A preliminary report on adjuvant analgesic efficacy of HANS in opioid tolerant patients with cancer pain.
OBJECTIVE
To observe the adjuvant analgesic efficacy of Han's Acupoint Nerve Stimulator (HANS) in opioid tolerant patients with cancer pain.


METHODS
A prospective non-controlled study was conducted. Opioid tolerant patients with cancer pain were enrolled and treated with both routinely analgesics and adjuvant HANS (2/100 Hz for 30 min/d, 5 d on and 2 d off for two weeks). Cancer pain, quality of life (QOL), anxiety and depression were assessed before enrollment and on d 8 and d 15 with the BPI-C, EORTC QLQ-C30, and self-rating anxiety scale (SAS)/self-rating depression scale (SDS), respectively; the therapeutic frequency of breakthrough pain (BP) and daily opioid dose were also recorded.


RESULTS
Totally 47 patients meeting the inclusion criteria participated in this study; 43 patients completed the two-week treatment and assessment. The mean scores of patient's "worst" and "least" pain intensity assessed with BPI-C decreased significantly on d 8 and d 15; the therapeutic frequency of BP also significantly decreased; but the average daily dose of opioids did not change significantly. For the nine symptoms in EORTC QLQ-C30 assessment, the mean scores of pain, fatigue, constipation and insomnia were significantly lower on d 8 and d 15 compared with baseline; the mean scores of the overall health status, nausea/vomiting and the incidence rates of both anxiety and depression also decreased significantly on d 15.


CONCLUSIONS
To opioid tolerant patients with cancer pain, adjuvant treatment with HANS could improve pain release and patients' QOL by decreasing the severity of pain, fatigue, constipation, insomnia and other concomitant symptoms; it could also decrease the incidence rates of anxiety and depression.
1 Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China ; 2 Department of No.3 Cadre Ward; Expert Group, Beijing Army General Hospital, Beijing 100700, China ; 3 Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Traditional Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China ; 4 Department of Medical Oncology, the General Hospital of the Air Force of the Chinese PLA, Beijing 100142, China ; 5 Integrated Department, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing 100021, China ; 6 Department of Medical Oncology, the Second Artillery General Hospital, Beijing 100088, China.
Xiaomei
X
Li
1 Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China ; 2 Department of No.3 Cadre Ward; Expert Group, Beijing Army General Hospital, Beijing 100700, China ; 3 Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Traditional Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China ; 4 Department of Medical Oncology, the General Hospital of the Air Force of the Chinese PLA, Beijing 100142, China ; 5 Integrated Department, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing 100021, China ; 6 Department of Medical Oncology, the Second Artillery General Hospital, Beijing 100088, China.
Jianhua
J
Zhu
1 Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China ; 2 Department of No.3 Cadre Ward; Expert Group, Beijing Army General Hospital, Beijing 100700, China ; 3 Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Traditional Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China ; 4 Department of Medical Oncology, the General Hospital of the Air Force of the Chinese PLA, Beijing 100142, China ; 5 Integrated Department, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing 100021, China ; 6 Department of Medical Oncology, the Second Artillery General Hospital, Beijing 100088, China.
Pingping
P
Li
1 Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China ; 2 Department of No.3 Cadre Ward; Expert Group, Beijing Army General Hospital, Beijing 100700, China ; 3 Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Traditional Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China ; 4 Department of Medical Oncology, the General Hospital of the Air Force of the Chinese PLA, Beijing 100142, China ; 5 Integrated Department, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing 100021, China ; 6 Department of Medical Oncology, the Second Artillery General Hospital, Beijing 100088, China.
Guangqing
G
Zhu
1 Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China ; 2 Department of No.3 Cadre Ward; Expert Group, Beijing Army General Hospital, Beijing 100700, China ; 3 Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Traditional Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China ; 4 Department of Medical Oncology, the General Hospital of the Air Force of the Chinese PLA, Beijing 100142, China ; 5 Integrated Department, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing 100021, China ; 6 Department of Medical Oncology, the Second Artillery General Hospital, Beijing 100088, China.
Xiaoming
X
Wu
1 Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China ; 2 Department of No.3 Cadre Ward; Expert Group, Beijing Army General Hospital, Beijing 100700, China ; 3 Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Traditional Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China ; 4 Department of Medical Oncology, the General Hospital of the Air Force of the Chinese PLA, Beijing 100142, China ; 5 Integrated Department, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing 100021, China ; 6 Department of Medical Oncology, the Second Artillery General Hospital, Beijing 100088, China.
Huoming
H
Chen
1 Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China ; 2 Department of No.3 Cadre Ward; Expert Group, Beijing Army General Hospital, Beijing 100700, China ; 3 Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Traditional Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China ; 4 Department of Medical Oncology, the General Hospital of the Air Force of the Chinese PLA, Beijing 100142, China ; 5 Integrated Department, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing 100021, China ; 6 Department of Medical Oncology, the Second Artillery General Hospital, Beijing 100088, China.
Huixia
H
Zhao
1 Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China ; 2 Department of No.3 Cadre Ward; Expert Group, Beijing Army General Hospital, Beijing 100700, China ; 3 Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Traditional Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China ; 4 Department of Medical Oncology, the General Hospital of the Air Force of the Chinese PLA, Beijing 100142, China ; 5 Integrated Department, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing 100021, China ; 6 Department of Medical Oncology, the Second Artillery General Hospital, Beijing 100088, China.
Wei
W
Wang
1 Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China ; 2 Department of No.3 Cadre Ward; Expert Group, Beijing Army General Hospital, Beijing 100700, China ; 3 Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Traditional Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China ; 4 Department of Medical Oncology, the General Hospital of the Air Force of the Chinese PLA, Beijing 100142, China ; 5 Integrated Department, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing 100021, China ; 6 Department of Medical Oncology, the Second Artillery General Hospital, Beijing 100088, China.
Ying
Y
Zhang
1 Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China ; 2 Department of No.3 Cadre Ward; Expert Group, Beijing Army General Hospital, Beijing 100700, China ; 3 Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Traditional Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China ; 4 Department of Medical Oncology, the General Hospital of the Air Force of the Chinese PLA, Beijing 100142, China ; 5 Integrated Department, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing 100021, China ; 6 Department of Medical Oncology, the Second Artillery General Hospital, Beijing 100088, China.
Wenhua
W
Xiao
1 Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China ; 2 Department of No.3 Cadre Ward; Expert Group, Beijing Army General Hospital, Beijing 100700, China ; 3 Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Traditional Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China ; 4 Department of Medical Oncology, the General Hospital of the Air Force of the Chinese PLA, Beijing 100142, China ; 5 Integrated Department, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing 100021, China ; 6 Department of Medical Oncology, the Second Artillery General Hospital, Beijing 100088, China.
Duanqi
D
Liu
Cancer pain; Han’s Acupoint Nerve Stimulator (HANS); opioid tolerance