Clinical efficacy study on the combined treatment of cancer-related depression with traditional Chinese acupuncture-related therapies and drugs

Background The incidence of cancer-related depression (CRD) is constantly increasing. Some clinical practice guidelines have pointed out that traditional Chinese acupuncture-related therapies can serve as an effective supplementary therapy to drug treatment for enhancing the therapeutic outcome. In this study, we systematically evaluated the therapeutic efficacy and clinical significance of different acupuncture-related therapies in the treatment of CRD. Methods Three English databases (PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science) and three Chinese databases (VIP Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Database) were searched up to October 2024. The primary outcome measures were the total effective rate, the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D). Results This study included 30 RCTs, encompassing 2,886 patients. Among them, 1,446 were in the control group and 1,440 in the experimental group. The primary outcome indicators revealed that compared with drug therapy alone, drug therapy combined with Traditional Chinese acupuncture-related therapies demonstrated significant advantages in terms of efficacy (OR = 3.74, 95% CI 2.83, 4.96; P < 0.00001), SDS score (MD = -7.70, 95% CI -9.54, -5.85; P < 0.00001), and HAM-D score (MD = -3.77, 95% CI -4.98, -2.56; P < 0.00001). The results of subgroup analysis showed that after the combination of acupuncture-related therapies and drug treatments, The combined use of auricular points and drug therapy achieved the highest overall effectiveness rate (96.3%), followed by the combination of acupuncture-related therapies (91.8%), acupoint pressing and application (91.5%), and acupuncture (88.3%). Conclusion Traditional Chinese acupuncture-related therapies, especially auricular acupressure therapy, can assist drug treatment in relieving CRD. This research facilitates the development of complementary medicine, and is conducive to reducing drug resistance and enhancing the quality of life of patients. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ , identifier CRD420251242774.