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Research: VICKERS and co-workers,
Listed in Issue 112
Abstract
VICKERS and co-workers, Integrative Medicine Service and Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY10021, USA, vickers.a@mskcc.org, have studied acupuncture for post-chemotherapy fatigue.
Background
The purpose of this phase II trial was to determine if acupuncture could produce a sufficient improvement of symptoms experienced by cancer patients after chemotherapy to justify a large-scale clinical trial.
Methodology
37 patients who experienced fatigue after chemotherapy were enrolled in the study. 25 patients were given an acupuncture treatment twice a week for 4 weeks, and 12 were given acupuncture once a week for 6 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the Brief Fatigue Inventory completed at baseline and 2 weeks after the end of treatment.
Results
The patients in this study had completed chemotherapy on average about 2 years previously. Fatigue levels at baseline were generally severe. A mean improvement of 31% was found after acupuncture treatment, with no important difference between once-weekly and twice-weekly treatments.
Conclusion
This result means that acupuncture is worth being studied further as a treatment for post-chemotherapy fatigue.
References
Vickers AJ, Straus DJ, Fearon B, Cassileth BR. Acupuncture for postchemotherapy fatigue: a phase II study. Journal of Clinical Oncology 22 (9): 1731-1735, May 1, 2004.
