Sham-controlled, randomised, feasibility trial of acupuncture for prevention of radiation-induced xerostomia among patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Meng Z, Kay Garcia M, Hu C, Chiang J, Chambers M, Rosenthal DI, Peng H, Wu C, Zhao Q, Zhao G, Liu L, Spelman A, Lynn Palmer J, Wei Q, Cohen L · European Journal of Cancer · 2012 July
DOI 10.1016/j.ejca.2011.12.030
Objective
To investigate the feasibility of a sham-controlled trial of acupuncture and whether acupuncture could prevent xerostomia among patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma undergoing radiotherapy.
Conclusions
True acupuncture given concurrently with radiotherapy significantly reduced xerostomia symptoms and improved quality of life compared with sham acupuncture, although it did not produce differences in unstimulated or stimulated salivary flow rates.
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Insights
Acupuncture delivered during radiation treatment may prevent dry mouth and improve quality of life more effectively than a sham procedure.
Patients with nasopharyngeal cancer receiving radiation treatment at a cancer centre in Shanghai were randomly assigned to receive either genuine acupuncture or sham acupuncture. Treatment was provided three times weekly throughout radiation treatment, and participants were followed for one month afterwards. Researchers assessed dry-mouth symptoms, head and neck cancer-related symptoms, quality of life, and saliva production at rest and after stimulation.
Compared with sham acupuncture, genuine acupuncture reduced dry-mouth symptoms from the third week of radiation treatment through follow-up. It also improved quality of life, indicating that acupuncture may lessen radiation-related dry mouth during treatment.
