Acupuncture for preventing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: study protocol for a randomised controlled...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Neurology
• Integrative Medicine

Background:

• Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common, dose-limiting side effect of cancer treatments like platinum derivatives and taxanes.
• Current prophylactic interventions for CIPN are lacking, highlighting the need for novel prevention strategies.
• Acupuncture has shown potential in alleviating peripheral neuropathy symptoms, suggesting its utility in preventing CIPN.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and efficacy of electroacupuncture as a preventative measure for CIPN.
• To provide data for designing larger clinical trials and calculating power for future CIPN prevention studies.
• To investigate the impact of electroacupuncture on CIPN-related quality of life and various secondary outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A randomized sham-controlled trial involving 60 patients undergoing chemotherapy.
• Patients were assigned to either electroacupuncture or sham acupuncture groups, receiving nine sessions over three chemotherapy cycles.
• Primary outcome: change in CIPN-related quality of life (EORTC QLQ-CIPN20); Secondary outcomes: neurotoxicity, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and fatigue.

Main Results:

• This section is to be filled once the study is completed and results are available.
• The pilot trial's primary objective is to gather data on feasibility and efficacy, not to report definitive treatment outcomes.
• Interim analysis or final results will be detailed in subsequent publications.

Conclusions:

• Electroacupuncture presents a potential strategy for preventing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
• This pilot study's findings will guide the design and power calculations for future, larger-scale clinical trials on CIPN prevention.
• Further research is warranted to establish definitive evidence for electroacupuncture's role in managing CIPN.