Author: Cheng CS1,2, Chen LY1,2, Ning ZY1,2, Zhang CY1,2, Chen H1,2, Chen Z1,2, Zhu XY3,4, Xie J5,6
Affiliation:
1Deparment of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong'An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
2Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong'An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
3Deparment of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong'An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China. zhuxiaoyanx@126.com.
4Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong'An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China. zhuxiaoyanx@126.com.
5Deparment of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong'An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China. isable624@163.com.
6Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong'An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China. isable624@163.com.
Conference/Journal: Support Care Cancer.
Date published: 2017 Jul 13
Other:
Special Notes: doi: 10.1007/s00520-017-3812-7. [Epub ahead of print] , Word Count: 275
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 based on the Chinese version of the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI-C). As the secondary endpoint, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung Cancer Subscale (FACT-LCS) was adopted to assess the influence of acupuncture on patients' quality of life (QOL). Adverse events and safety of treatments were monitored throughout the trial.
RESULTS: Our pilot study demonstrated feasibility among patients with appropriate inclusion criteria and good compliance with acupuncture treatment. A significant reduction in the BFI-C score was observed at 2 weeks in the 14 participants who received active acupuncture compared with those receiving the placebo (P < 0.01). At week 6, symptoms further improved according to the BFI-C (P < 0.001) and the FACT-LCS (P = 0.002). There were no significant differences in the incidence of adverse events in either group (P > 0.05).
CONCLUSION: Fatigue is a common symptom experienced by lung cancer patients. Acupuncture may be a safe and feasible optional method for adjunctive treatment in cancer palliative care, and appropriately powered trials are warranted to evaluate the effects of acupuncture.
KEYWORDS: Acupuncture; Cancer-related fatigue; Lung cancer; Quality of life
PMID: 28707168 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-017-3812-7
