Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34814766›Full record

Trial reportIntegrative cancer therapies

Prophylactic Acupuncture Treatment During Chemotherapy in Patients With Breast Cancer: Results of a Qualitative Study Nested in a Randomized Pragmatic Trial.

Dr Med Barbara Stöckigt, Barbara Kirschbaum, Dr Med Martin Carstensen, Dr Med Claudia M Witt, Dr Med Benno Brinkhaus

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled TrialPragmatic Clinical Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Integrative cancer therapies. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01727362 (Evaluation of Effectiveness of Acupuncture on Quality of Life in Patients With Breast Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy- A Pragmatic Randomized Trial), which is not on this map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 2 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.

NCT01727362 nacompletednot on this map

Evaluation of Effectiveness of Acupuncture on Quality of Life in Patients With Breast Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy- A Pragmatic Randomized Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorCharite University, Berlin, GermanyRan2012 to 2016Enrolled140ConditionsBreast CancerArmsUsual care + acupuncture, Usual care
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Trial
  5. Review
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

5 authors.

Dr Med Barbara StöckigtCharité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-2438-876X
Barbara KirschbaumJerusualem Hospital Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Dr Med Martin CarstensenJerusualem Hospital Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Dr Med Claudia M WittCharité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Dr Med Benno BrinkhausCharité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn a randomized controlled trial, compared with standard care alone in breast cancer, acupuncture as a prophylactic treatment did not show better quality of life or fewer side effects of chemotherapy (NCT01727362 [clinicaltrials.gov]). The aim of the qualitative part of this mixed methods study was to better understand the subjective perspectives of the patients regarding quality of life during chemotherapy and the perceived effects of acupuncture.

methodsIn a nested retrospective qualitative study, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 5 responders and 5 non-responders (defined by the outcome of the primary parameter FACT-B) who were randomly selected from both study arms. The interviews were digitally recorded, pseudonymized, transcribed, and then deductively and inductively analyzed according to Qualitative Content Analysis using MAXQDA

resultsA total of 20 patients were included in the qualitative part of the study. In both groups, most women stated that their quality of life was surprisingly better than what they had expected before starting the chemotherapy. All patients of the acupuncture group experienced the acupuncture treatments as relaxing and beneficial, mentioning a friendly setting, and empathic attitude of the therapist. Most of these patients stated that the acupuncture treatment reduced chemotherapy-induced side effects. The patients reported that acupuncture was supportive for coping with the disease in a salutogenic way. For all patients, finding strategies to cope with life-threatening cancer and the side effects of chemotherapy was essential, for example, keeping a positive attitude toward life, selecting social contacts, and staying active as much as possible.

conclusionsPatients in the acupuncture group reported positive effects on psychological and physical well-being after receiving the study intervention. For all patients, having coping strategies for cancer seemed to be more important than reducing side effects. Therefore, further studies should focus more on coping strategies and reducing acute side effects.

Indexed as

AcupunctureAcupuncture TherapyBreast NeoplasmsFemaleHumansQuality of LifeRetrospective Studiesacupuncturebreast cancercopingmixed methodsqualitative researchquality of lifetriangulation

Identifiers

PMID34814766
PMCPMC8646188

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