Trial reportIntegrative cancer therapies
A Randomized Sham-Controlled Mixed Methods Pilot Study of the Feasibility of Acupuncture for Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy: Lessons Learned From Patient Experiences in Integrative Cancer Care.
Trial report in Integrative cancer therapies. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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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.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Acupuncture in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: a meta-analysis and data mining.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Pooled it
- Trial
- Understanding Placebo and Nocebo Responses Based on a Randomized Sham-Controlled Study on Acupuncture in Integrative Cancer Care.Integrative cancer therapiesTrial
- Effects of Integrative Approaches for the Management of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials and Quasi-Experimental Studies.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
- Progress of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer.World journal of gastrointestinal oncology · 2025Review
- Kinesiophobia as a Barrier to Symptom Management Using Physical Activity When undergoing Cancer Therapy: A Preparatory Study Describing Patients' Experiences With the New Instrument Tampa-Scale for Kinesiophobia-Symptoms and Interviews.Integrative cancer therapiesArticle
- Design of a Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial: Strengthening Positive Treatment Expectations Using a Communication Model for Maximized Antiemetic Effects of Acupuncture and Antiemetics During Emetogenic Neo-/Adjuvant Chemotherapy.Integrative cancer therapiesArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveSince there is a lack of effective pharmacological therapies for chemotherapy-induced neuropathy and many patients ask for integrative cancer therapies such as acupuncture, the objective of this pilot study was to describe patients' experiences, and to study the feasibility and short-term effects of genuine acupuncture for chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain and unpleasant sensations compared to sham acupuncture.
methodsThe pilot study used mixed methods, collecting quantitative and qualitative data. Patients (n = 12) with chemotherapy-induced neuropathy after colorectal cancer were blindly randomized to genuine acupuncture or telescopic sham acupuncture. Individual interviews were conducted, and were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The patients registered pain and unpleasant sensations (100 mm Visual Analog Scales) before and after n = 120 sessions, n = 60 genuine and n = 60 sham acupuncture sessions.
resultsFive categories of patient experiences were described. The neuropathy negatively affected life. Physical activity was perceived to be important for health, but neuropathy was a barrier. The neuropathy required symptom-managing strategies. Acupuncture was pleasant and valuable, but some patients presented doubts regarding its effect mechanisms. After the genuine acupuncture sessions, pain (mean -2.0 steps relief during each session) and unpleasant sensations (-2.4) in the face was reduced more than after sham acupuncture (+0.1 steps worse pain,
conclusionsPatients experienced that the neuropathy negatively changed their life and that acupuncture was pleasant and valuable. Patients receiving genuine acupuncture had short-term effects regarding pain and unpleasant sensations in the face compared to patients receiving sham acupuncture, while hands and feet did not improve. The patients were successfully blinded and complied with the acupuncture. We welcome future full-scaled randomized sham-controlled acupuncture studies.
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