Acupuncture for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in patients with gynecologic malignancies: a pilot randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of acupuncture administered during myelosuppressive chemotherapy on white blood cell (WBC) count and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) in patients with ovarian cancer.


METHODS
This study is a pilot, randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial. Patients received active acupuncture versus sham acupuncture while undergoing chemotherapy. A standardized acupuncture protocol was employed with manual and electrostimulation. The frequency of treatment was 2-3 times per week for a total of 10 sessions, starting 1 week before the second cycle of chemotherapy.


METHODS
The setting was two outpatient academic centers for patients with cancer.


METHODS
Twenty-one (21) newly diagnosed and recurrent ovarian cancer patients were the subjects.


METHODS
WBC count, ANC, and plasma granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF ) were assessed weekly.


RESULTS
The median leukocyte value in the acupuncture arm at the first day of the third cycle of chemotherapy was significantly higher than in the control arm after adjusting for baseline value (8600 cells/microL, range: 4800-12,000 versus 4400 cell/microL, range: 2300-10,000) (p = 0.046). The incidence of grade 2-4 leukopenia was less in the acupuncture arm than in the sham arm (30% versus 90%; p = 0.02). However, the median leukocyte nadir, neutrophil nadir, and recovering ANC were all higher but not statistically significantly different (p = 0.116-0.16), after adjusting for baseline differences. There were no statistically significant differences in plasma G-CSF between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
We observed clinically relevant trends of higher WBC values during one cycle of chemotherapy in patients with ovarian cancer, which suggests a potential myeloprotective effect of acupuncture. A larger trial is warranted to more definitively determine the efficacy of acupuncture on clinically important outcomes of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.
Lu
Weidong
W
Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Weidong_lu@dfci.harvard.edu
Matulonis
Ursula A
UA
Doherty-Gilman
Anne
A
Lee
Hang
H
Dean-Clower
Elizabeth
E
Rosulek
Andrew
A
Gibson
Carolyn
C
Goodman
Annekathryn
A
Davis
Roger B
RB
Buring
Julie E
JE
Wayne
Peter M
PM
Rosenthal
David S
DS
Penson
Richard T
RT
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008875:Middle Aged; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D010865:Pilot Projects
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents