Randomized controlled trial of acupuncture for prevention of radiation‐induced xerostomia among patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Meng Z, Garcia MK, Hu C, Chiang J, Chambers M, Rosenthal DI, Peng H, Zhang Y, Zhao Q, Zhao G, Liu L, Spelman A, Palmer JL, Wei Q, Cohen L · Cancer · 2011 November 09
DOI 10.1002/cncr.26550
Objective
To investigate whether acupuncture can prevent xerostomia among patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma undergoing radiotherapy.
Conclusions
Acupuncture given concurrently with radiotherapy significantly reduced xerostomia and improved quality of life.
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Insights
Acupuncture delivered during radiotherapy reduced dry mouth and improved quality of life for patients with nasopharyngeal cancer.
This randomized controlled trial compared acupuncture with standard care in patients receiving radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer at a cancer center in Shanghai. Participants received acupuncture three times weekly on radiotherapy days, while the comparison group received usual care. Researchers assessed dry-mouth symptoms, head and neck symptom burden, quality of life, and unstimulated and stimulated saliva production during treatment and for six months afterward.
Patients receiving acupuncture reported less severe dry mouth beginning early during radiotherapy and continuing through follow-up. They also experienced better quality of life and less overall symptom burden than those receiving standard care. Saliva flow measurements supported the patient-reported benefits, indicating that acupuncture helped preserve salivary gland function during treatment.
