Applicability of auriculotherapy in cancer patients: an integrative literature review

Objective: To analyze scientific evidence in the literature on the use of auriculotherapy to relieve symptoms related to cancer and/or its treatment. Method: An integrative literature review based on: MEDLINE, CINAHL, LILACS, SCOPUS and COCHRANE in the last five years in English, Portuguese and Spanish. Inclusion criteria: primary studies with the central theme. Exclusion criteria: opinion articles, reviews and experience reports. Results: The search resulted in 435 publications, but only 11 remained after applying four selection stages. An analysis of the study designs showed that three of them (27.5%) had a high level of evidence, three (27.5%) had moderate, four (36%) had low and one (9%) had a very low level. The evaluated outcomes were related to the following symptoms: pain, constipation, nausea and vomiting, hot flashes, dyspnea, fatigue and insomnia. Moreover, 100% of the publications exposed positive effects of auriculotherapy in oncology. Conclusion: Auriculotherapy in cancer patients improves symptoms, and this practice was considered a safe and acceptable intervention. However, it is necessary to expand studies to obtain more favorable evidence since only 3 studies presented a high level of evidence.