Acupuncture-moxibustion for lung cancer patient-reported outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers globally with high incidence and mortality rate. Acupuncture and moxibustion have been used as adjuvant therapies to relieve the symptoms and complications of lung cancer. At present, acupuncture and moxibustion can partially improve the quality of life (QOL) of cancer patients. However, the evidence that acupuncture and moxibustion can improve patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients with lung cancer is still insufficient. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to determine whether acupuncture and moxibustion can improve PROs among patients with lung cancer, providing a support basis for acupuncture and moxibustion inclusion in relevant guidelines.