Clinical progress on moxibustion in preventing and treating adverse effects of surgery or chemoradiotherapy for breast cancer

Breast cancer has the highest incidence rate among all women’s malignant tumors worldwide. Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are three major treatments, while most patients showed adverse effects or complications during or after the treatment, including lymphedema, gastrointestinal reactions and leukopenia, which cause severe impact on patients’ recovery and quality of life. Moxibustion has been used and certified to alleviate adverse effects of surgery or chemoradiotherapy for breast cancer. We have summarized literatures in recent years and suggest more systematic research in the future for the underlying mechanism.