A progress study of 100 cancer patients treated by acupressure for chemotherapy-induced vomiting after failure with the pharmacological approach.
OBJECTIVE
The recent rediscovery of the natural traditional medical sciences has contributed to improve the treatment of the human diseases and, in particular, it has been shown that the pharmacological approach is not the only possible strategy in the treatment of nausea and vomiting, since bioenergetic approaches, such as acupressure and acupuncture, may also counteract the onset of vomiting due to different causes. Previous preliminary clinical studies had already suggested a possible efficacy of acupressure also in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced vomiting resistant to the classical antiemetic drugs. The aim of this study was to confirm these preliminary data.


METHODS
The study was performed in 100 consecutive metastatic solid tumour patients, who underwent chemotherapy for their advanced neoplastic disease, and who had no benefit from the standard antiemetic agents, including corticosteroids, antidopaminergics and 5-HT 3R-antagonists. Acupressure was made by a stimulation of PC6 acupoint.


RESULTS
The emetic symptomatology was reduced by acupressure in 68/100 (68%) patients, without significant differences in relation to tumour histotype. The lowest efficacy was observed in patients treated by anthracycline-containing regimens, without, however, statistically significant differences with respect to the other chemotherapeutic combinations.


CONCLUSIONS
This study confirms previous preliminary clinical results, which had already suggested the potential efficacy of acupressure in the treatment of vomiting due to cancer chemotherapy. Therefore, acupressure may be successfully included within the therapeutic strategies of cancer chemotherapy-induced vomiting.
Gardani
G
G
Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Milan, Italy.
Cerrone
R
R
Biella
C
C
Galbiati
G
G
Proserpio
E
E
Casiraghi
M
M
Arnoffi
J
J
Meregalli
M
M
Trabattoni
P
P
Dapretto
E
E
Giani
L
L
Messina
G
G
Lissoni
P
P
D019050:Acupressure; D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy*; D014840:Vomiting, Anticipatory
D000932:Antiemetics; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents