Acupuncture as the Therapeutic Modalities of Acute Toxicity in the Radiotherapy of Head and Neck Tumors
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Acupuncture, Standard supportive therapy.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Malignant Tumor of Soft Tissue of Head, Face and Neck. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Czechia
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Overview
The aim of the study is to evaluate the benefit of the acupuncture as healing modalities in the therapy of acute toxicity of radiotherapy.
Detailed description
The study will enroll 100 patients in current radiotherapy of the head and neck cancer with acute radiotoxic symptoms at least of G1. The patients will be randomized (by ticket) in two regimens 1:1.
Regimen A (control regimen): standard support treatment of adverse events of the radiotherapy.
Regimen B (acupuncture regimen): standard support treatment of adverse events of the radiotherapy and acupuncture.
Due to the disease and patients differences, treatment will be individualized. Used acupuncture points will be documented. The patients difficulties will be observed and their medication and will be recorded in the patient diary.
Possible skin toxicities wil be documented by the photography.
Before the randomization, all subjects will sign the voluntary informed consent. After the achievement of 50 enrolled subjects in any regimen, the enrollment will continue only to the other regimen.
Head and neck cancer therapy will include only curative and adjuvant radiotherapy.
Interventions
- Other Acupuncture
Schedule of the acupuncture: Acupuncture may be done ambulant or during hospitalisation . Acupuncture will be administered 1-3 times a week ( in case of severe toxicity and problems caused by the radiotherapy, it may continue also after the termination of the radiotherapy.) Acupuncture needles will be left for 5- 30 minutes, as per individual need of the patients. Acupuncture will be performed by a physician trained in acupuncture. - Drug Standard supportive therapy
Standard supportive therapy
Primary outcome measures
- Management of acute toxicity of radiotherapy with acupuncture: Reducing the grade of acute toxicity in radiotherapy [Time frame: six months after the end of radiotherapy]
Secondary outcome measures (1)
- Management of chronic toxicity of radiotherapy with acupuncture: Lower incidence of chronic toxicity of radiotherapy [Time frame: six months after the end of radiotherapy]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Curative and adjuvant radiotherapy for head and neck tumors;
- PS 1-2;
- Patient collaboration in evaluation of the toxicity diary.
Exclusion criteria
- Palliative radiotherapy in the head and neck tumor;
- PS 3;
- Non-compliance of the patient.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Czechia · 1 center
- Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute — Brno
Publications
- Meng Z, Garcia MK, Hu C, Chiang J, Chambers M, Rosenthal DI, Peng H, Zhang Y, Zhao Q, Zhao G, Liu L, Spelman A, Palmer JL, Wei Q, Cohen L. Randomized controlled trial of acupuncture for prevention of radiation-induced xerostomia among patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Cancer. 2012 Jul 1;118(13):3337-44. doi: 10.1002/cncr.26550. Epub 2011 Nov 9. PMID 22072272
- Braga FP, Lemos Junior CA, Alves FA, Migliari DA. Acupuncture for the prevention of radiation-induced xerostomia in patients with head and neck cancer. Braz Oral Res. 2011 Mar-Apr;25(2):180-5. doi: 10.1590/s1806-83242011000200014. PMID 21537645
- Dymackova R, Kazda T, Slavik M, Selingerova I, Slampa P, Slama O. Acupuncture in the treatment of acute toxicity during and after head and neck cancer radiotherapy: Interim analysis of randomized prospective open-label trial. Biomed Pap Med Fac Univ Palacky Olomouc Czech Repub. 2020 Dec;164(4):454-460. doi: 10.5507/bp.2020.021. Epub 2020 Jun 18. PMID 32597419
Identifiers
NCT: NCT03751566 · MOU-001