Randomized controlled trial of adding electroacupuncture to standard antiemetic therapy for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting

A randomized trial at six hospitals in China evaluated the effect of adding electroacupuncture to standard triple antiemetic therapy for treating chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) for breast cancer. Patients receiving standard triple antiemetic therapy were randomized 1:1 to true electroacupuncture or sham electroacupuncture. Complete protection (no vomiting, no need for rescue treatment, and no significant nausea as evaluated using a visual analog scale) within 120 hours after receiving HEC was seen in 52.9% of patients in the true electroacupuncture group versus 34.5% of patients in the sham electroacupuncture group (p=0.004). Additionally, true electroacupuncture also showed enhanced total control (13.4% versus 4.3%; p=0.014), no significant nausea (58.8% versus 37.9%), and nausea VAS score 0 mm (12.6% versus 4.3%; p=0.023). However, the occurrence of no vomiting in the overall stage was similar in both groups (73.9% versus 76.6%; p=0.622). Post hoc exploratory analysis showed a significantly higher rate of complete protection during the delayed stage in the true electroacupuncture group cancer with the sham group, with no significant difference observed during the acute stage. The authors conclude that adding electroacupuncture to standard triple antiemetic therapy significantly enhanced the efficacy of CINV treatment in patients receiving HEC for breast cancer.