Abstract
BackgroundChemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting adversely affects the quality of life of patients who receive chemotherapy via intravenous infusion or transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). This study aimed to investigate the clinical effects of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on nausea and vomiting after TACE.MethodsA total of 142 patients who received TACE with cisplatin for primary or metastatic liver cancer were assigned to the active-acupuncture (n = 72) or placebo-acupuncture (n = 70) groups using a covariate-adaptive randomization at a ratio of 1:1. The acupoints Hegu (LI4), Neiguan (P6), and Zusanli (ST36) were stimulated twice daily for 6 days. The effects of TEAS on nausea and vomiting were assessed by using occurrence rate and severity of these symptoms. Anorexia scale and M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) scores were secondary endpoints and were used to assess the effect of TEAS on patient appetite and quality of life. The safety of the treatments was also monitored.ResultsBetween the two groups, the differences in occurrence rates and severities of nausea and vomiting after TACE were not significant (all P > 0.05). From the second day after TACE, anorexia scores were significantly lower in the active-acupuncture group than in the placebo-acupuncture group and continued to decrease over time with treatment (all P values less than 0.01). On days 0, 1, and 2, the mean MDASI scores for the active-acupuncture group were slightly lower than those for the placebo-acupuncture group, but the differences were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). No significant differences were found between the two groups in the occurrence rate of any adverse event (P > 0.05).ConclusionTEAS appears to be a safe and effective therapy to relieve patients’ gastrointestinal discomfort after chemotherapy.Trial registration NCT01895010. Registered 21 June 2013
Highlights
Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting adversely affects the quality of life of patients who receive chemotherapy via intravenous infusion or transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE)
It is estimated that 70%–80% of cancer patients who received chemotherapy developed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), and nausea and vomiting is one of the most debilitating symptoms induced by chemotherapy [1, 2]
We found that electro-stimulation on the acupoint Yongquan (K1) combined with anti-emetics did not result in initial prevention of cisplatin- or oxaliplatin-induced nausea or vomiting [17]
Summary
Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting adversely affects the quality of life of patients who receive chemotherapy via intravenous infusion or transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). This study aimed to investigate the clinical effects of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on nausea and vomiting after TACE. Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) adversely affects the quality of life (QoL) of patients who undergo this intervention. It is estimated that 70%–80% of cancer patients who received chemotherapy developed CINV, and nausea and vomiting is one of the most debilitating symptoms induced by chemotherapy [1, 2]. Some randomized clinical trials have found that acupuncture is an effective palliative treatment of cancer patients, especially for reducing chemotherapy-induced adverse effects such as nausea and vomiting [12]. TEAS is noninvasive, is easy to use, and does not have obvious adverse effects
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