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Acupuncture for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: a randomised controlled pilot study.
Eduardo Guilherme D'Alessandro1, Daniela Ribeiro Nebuloni Nagy1, Christina May Moran de Brito2,3
1Instituto do Cancer, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brasil.
BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care
|July 1, 2019
Summary
Acupuncture may improve chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) symptoms and quality of life in cancer patients. This pilot study found benefits in physical function and sensory symptoms with no adverse events, warranting further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Neurology
- Integrative Medicine
Background:
- Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) significantly impacts cancer patients' quality of life (QoL) and independence.
- Limited data exists for effective CIPN management strategies.
- Acupuncture presents a potential cost-effective treatment option for CIPN.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in managing neurological symptoms of CIPN.
- To assess the impact of acupuncture on the QoL of oncological patients experiencing CIPN.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled pilot study involving 33 adult cancer patients with CIPN.
- Patients were allocated to either a control group or an acupuncture group (10 sessions over 5 weeks).
- Assessments included NCI CTCAE, FIM Scale, EORTC QLQ-C30, and Visual Analogue Scale for pain, conducted pre- and post-treatment.
Main Results:
- No adverse events were reported during the acupuncture treatment.
- Statistically significant improvements were observed in the physical (p=0.03) and function (p=0.04) domains of the EORTC QLQ-C30 in the acupuncture group compared to the control.
- The acupuncture group showed significant improvement in neuropathy sensory symptoms (p=0.01) from pre- to post-treatment, while the control group showed no significant change (p=0.11).
Conclusions:
- Acupuncture demonstrates a promising effect on improving CIPN symptoms and QoL in cancer patients.
- The clinical significance requires further investigation due to the pilot nature of the study.
- Further research with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods is recommended to confirm these findings.
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