Acupuncture Treatment for Sleep Disorders in Cancer Survivors: A Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Despite the high prevalence of sleep disorders among cancer survivors, systematic sleep management services remain insufficient. Consequently, there is a vital need to rigorously evaluate the clinical efficacy of therapies such as acupuncture for sleep disorders in this population.Methods: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials will be performed using international (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library) and regional databases (CNKI, ScienceON) from inception to May 2026. The study population will include adult cancer survivors (from cancer diagnosis through the remainder of their lives). Eligible interventions encompass manual, electro, and auricular acupuncture, compared with active controls (such as standard pharmacological, nonpharmacological treatments), sham acupuncture, or waitlist controls (who do not receive the experimental treatment right away, but are promised to receive it after a specific waiting period). The risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2.0 tool. The primary outcome will be sleep quality as assessed using validated instruments such as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Secondary outcomes will include health-related quality of life and safety of the acupuncture type used. Data synthesis will utilize a random-effects meta-analysis, and subgroup analyses will be conducted based on cancer types, acupuncture details, cancer survivorship stage, and publication language.Discussion: This systematic review will comprehensively synthesize evidence regarding acupuncture for sleep disorders in cancer survivors. By providing tailored insights, the findings may assist clinicians, patients, and policymakers in establishing integrated cancer survivorship care plans and enhance the role of Korean medicine in a patient’s cancer journey.