Acupuncture Helps Ease Chemo Brain
Published on December 12, 2025
At the 2025 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, Dr. Jun Mao, an integrative medicine specialist and licensed acupuncturist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, presented research showing that both real and sham acupuncture can help improve cognitive function in women treated for breast cancer. Sham acupuncture mimics real acupuncture, but no needles pierce the skin.
Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Mao explain:
the complexities of chemo brain and why the causes are more than chemotherapy
the results of the study
his advice for people who would like to try acupuncture
Scroll down to below the “About the guest” information to read a transcript of this podcast.
Jun Mao, MD, MSCE, holds the Laurance S. Rockefeller Chair in Integrative Medicine and serves as chief of Integrative Medicine and Wellness Service at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is an integrative medicine specialist, board-certified family physician, and licensed acupuncturist.
This podcast episode is made possible by Lilly.
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