Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31209630›Full record

Trial reportSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2020

Scrambler therapy for chemotherapy neuropathy: a randomized phase II pilot trial.

Charles Loprinzi, Jennifer G Le-Rademacher, Neil Majithia, Ryan P McMurray, Carrie R O'Neill, Markus A Bendel, Andreas Beutler, Daniel H Lachance, Andrea Cheville, David M Strick and 3 more

Abstract readClinical Trial, Phase IIRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
36citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

36 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  6. Review
  7. Chronic Pain in the Cancer Survivor.Current pain and headache reports · 2025
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  17. Chemotherapy: how to reduce its adverse effects while maintaining the potency?Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · 2023
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Charles LoprinziMayo Clinic, 200 First Street, SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA. cloprinzi@mayo.edu.
Jennifer G Le-RademacherMayo Clinic, 200 First Street, SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
Neil MajithiaMayo Clinic, 200 First Street, SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
Ryan P McMurrayMayo Clinic, 200 First Street, SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
Carrie R O'NeillMayo Clinic, 200 First Street, SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
Markus A BendelMayo Clinic, 200 First Street, SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
Andreas BeutlerMayo Clinic, 200 First Street, SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
Daniel H LachanceMayo Clinic, 200 First Street, SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
Andrea ChevilleMayo Clinic, 200 First Street, SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
David M StrickMayo Clinic, 200 First Street, SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
David F BlackMayo Clinic, 200 First Street, SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
Jon C TilburtMayo Clinic, 200 First Street, SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
Thomas J SmithMayo Clinic, 200 First Street, SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionChemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a prominent clinical problem, with limited effective therapies. Preliminary non-randomized clinical trial data support that Scrambler Therapy is helpful in this situation.

methodsPatients were eligible if they had CIPN symptoms for at least 3 months and CIPN-related tingling or pain at least 4/10 in severity during the week prior to registration. They were randomized to receive Scrambler Therapy versus transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for 2 weeks. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were utilized to measure efficacy and toxicity daily for 2 weeks during therapy and then weekly for 8 additional weeks.

resultsThis study accrued 50 patients, 25 to each of the 2 study arms; 46 patients were evaluable. There were twice as many Scrambler-treated patients who had at least a 50% documented improvement during the 2 treatment weeks, from their baseline pain, tingling, and numbness scores, when compared with the TENS-treated patients (from 36 to 56% compared with 16-28% for each symptom). Global Impression of Change scores for "neuropathy symptoms," pain, and quality of life were similarly improved during the treatment weeks. Patients in the Scrambler group were more likely than those in the TENS group to recommend their treatment to other patients, during both the 2-week treatment period and the 8-week follow-up period (p < 0.0001). Minimal toxicity was observed.

conclusionsThe results from this pilot trial were positive, supporting the conduct of further investigations regarding the use of Scrambler Therapy for treating CIPN.

Indexed as

Administration, CutaneousAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAntineoplastic AgentsFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasmsPain ManagementPeripheral Nervous System DiseasesPilot ProjectsQuality of LifeTranscutaneous Electric Nerve StimulationAntineoplastic AgentsChemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathyScramblerTENS

Identifiers

PMID31209630

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.