TY - JOUR
T1 - Sham-controlled, randomised, feasibility trial of acupuncture for prevention of radiation-induced xerostomia among patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma
AU - Meng, Zhiqiang
AU - Kay Garcia, M.
AU - Hu, Chaosu
AU - Chiang, Joseph
AU - Chambers, Mark
AU - Rosenthal, David I.
AU - Peng, Huiting
AU - Wu, Caijun
AU - Zhao, Qi
AU - Zhao, Genming
AU - Liu, Luming
AU - Spelman, Amy
AU - Lynn Palmer, J.
AU - Wei, Qi
AU - Cohen, Lorenzo
N1 - Funding Information:
Support was provided in part by the United States National Cancer Institute (NCI) grant CA121503 (PI L. Cohen), the NCI Cancer Center Support Grant CA016672 and the Chinese Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality Grant 05DZ19747 (PI Z. Meng). We thank Drs. Peiying Yang, Zongxing Liao, and Jennifer McQuade for all their support with language, culture and politics. Thank you to the Department of Scientific Publications, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center for their helpful editorial comments on this article.
PY - 2012/7
Y1 - 2012/7
N2 - Background: Xerostomia (dry mouth) after head/neck radiation is a common problem among cancer patients. Quality of life (QOL) is impaired, and available treatments are of little benefit. This trial determined the feasibility of conducting a sham-controlled trial of acupuncture and whether acupuncture could prevent xerostomia among head/neck patients undergoing radiotherapy. Methods: A sham controlled, feasibility trial was conducted at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China among patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma undergoing radiotherapy. To determine feasibility of a sham procedure, 23 patients were randomised to real acupuncture (N = 11) or to sham acupuncture (N = 12). Patients were treated three times/week during the course of radiotherapy. Subjective measures were the Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ) and MD Anderson Symptom Inventory for Head and Neck Cancer (MDASI-HN). Objective measures were unstimulated whole salivary flow rates (UWSFR) and stimulated salivary flow rates (SSFR). Patients were followed for 1 month after radiotherapy. Results: XQ scores for acupuncture were significantly lower than sham controls starting in week 3 and lasted through the 1-month follow-up (all P's <0.001 except for week 3, which was 0.006), with clinically significant differences as follows: week 6 - RR 0.28 [95% confidence interval, 0.10, 0.79]; week 11 - RR 0.17 [95% CI, 0.03, 1.07]. Similar findings were seen for MDASI-HN scores and MDASI-Intrusion scores. Group differences for UWSFR and SSFR were not found. Conclusions: In this small pilot study, true acupuncture given concurrently with radiotherapy significantly reduced xerostomia symptoms and improved QOL when compared with sham acupuncture. Large-scale, multi-centre, randomised and placebo-controlled trials are now needed.
AB - Background: Xerostomia (dry mouth) after head/neck radiation is a common problem among cancer patients. Quality of life (QOL) is impaired, and available treatments are of little benefit. This trial determined the feasibility of conducting a sham-controlled trial of acupuncture and whether acupuncture could prevent xerostomia among head/neck patients undergoing radiotherapy. Methods: A sham controlled, feasibility trial was conducted at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China among patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma undergoing radiotherapy. To determine feasibility of a sham procedure, 23 patients were randomised to real acupuncture (N = 11) or to sham acupuncture (N = 12). Patients were treated three times/week during the course of radiotherapy. Subjective measures were the Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ) and MD Anderson Symptom Inventory for Head and Neck Cancer (MDASI-HN). Objective measures were unstimulated whole salivary flow rates (UWSFR) and stimulated salivary flow rates (SSFR). Patients were followed for 1 month after radiotherapy. Results: XQ scores for acupuncture were significantly lower than sham controls starting in week 3 and lasted through the 1-month follow-up (all P's <0.001 except for week 3, which was 0.006), with clinically significant differences as follows: week 6 - RR 0.28 [95% confidence interval, 0.10, 0.79]; week 11 - RR 0.17 [95% CI, 0.03, 1.07]. Similar findings were seen for MDASI-HN scores and MDASI-Intrusion scores. Group differences for UWSFR and SSFR were not found. Conclusions: In this small pilot study, true acupuncture given concurrently with radiotherapy significantly reduced xerostomia symptoms and improved QOL when compared with sham acupuncture. Large-scale, multi-centre, randomised and placebo-controlled trials are now needed.
KW - Acupuncture
KW - Complementary medicine
KW - Head and neck cancer
KW - Quality of life
KW - Xerostomia
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84862769225&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84862769225&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ejca.2011.12.030
DO - 10.1016/j.ejca.2011.12.030
M3 - Article
C2 - 22285177
AN - SCOPUS:84862769225
SN - 0959-8049
VL - 48
SP - 1692
EP - 1699
JO - European Journal of Cancer
JF - European Journal of Cancer
IS - 11
ER -