Case report review of acupuncture for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in a patient with lung cancer and bone metastasis

This publication is a review of a single case report involving a 52-year-old male with a history of right-sided lung cancer resection and confirmed bone metastasis. The patient received acupuncture as an intervention for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and lower extremity pain. No comparator group was included in this report. The study setting and follow-up duration were not reported.

Key outcomes observed in this specific instance included a reduction in chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy severity from Grade III to Grade I. The lower extremity pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score decreased from 7.8 to 3. Functional improvements were noted with the Harris Hip Score (HHS) increasing from 35 to 80. Additionally, the Physical Component Summary (PCS) score increased from 28.6 to 72.3, and the Mental Component Summary (MCS) score improved from 34.2 to 78.8. The patient ceased all analgesic medication use during the reported period.

No adverse events were reported in this case. The authors did not report serious adverse events, discontinuations, or specific tolerability metrics. The review does not provide pooled effect sizes or statistical confidence intervals because the source material is a single case report. Limitations acknowledged by the authors regarding generalizability are inherent to the study design.

Given the small sample size of one patient, these results should be interpreted with caution. The findings suggest potential benefits for this specific patient but do not provide evidence for widespread clinical application. Clinicians should consider the individual nature of case reports when evaluating potential interventions for complex oncology patients.