). In addition, when compared with routine care alone, one RCT suggested favorable statistically significant effects of AA plus routine care on Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS; mean difference [MD] = -5.07,95% CI [-6.86, -3.28], <italic>P &lt;</italic> 0.01). Furthermore, when compared with routine care alone, one RCT suggested positive statistically significant effects of AA plus routine care on Patient Assessment of Constipation-Quality of Life (PAC-QOL; MD = -1.26,95% CI [-1.59, -0.93], <italic>P &lt;</italic> 0.01).</p></sec><sec id="j_fon-2018-0030_s_009_w2aab3b7b7b1b6b1aab1c17b4Aa"><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Overall, as a potential safety therapy, only weak evidence can support the hypothesis that AA can effectively prevent constipation in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.</p></sec></abstract>

ObjectiveTo evaluate the available evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of auricular acupressure (AA) therapy for preventing constipation in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.MethodsThe following databases were searched from their inception until August 2017: Ovid Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Allied and Alternative Medieine (AMED). We also searched four Chinese databases: Chinese BioMedical Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WANFANG Data, and Chinese VIP Database. Only the RCTs related to the effects of AA therapy on preventing constipation in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy were included in this study. Quantitative syntheses of data from RCTs were conducted using RevMan 5.3 software. Study selection, data extraction, and validation were performed independently by two authors. Cochrane criteria for risk of bias were used to assess the methodological quality of the trials.ResultsFour RCTs met the inclusion criteria, and most were of low methodological quality. Study participants in the AA plus routine care group showed significantly greater improvements in the response rate (risk ratio [RR] = 1.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.14,1.42], P < 0.01) with low heterogeneity χ2 = 2.31, P = 0.31, l2 = 14%). In addition, when compared with routine care alone, one RCT suggested favorable statistically significant effects of AA plus routine care on Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS; mean difference [MD] = -5.07,95% CI [-6.86, -3.28], P < 0.01). Furthermore, when compared with routine care alone, one RCT suggested positive statistically significant effects of AA plus routine care on Patient Assessment of Constipation-Quality of Life (PAC-QOL; MD = -1.26,95% CI [-1.59, -0.93], P < 0.01).ConclusionsOverall, as a potential safety therapy, only weak evidence can support the hypothesis that AA can effectively prevent constipation in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Beneficial effects of auricular acupressure on preventing constipation in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: evidence from systematic review and meta-analysis

Frontiers of Nursing

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the available evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of auricular acupressure (AA) therapy for preventing constipation in...

Study	Sample size	Intervention (regimen) group	Control (regimen) group	Main outcomes	Acupuncture points	AEs
Shin and Park¹⁷	52	(A) AA (one session = 20 minutes, three times/day, total 20 days, n = 26), plus (B)	(B) Routine care, n = 26	CAS PAC-QOL	Rectum, large intestine, lung, and San Jiao	Mild pain, mild discomfort
Wang et al¹⁸	60	(A) AA (one session = 25 minutes, three times/day, total 18 days, n = 30), plus (B)	(B) Routine care, n = 30	Response rate	Rectum, large intestine, lung, San Jiao, and subcortex	n.r
Xu et al¹⁹	90	(A) AA (one session = 30 minutes, three times/day, total 18 days, n = 45), plus (B)	(B) Routine care, n = 45	Response rate	Rectum, large intestine, lung, San Jiao, and subcortex	n.r
Feng et al²⁰	120	(A) AA (one session = 30 minutes, three times/day, total 20 days, n = 60), plus (B)	(B) Routine care, n = 60	Response rate	Rectum, large intestine, lung, San Jiao, and subcortex	n.r

Beneficial effects of auricular acupressure on preventing constipation in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: evidence from systematic review and meta-analysis

Article Category: Original Article

Published Online: Oct 25, 2018

Page range: 227 - 234

Received: Nov 30, 2017

Accepted: Feb 02, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/fon-2018-0030

Keywords
auricular acupressure therapy, constipation, chemotherapy, breast cancer, systematic review, meta-analysis

© 2018 Su-Hua Zheng et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Summary of the RCTs of AA for treating constipation in BC patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Beneficial effects of auricular acupressure on preventing constipation in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: evidence from systematic review and meta-analysis

Article Category: Original Article

Published Online: Oct 25, 2018

Page range: 227 - 234

Received: Nov 30, 2017

Accepted: Feb 02, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/fon-2018-0030

Keywordsauricular acupressure therapy, constipation, chemotherapy, breast cancer, systematic review, meta-analysis

© 2018 Su-Hua Zheng et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Summary of the RCTs of AA for treating constipation in BC patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Keywords
auricular acupressure therapy, constipation, chemotherapy, breast cancer, systematic review, meta-analysis