Trial reportSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2023
Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for cancer-related pain management in patients receiving chronic opioid therapy: a randomized clinical trial.
Trial report in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 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
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in Management of Cancer Pain: a Meta Analysis.Current pain and headache reports · 2025Pooled it
- Application of Meridian flow injection acupoint application combined with transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation in patients undergoing gastroenteroscopy.World journal of gastroenterology · 2025Trial
- Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS) Facilitates Postoperative Recovery in Day Lung Cancer Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of pain research · 2025Trial
- Quality of patient-reported outcome reporting and related trial characteristics in randomized controlled trials of cancer pain: A systematic review based on the CONSORT-PRO extension.Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing · 2026Review
- Multimodal Rehabilitation for Advanced Cancer Pain: a Narrative Review of Emerging Nonpharmacological Strategies.Current oncology reports · 2026Review
- Effectiveness of physical therapy techniques for cancer-related pain: a systematic review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2026Review
- Efficacy of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation on Modulating Upper Extremity Sympathetic Skin Response in Alleviating Cancer Survivors With Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study.Journal of pain research · 2025Article
- Perceived stress and betel quid dependence associated with reasons for betel quid chewing among male chewers: a mixed methods study.BMC oral health · 2024Article
- Effects of Patient-Controlled Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation on Cancer Induced Bone Pain Relief in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of pain research · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
18 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
purposeThe opioid crisis resulting from its use disorder and overdose poses additional challenges for cancer pain management. The American Society of Clinical Oncology Practice Guideline recommends acupuncture therapy for the management of adult cancer-related pain (CRP), but the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on CRP remains uncertain.
methodsThis 5-week prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted at 2 hospitals in China, and participants with CRP receiving chronic opioid therapy were randomized 1:1 into two groups between December 2014 and June 2018. The true TEAS group underwent 15 sessions of TEAS treatments over 3 consecutive weeks, while the control group received sham stimulation. The primary outcome was the numerical rating scale (NRS) score in the past 24h at week 3. The secondary outcomes included morphine equivalent daily dose, quality of life and adverse events.
resultsA total of 159 participants were included in the modified intention-to-treat population. The baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. The mean NRS scores were 0.98 points at week 3 in the true TEAS group and 1.41 points in the sham group, with the mean difference between groups of -0.43 points (P < 0.001; OR = 0.68, P < 0.05). The proportion of patients with NRS reduction more than thirty percentage at week 3 was 50.00% in the true TEAS group and 35.44% in the sham group (RD = 0.15, P > 0.05; RR = 1.41, P > 0.05). No significant difference in pain intensity between the two groups was observed during the follow-up period without TEAS intervention (week 4, OR = 0.83, P > 0.05; week 5, OR = 0.83, P > 0.05). The Karnofsky Performance Status value suggested that patients in the true TEAS group experienced an improved quality of life (Between-group differences: week 3, 3.5%, P < 0.05; week 4, 4.6%, P < 0.001; week 5, 5.6%, P < 0.001).
conclusionsThe 3-week application of TEAS in patients with CRP receiving chronic opioid therapy resulted in a statistically significant reduction in pain scores, but the observed reduction was of uncertain clinical significance. The prolonged analgesic effect of TEAS was not confirmed in this trial. CLINICALTRIAL: GOV: ChiCTR-TRC-13003803.
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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.