Abstract This randomized clinical trial investigates the effect of acupuncture vs a sham procedure or usual care for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms. MethodsThis pilot randomized clinical trial compared the effect of 8 weeks of real acupuncture vs sham acupuncture or usual care to treat CIPN. The trial protocol was approved by the institutional review board of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and follows the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (reporting guideline. Written informed consent was obtained from all study participants. Patients with solid tumors with persistent moderate to severe CIPN (symptoms of numbness, tingling, or pain rated ≥4 on a...Weiterlesen

Abstract Importance Radiation-induced xerostomia (RIX) is a common, often debilitating, adverse effect of radiation therapy among patients with head and neck cancer. Quality of life can be severely affected, and current treatments have limited benefit. Objective To determine if acupuncture can prevent RIX in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiation therapy. Design, Setting, and Participants This 2-center, phase 3, randomized clinical trial compared a standard care control (SCC) with true acupuncture (TA) and sham acupuncture (SA) among patients with oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal carcinoma who were undergoing radiation therapy in comprehensive cancer centers in the United States and China....Weiterlesen

Abstract Importance Research into acupuncture and acupressure and their application for cancer pain has been growing, but the findings have been inconsistent. Objective To evaluate the existing randomized clinical trials (RCTs) for evidence of the association of acupuncture and acupressure with reduction in cancer pain. Data Sources Three English-language databases (PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL) and 4 Chinese-language biomedical databases (Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang) were searched for RCTs published from database inception through March 31, 2019. Study Selection Randomized clinical trials that compared acupuncture and acupressure with a sham...Weiterlesen

Abstract BACKGROUND Insomnia is a common and debilitating disorder experienced by cancer survivors. Although cancer survivors express a preference for using nonpharmacological treatment to manage insomnia, the comparative effectiveness between acupuncture and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) for this disorder is unknown. METHODS This randomized trial compared 8 weeks of acupuncture (n = 80) and CBT-I (n = 80) in cancer survivors. Acupuncture involved stimulating specific points on the body with needles. CBT-I included sleep restriction, stimulus control, cognitive restructuring, relaxation training, and education. We measured insomnia severity (primary outcome), pain, fatigue, mood, and quality of life posttreatment (8 weeks) with follow-up until 20 weeks. We...Weiterlesen

Abstract This meta analysis evaluated the comparative safety and efficacy for the addition of Astragalus-based Chinese medicines combined with chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone for colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment. Systematic literature search was performed by PubMed, EMBSAE, Ovid, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Chinese Science and Technology Journals (CQVIP), China Academic Journals (CNKI), and Chinese Biomedical Literature database. A total of 22 studies which reported on 1,409 subjects were identified. This meta-analysis indicated that the combination of Astragalus-based Chinese medicines and chemotherapy may increase the efficiency of tumor response rate (TRR) for the treatment of CRC patients (RR: 1.52; 95% CI:...Weiterlesen

Abstract Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) are often used in managing cancer related symptoms but their effectiveness and safety is controversial. We conducted this overview of meta-analyses to summarize evidence on CHM for cancer palliative care. We included systematic reviews (SRs) with meta-analyses of CHM clinical trials on patients diagnosed with any type of cancer. Methodological quality of included meta-analyses was assessed with the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) Instrument. Fifty-one SRs with meta-analyses were included. They covered patients with lung (20 SRs), gastric (8 SRs), colorectal (6 SRs), liver (6 SRs), breast (2 SRs), cervical (1 SR), esophageal (1 SR),...Weiterlesen

Abstract Acupuncture and related therapies such as moxibustion and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation are often used to manage cancer-related symptoms, but their effectiveness and safety are controversial. We conducted this overview to summarise the evidence on acupuncture for palliative care of cancer. Our systematic review synthesised the results from clinical trials of patients with any type of cancer. The methodological quality of the 23 systematic reviews in this overview, assessed using the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews Instrument, was found to be satisfactory. There is evidence for the therapeutic effects of acupuncture for the management of cancer-related fatigue, chemotherapy-induced nausea...Weiterlesen

Abstract Objective The purpose of the study was to assess the efficacy and safety of using Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) as maintenance therapy considering the survival of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC)patients after first-line conventional platinum-based chemotherapy. Design An open-label, randomized, controlled trial. Setting: Four hospitals in China.  Interventions and main outcome measures: A total of 106 patients were eligible and randomly divided into two groups from four hospitals in China. Both groups received the best supporting care (BSC). Additionally, patients in the trial group were given CHM every day until the disease became aggravated or the patients resigned. The...Weiterlesen

Abstract BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is one of the most debilitating long-term side effects in breast cancer survivors. We conducted a randomized controlled pilot trial to assess the feasibility, safety, and effects of an acupuncture intervention on CIPN in this population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Women with stage I-III breast cancer with grade 1 or higher CIPN after taxane-containing adjuvant chemotherapy were randomized 1:1 to an immediate acupuncture (IA) arm or to a waitlist control group (CG). Participants in the IA arm received 18 sessions of acupuncture over 8 weeks, then received no additional acupuncture. Patients in the CG arm received...Weiterlesen

Abstract Background Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a distressing symptom that is the most common unpleasant side effect experienced by lung cancer patients and is challenging for clinical care workers to manage. Methods We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial to evaluate the clinical effect of acupuncture on CRF in lung cancer patients. Twenty-eight patients presenting with CRF were randomly assigned to active acupuncture or placebo acupuncture groups to receive acupoint stimulation (LI-4, Ren-6, St-36, KI-3, and Sp-6) twice per week for 4 weeks, followed by 2 weeks of follow-up. The primary outcome was the change in intensity of CFR...Weiterlesen