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- Enblom, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Radiotherapy-induced Emesis in Patients Treated with Acupuncture, Sham Acupuncture or Standard Care : Effects of Unspecific Acupuncture Mechanisms
- 2010
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: It is not known if acupuncture or sham reduces radiotherapy-induced emesis more than standard care. Methods: Cancer patients were randomized to verum (skin penetrating) acupuncture (n = 109) in the alleged antiemetic acupuncture point PC6 or sham acupuncture (n = 106) performed with a telescopic nonpenetrating needle at a sham point during the whole radiotherapy period. The verum and sham treated patients were compared to a reference cohort receiving standard care only (n = 62). All patients received radiotherapy over abdominal or pelvic regions. The occurrence of emesis in each group was compared using replies documented in questionnaires after a mean dose of 27 Gray. Findings: Nausea (p=0.001) and vomiting were experienced during the preceding week by 37 and 7%, respectively, in the verum group, 38 and 7% in the sham group and 63 and 15% in the standard care group. The nausea intensity in the acupuncture cohort was lower (78% no nausea, 13% a little, 8% moderate, 1% much) compared to the standard care cohort (52% no nausea, 32% a little, 15% moderate, 2% much) (p=0.002). Almost all the verum and sham treated patients (95%) expected antiemetic effects from their treatment. Patients who expected nausea had increased risk for nausea compared to patients who expected low risk for nausea (relative risk 1.6; 95 % confidence interval 1.2-2.4). Interpretations: Both verum acupuncture and nonpenetrating sham acupuncture seem to reduce nausea and vomiting during radiotherapy, possibly by psychobiological mechanisms related to the extra care and expectancy.
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