An Observational Study on Assessing the Perceived Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Relieving Pain, Mental Health (Depression and Anxiety) and Improving Health-related Quality of Life in Patients with Cancer and Survivors: A Protocol

Background: Anxiety and depression are common mental health issues in patients with cancer.Additionally, pain is the most frequent and severe symptom among patients with cancer, with an overall prevalence of 44.5%.Acupuncture is the most widely used traditional and complementary medicine in cancer care to mitigate psychological and physiological discomfort.Despite the mental health treatment gap and limited pain strategies within the Malaysian cancer community, studies on the use of acupuncture for managing cancer-induced symptoms are limited.Methods: This non-randomized clinical trial will enroll 100 patients with all stages and types of cancer; recruitment will start in May 2025.Participants will be categorized into two groups based on whether they want to receive six acupuncture sessions in one month while continuing their cancer care as usual (the treatment group) or they want to continue their cancer care as usual without receiving acupuncture sessions (the control group).Acupuncture treatment will be semi-standardized using three fixed acupoints (Baihui, Yintang, and Shenting), with additional acupoints being selected based on the clinical judgment of the practitioners.Results: The outcome will be measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, Pain Discomfort Scale, and Health-related Quality of Life Questionnaire.Data will be collected at baseline and after 1 month of the baseline collection. Conclusion:This study aims to examine the effectiveness of acupuncture in improving anxiety, depression, pain, and health-related quality of life among patients with cancer and survivors.