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Human�/�Clinical Studies

(continued)

continued...

Table 3. Clinical Studies of Acupuncture: Nausea and Vomitinga

CT = controlled trial; EA = electroacupuncture; No. = number; N/V = nausea and vomiting; RCT = randomized controlled trial.
^a See text and the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms for additional information and definition of terms.
^b Number of patients treated plus number of patient controls may not equal number of patients enrolled; number of patients enrolled equals number of patients initially considered by the researcher who conducted a study; number of patients treated equals number of enrolled patients who were given the treatment being studied AND for whom results were reported; historical control subjects are not included in number of patients enrolled.
^c Strongest evidence reported that the treatment under study has activity or improves the well-being of cancer patients.
^d Concurrent therapy for symptoms treated (not cancer).
^e For information about levels of evidence analysis and an explanation of the level of evidence scores, see Levels of Evidence for Human Studies of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
^fP < .001, low-frequency EA at classical antiemetic acupuncture points daily versus minimal needling at control points with sham EA versus no adjunct needling.
^gP < .001, EA versus sham EA.
^hP < .001, surface electrodes versus rubber electrodes.
ⁱP < .00059.
^jP < .02, acupressure versus acupressure at a sham point.
^kP < .05, acupuncture versus noninvasive placebo acupuncture.
^lP < .05, acupressure and acustimulation wrist bands versus no treatment.
Reference Citation(s)	Type of Study	Condition Treated	No. of Patients: Enrolled; Treated; Control^b	Strongest Benefit Reported^c	Concurrent Therapy^d	Level of Evidence Score^e
[25]	RCT	N/V related to high-dose chemotherapy for breast cancer	104; 37; 67 (sham EA or no EA)	Less N/V in EA group^f	Yes (prochlorperazine, lorazepam, and diphenhydramine)	1iiC
[23,29,30]	RCT	N/V from chemotherapy	10; 10 EA; 10 sham EA (crossover study)	Significantly less N/V than control^g	Yes (metoclopramide)	1iiC
[26]	RCT	N/V from chemotherapy	100 (these patients were used more than once because of nature of crossover study); 27 surface electrodes; 11 rubber electrodes; 14 crossover study; 24 transcutaneous electrical stimulation	75% achieved considerable benefit^h	Yes (metoclopramide, thiethylperazine, prochlorperazine, cyclizine, lorazepam, and steroid)	1iiC
[33]	RCT	N/V from chemotherapy	16 (the same 16 patients treated twice in a crossover study); 16 ondansetron plus transcutaneous electrical stimulation; 16 cross-over treatment ondansetron only	Symptom-free patient days: 58.8%ⁱ	Yes (ondansetron)	1iiC
[31]	RCT	N/V from chemotherapy	53 enrolled; 38 completed; 38 acupressure; 38 crossover to acupressure at a sham point	55% reduction in N/V^j	Yes (antiemetics)	1iiC
[35]	RCT	N/V from high-dose chemotherapy	80; 41 acupuncture; 39 noninvasive placebo acupuncture	None^k	Yes (ondansetron)	1iiC
[34]	RCT	N/V from chemotherapy	739; 233 bilateral acupressure bands and 234 transcutaneous electrical stimulation bands; 233 no bands; 39 not evaluable	Less N/V in treatment groups than in control^l	Yes (5-HT₃ receptor antagonist, prochlorperazine, and/or others)	1iiC
[36]	RCT	N/V from chemotherapy	142; 48 acupuncture + vitamin B6 PC6 point injection; 46 vitamin B6; 48 acupuncture	Fewer emesis episodes	Yes (diazepam, diphenhydramine, cimetidine, and granisetron)	1iiC
[39]	RCT	N/V from chemotherapy	36; 17 acupressure; 19 control	Significantly lower N/V	Yes (antiemetics)	1iiC
[24]	Nonrandomized controlled trial	N/V from chemotherapy	105; EA at P6	63%, complete relief, at least 8 h	Yes (metoclopramide; prednisolone)	2C
[27,29]	Consecutive case study	N/V from chemotherapy	40; 40 acupressure	8-24 h relief	Yes (not specified)	3iiC
[24]	CT	N/V from chemotherapy	43; 38 10 Hz EA; 5 sham (crossover subset)	8-10 h relief; 32 patients had complete relief	Yes (antiemetics)	2C
[32]	CT	N/V from chemotherapy	18; 18 acupressure bands; 18 (crossover study-incorrect placement of acupressure bands)	Effective for N/V	Yes (antiemetics: prochlorperazine, maxalon, and domperidone suppository)	2C
[28]	Nonconsecutive case series	N/V from chemotherapy	26; 26 acupuncture; 51 historical controls-no acupuncture	Mean no. of episodes and duration of N/V reduced	Yes (metoclopramide,dexamethasone, and diphenhydramine)	3iiiC
[23]	Nonconsecutive case series (pilot study)	N/V from chemotherapy	15; 15 EA; none	12 patients-no symptoms for 8 h	Yes (antiemetic: metoclopramide)	3iiiC
[40]	Consecutive, uncontrolled case series	N/V from chemotherapy mean no. of emesis 7-3	27; no controls	10 patients had complete response to EA and had no vomiting	Yes (antiemetics: either ondansetron 8 mg or granisetron 3 mg)	3iiiC
[37]	RCT	N/V from moderate to highly emetogenic chemotherapy	160; 96; 54	Decreased delayed N/V for acupressure	Yes (anthracycline, cyclophosphamide, and an antiemetic)	1iiC

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Last Updated: May 16, 2012

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