Gao L, Liu Y, Pan TJ, Liu ZY. Advancing perioperative care in breast oncology: The synergistic potential of electroacupuncture and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs analgesia. World J Clin Oncol 2026; 17(8): 119354 [DOI: 10.5306/wjco.119354]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Zhen-Yu Liu, PhD, Professor, Department of Urology, General Hospital of Central Theater Command of Chinese People’s Liberation Army, No. 627 Wuluo Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan 430070, Hubei Province, China. lzycharm@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Oncology
Article-Type of This Article
editorial
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Gao L, Liu Y, Pan TJ, Liu ZY. Advancing perioperative care in breast oncology: The synergistic potential of electroacupuncture and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs analgesia. World J Clin Oncol 2026; 17(8): 119354 [DOI: 10.5306/wjco.119354]
World J Clin Oncol. Aug 24, 2026; 17(8): 119354 Published online Aug 24, 2026. doi: 10.5306/wjco.119354
Advancing perioperative care in breast oncology: The synergistic potential of electroacupuncture and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs analgesia
Lei Gao, Yan Liu, Tie-Jun Pan, Zhen-Yu Liu
Lei Gao, Yan Liu, Tie-Jun Pan, Zhen-Yu Liu, Department of Urology, General Hospital of Central Theater Command of Chinese People’s Liberation Army, Wuhan 430070, Hubei Province, China
Co-first authors: Lei Gao and Yan Liu.
Author contributions: Gao L and Liu Y performed the original draft; Liu ZY and Pan TJ performed the edition of the draft; Liu ZY and Pan TJ designed the outline and coordinated the writing of the paper. Gao L and Liu Y contributed equally to this manuscript and are co-first authors; and all authors have read and approved the final version to be published.
AI contribution statement: During the initial conceptualization and outlining phase, we engaged in discussions with an AI-assisted tool (DeepSeek) to brainstorm ideas and structure the overall framework of the editorial. This collaborative process was limited to the planning stage and did not involve the generation, writing, editing, or revision of any textual content. The final manuscript, including the abstract, main text, and references, was written entirely by the authors without AI assistance. The language, grammar, and style were manually revised by the authors and checked by a native English speaker. No AI-based editing or polishing tools were used. This manuscript is an editorial commentary, and no original data analysis was conducted. All cited data were taken directly from published sources. The manuscript contains no images or figures. All references were manually retrieved, verified, and cited based on standard academic practices.
Supported by the Natural Science Foundation Exploration Plan (Morning Light Plan) of Wuhan City, No. 2024040801020363; and Postdoctoral Scientific Research Foundation, General Hospital of Central Theater Command, No. 20230102KY39.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.
Corresponding author: Zhen-Yu Liu, PhD, Professor, Department of Urology, General Hospital of Central Theater Command of Chinese People’s Liberation Army, No. 627 Wuluo Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan 430070, Hubei Province, China. lzycharm@163.com
Received: January 26, 2026 Revised: February 13, 2026 Accepted: March 26, 2026 Published online: August 24, 2026 Processing time: 211 Days and 16.4 Hours
Abstract
This editorial examines the case control study by He et al recently published in World Journal of Clinical Oncology, which investigates the synergistic effects of perioperative electroacupuncture (EA) combined with flurbiprofen axetil (FA) on pain management and functional recovery following breast cancer surgery. In the study involving 130 patients, the EA group demonstrated a significant reduction in the incidence of moderate-to-severe movement-evoked pain and lower Visual Analog Scale scores at rest and during movement at 24 hours postoperatively compared to controls receiving sham acupuncture and FA. Enhanced recovery was further evidenced by superior scores in basic activities of daily living, including grooming, dressing, and transferring, alongside a notable decrease in postoperative complications such as nausea and vomiting. These findings underscore EA’s potential as a valuable, non-opioid adjunct within a multimodal analgesic regimen, contributing to improved early postoperative outcomes and aligning with enhanced recovery after surgery principles. While the study provides robust evidence for short-term synergistic analgesia, future research should aim to standardize EA protocols, elucidate its neurophysiological mechanisms, particularly its interaction with inflammatory pathways and central sensitization, and evaluate its long-term impact on patient-reported quality of life, chronic pain development, and overall oncological recovery trajectories.
Core Tip: While electroacupuncture (EA) has been studied for managing breast cancer treatment-related symptoms (e.g., neuropathy, arthralgia), this editorial highlights its emerging role as a synergistic perioperative analgesic. The discussed case control study demonstrates that EA combined with flurbiprofen axetil significantly improves postoperative pain control, functional recovery, and reduces complications. This positions EA as a key multimodal component within enhanced recovery after surgery protocols and underscores its potential as a model for integrating evidence-based complementary interventions across the entire continuum of cancer care, from surgery to survivorship.
