Electroacupuncture for Managing Chemotherapy-Induced Gastrointestinal Symptom Clusters in Patients With Breast...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Integrative Medicine
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Chemotherapy often causes gastrointestinal symptom clusters in breast cancer patients, negatively impacting their quality of life and treatment adherence.
• Current interventions for these symptom clusters are limited, and the mechanisms of acupuncture for multi-symptom management are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture in managing chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal symptom clusters in breast cancer patients.
• To explore the underlying biological mechanisms of electroacupuncture's therapeutic effects using multi-omics analyses.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial involving 388 breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
• Participants will be assigned to either electroacupuncture or sham electroacupuncture, alongside a standard antiemetic regimen.
• Primary endpoint: incidence of gastrointestinal symptom clusters within 120 hours post-chemotherapy. Secondary endpoints include symptom cluster improvement, nausea/vomiting rates, and quality of life.

Main Results:

• This section is to be filled once the study is completed and results are available.

Conclusions:

• The study aims to provide a robust clinical foundation for optimizing symptom cluster management in cancer care.
• Findings may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for improving patient outcomes and quality of life during chemotherapy.