Acupuncture on Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy

(I) Background of the research A variety of neurotoxic chemotherapeutic agents, including platinums (e.g. cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin), taxanes (e.g. paclitaxel and docetaxel), and vinca alkaloids (e.g. vincristine and vinblastine), thalidomide and bortezomib, may induce peripheral neuropathy. Generally speaking, sensory nerve dysfunction is more common than motor involvement. It causes hands and feet to feel tingling, dullness or numbness symmetrically, which will be a glove-like ("glove-and-stocking type") sensation distributed in palms and soles. Patient's touch, vibration, and proprioception senses may be impaired under clinical examinations.

chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy(CIPN) relates to the cumulative doses of chemotherapeutic agents. Sometimes, when chemotherapy is stopped, neuropathy symptoms may continue or worsen, which is called a "costing phenomenon". Nerve damaging usually starts from ends of the extremities, while individual doses were accumulated, it gradually extends to proximal joints or ganglions. CIPN is currently the second most common side, next to hematotoxicity. Within thirty days after chemotherapy, 68.1% of patients may develop CIPN, most of which can be relieved or improved, but there are still 30-83% symptoms persist over 6 months.

At present, the most effective way to treat CIPN is to stop the treatment protocol or adjust doses of chemotherapy; however, it affects the effect of chemotherapy in degrading tumor growth. Plenty of pharmacological or non-pharmacological treatments are still under investigation, such as antioxidant medication (e.g. Acetyl-L-carnitine, glutamine, vit B12, fish oil, etc.), anxiolytics (e.g. venlafaxine), neuroprotective agents (e.g. infusion of calcium ions, magnesium ions), food supplements, acupuncture, light stimulation, etc. Acupuncture with the advantages of clinically effective, easy-practice and relatively safe, few studies revealed its effect on CIPN, however, there is still a lack of large clinical trials to evaluate its effectiveness.

(ii) Purpose of the research To investigate the efficacy of acupuncture on peripheral neuropathy after chemotherapy administration in patients with breast cancer.

(iii) Importance of the research Current studies revealed that acupuncture might be effective on CIPN, however, insufficient number of participants or lack of control groups limit the quality of clinical studies. Therefore, the aim of our study to conduct a randomized controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture on peripheral neuropathy caused by chemotherapy.