Assessment of Effectiveness of Acupressure on Chemotherapy Induced Nausea and Vomiting among Women with Reproductive Organ Cancer

Abstract

Background of the study: Nausea and vomiting are among the most common and distressing symptoms that patients with cancer endure, both as a result of anti – neoplastic treatment and from the disease itself, and significantly affect patients selfcare, coping abilities, and quality of life. Effective management of these individual symptom's response must be there throughout the cancer treatment. Since the acupressure is an easily applicable method regardless of time and place, cost effective, self-controlled and noninvasive method, it can be used to treat chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting among clients with cancer receiving chemotherapy. The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of non-pharmacological method, acupressure as a treatment modality to relieve nausea and vomiting among patients receiving chemotherapy. Methodology: A quasi-experimental pretest posttest design was adopted. The study sample comprised of 80 women admitted with ovarian cancer and cancer cervix receiving second and third cycle of chemotherapy. Non probability purposive sampling technique was adopted. Self-administered modified Rhode's index scale was administered to the women with reproductive organ cancer receiving second and third cycle of chemotherapy. The level of CINV was assessed by asking the women to indicate the level of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting being experienced by them. Results: Findings of this study revealed that acupressure has an effect on the women with ovarian and cervix cancer who were receiving chemotherapy by decreasing the level of CINV. Conclusion: Acupressure will be an effective adjunctive in controlling chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) and it can be tried in any oncological setting of clinical practice.