title: Randomized sham-controlled pilot trial of weekly electro-acupuncture for the prevention of taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy in women with early stage breast cancer.
abstract: To investigate the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) as a non-pharmacological intervention to prevent or reduce chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy of taxane. Women with stage I-III breast cancer scheduled to receive taxane therapy were randomized to receive a standardized protocol of 12 true or sham EA (SEA) weekly treatments concurrent with taxane treatment. Subjects completed the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Taxane neurotoxicity subscale (FACT-NTX), and other assessments at baseline and weeks 6, 12, and 16. A total of 180 subjects were screened, 63 enrolled and 48 completed week 16 assessments. Mean age was 50 with 25 % white, 25 % black, and 43 % Hispanic; 52 % had no prior chemotherapy. At week 12, both groups reported an increase in mean BPI-SF worst pain score, but no mean differences were found between groups (SEA 2.8 vs. EA 2.6, P = .86). By week 16, the SEA group returned to baseline, while the EA group continued to worsen (SEA 1.7 vs. EA 3.4, P = .03). The increase in BPI-SF worst pain score was 1.62 points higher in the EA group than in the SEA group at week 16 (P = .04). In a randomized, sham-controlled trial of EA for prevention of taxane-induced CIPN, there were no differences in pain or neuropathy between groups at week 12. Of concern, subjects on EA had a slower recovery than SEA subjects. Future studies should focus on EA for treatment as opposed to prevention of CIPN.
authors.affiliation: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. hg2120@columbia.edu.|Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. hg2120@columbia.edu.|Columbia University, 722 W. 168th Street, Room 733, New York, NY, 10032, USA. hg2120@columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Greenlee
authors.affiliation: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.|Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.|College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Crew
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Jillian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Capodice
authors.affiliation: Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.|College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Awad
authors.affiliation: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buono
authors.affiliation: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Zaixing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jeffres
authors.affiliation: Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wyse
authors.affiliation: Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Whitman
authors.affiliation: College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Meghna S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Trivedi
authors.affiliation: Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.|College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kalinsky
authors.affiliation: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.|Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.|College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Dawn L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Hershman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology*; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D043823:Taxoids / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds; D043823:Taxoids; C080625:taxane
keywords: Acupuncture; Breast cancer; Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy; Electro-acupuncture; Taxane