Assessing Manual Acupuncture's Impact on Mucositis From Nasopharynx Cancer Radiotherapy: A Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Quality of Life Study

Launched by INDONESIA UNIVERSITY · Jun 21, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is investigating whether acupuncture can help reduce pain and improve the quality of life for patients who have developed mucositis—painful inflammation in the mouth—after receiving radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer. Participants will receive acupuncture treatments twice a week for three weeks, and the researchers will compare the effects of this treatment with a placebo (sham acupuncture) and medication on pain levels using a simple pain scale.

To participate, individuals must be between 19 and 59 years old, have a confirmed diagnosis of nasopharyngeal cancer, and have experienced mucositis after undergoing radiation therapy for their cancer. However, those with advanced cancer that has spread, current smokers or alcohol users, and individuals with certain health conditions or allergies will not be eligible. This study aims to provide valuable insights into the potential benefits of acupuncture for managing pain in cancer treatment, and participants will be closely monitored throughout the trial.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Subjects who have been proven by anatomical pathology examination to have a diagnosis of Nasopharyngeal Cancer.
• • Subjects with adult Nasopharyngeal Cancer aged 19 years - 59 years.
• • Nasopharyngeal Cancer Patients, who underwent bilateral Head and Neck radiotherapy.
• • Patients diagnosed with mucositis.
• • Willing to participate in the research until completion by signing an informed consent.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Nasopharyngeal Cancer patients who have distant metastases (based on the Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) classification with the presence of metastases (M1)).
• • Subjects who still smoke and consume alcohol to date.
• • Patients have contraindications for manual acupuncture, namely the use of anti-coagulant drugs, the presence of infection or wounds at the puncture site, emergency conditions, and pregnancy.
• • There is a history of allergy to stainless steel materials.
• • Patients with blood clotting disorders; Platelets \<50,000/μL, Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) \<1000/mm3, patients undergoing anticoagulant therapy with International Normalized Ratio (INR) \>2.47