• Yan-Juan Zhu, Xiao-Yu Wu, Wei Wang, Xue-Song Chang, Dan-Dan Zhan, De-Chang Diao, Jian Xiao, Yong Li, Dong Ma, Ming Hu, Jian-Chang Li, Jin Wan, Guan-Nan Wu, Chuan-Feng Ke, Kai-Yu Sun, Zhi-Liang Huang, Tai-Yuan Cao, Xiao-Hui Zhai, Ya-Dong Chen, Jian-Jun Peng, Jun J Mao, and Hai-Bo Zhang.
• Department of Oncology (Y.J.Z., X.S.C., D.D.Z., Y.D.C., H.B.Z.), Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome (Y.J.Z., H.B.Z.), Guangzhou, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research (Y.J.Z., H.B.Z.), Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
• J Pain Symptom Manage. 2022 Feb 1; 63 (2): 210220210-220.

ContextPatients with gastric cancer experience health-related quality of life (HRQOL) decline during adjuvant chemotherapy following gastrectomy.ObjectivesThis pilot study aimed to evaluate the preliminary effect and feasibility of electro-acupuncture (EA) for HRQOL and symptom burden in these patients.MethodsIn this open-label, multicenter, parallel controlled trial, gastric cancer patients who planned to receive adjuvant chemotherapy were randomly assigned to receive high-dose EA (seven times each chemotherapy cycle for three cycles), low-dose EA (three times each chemotherapy cycle), or usual care only. The acupoints prescription consisted of bilateral ST36, PC6, SP4, and DU20, EX-HN3, and selected Back-shu points. Patients completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Gastric (FACT-Ga) weekly, and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS). The primary outcome was the difference among the groups on the gastric cancer subscale (GaCS) of the FACT-Ga.ResultsOf the 66 randomized patients, 58 were analyzed according to intention-to-treat principle, and 45 were in the per-protocol set (PPS). The average scores in PPS of GaCS were 52.12±9.71, 51.85±12.36, and 45.37±8.61 in high-dose EA, low-dose EA, and control groups, respectively. EA was significantly associated with improved average GaCS scores when compared with control group (51.98±10.91 vs. 45.37±8.61, P = 0.039). EA treatment also produced ESAS relief at the end of intervention (14.36 ± 12.28 vs. 23.91 ± 15.52, P = 0.027). Participants in EA groups had fewer grade ≥3 leukopenia (0% vs. 15.79%, P = 0.031) and neutropenia (2.56% vs. 26.31%, P = 0.012).ConclusionEA showed promising effects in improving HRQOL, controlling symptom burden, and reducing toxicity during adjuvant chemotherapy in gastric cancer patients. Future adequately powered trials are feasible and needed to confirm the specific effect of EA.Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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