Acupressure and Acustimulation Wrist Bands for the Prevention of Nausea and Vomiting Caused by Chemotherapy

Sponsor

Gary Morrow (Other)

Overall Status

Completed

CT.gov ID

NCT00003817

Collaborator

National Cancer Institute (NCI) (NIH)

700

Enrollment

Locations

Duration (Months)

350

Patients Per Site

16.7

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

RATIONALE: Pressure or nerve stimulation applied to an acupuncture point on the inside of the wrist may help control nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase II trial to study the effectiveness of acupressure and acustimulation wrist bands in treating nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Nausea and Vomiting Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific	Drug: dolasetron mesylate Drug: granisetron hydrochloride Drug: ondansetron Drug: tropisetron Procedure: quality-of-life assessment	Phase 2

Detailed Description

OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluate the efficacy of acupressure and acustimulation as adjuncts to standard serotonin antiemetics in reducing acute nausea (day of treatment) and delayed nausea (1-4 days following treatment) associated with cisplatin or doxorubicin based chemotherapy in cancer patients. II. Evaluate the efficacy of acupressure and acustimulation in reducing acute and delayed vomiting and in improving quality of life in cancer patients. III. Investigate the relationship between expectations for the development of chemotherapy-related nausea/vomiting and its actual occurrence in cancer patients.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized study. Patients are stratified according to chemotherapy agent and research site. Patients are randomized to one of three treatment arms. Arm I: Patients receive standard antiemetic therapy with serotonin receptor antagonists. Arm II: Patients receive standard antiemetic therapy with serotonin receptor antagonists and wear an acupressure wrist band (an elastic band equipped with a small plastic button used to apply pressure to a specific point on the wrist) continuously for 5 consecutive days except when necessary to avoid immersion in water. Patients may wear the band on either wrist, including alternating between wrists if desired. Arm III: Patients receive standard antiemetic therapy with serotonin receptor antagonists and wear an acustimulation wrist band (a portable transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) device) continuously for 5 consecutive days except when necessary to avoid immersion in water. Patients may wear the band on either wrist, including alternating between wrists if desired, and may adjust the intensity of stimulation for optimum effectiveness. All patients complete a questionnaire concerning expectations of nausea and other side effects prior to receiving chemotherapy with cisplatin and doxorubicin. Patients in arms II and III complete this measure after the wrist band is in position. All patients complete a questionnaire and a 5 day diary at home concerning nausea and emesis following the first chemotherapy treatment, and then complete a quality of life questionnaire on the fourth day following treatment.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 700 patients will be accrued for this study over 3 years.

Study Design

Study Type:

Interventional

Anticipated Enrollment :

700 participants

Allocation:

Randomized

Primary Purpose:

Supportive Care

Official Title:

A Randomized Phase II Trial of Acupressure and Acustimulation Wrist Bands for the Prevention of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting

Study Start Date :

Oct 1, 1999

Actual Primary Completion Date :

Jul 1, 2001

Actual Study Completion Date :

Jul 1, 2001

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years to 120 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Diagnosis of cancer No symptomatic brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: Not specified Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: Not specified Hepatic: Not specified Renal: Not specified Cardiovascular: No cardiac pacemaker Other: No clinical evidence of current or impending bowel obstruction Able to understand English

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: No concurrent interferon Chemotherapy: No prior chemotherapy Concurrent cisplatin or doxorubicin based chemotherapy required No multiple day doses of cisplatin, doxorubicin, hexamethylmelamine, dacarbazine, nitrosourea or streptozocin Other concurrent chemotherapy allowed on 1 or multiple days Endocrine therapy: