ACUPUNCTURE FOR PERSISTENT CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY SYMPTOMS IN SOLID TUMOR SURVIVORS: A PILOT STUDY

Purpose: Chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common, debilitating side effect experienced by cancer survivors, and current therapies are limited. We compared real acupuncture (RA) to sham acupuncture (SA), and usual care control (UC) for treatment of persistent CIPN. Methods: Solid tumor survivors with moderate to severe CIPN, defined as numbness, tingling, or pain ratings of ≥4 on the numeric rating scale (NRS), and lasting for at least three months after neurotoxic chemotherapy completion were randomized to RA, SA, or UC. RA and SA included ten treatments over eight weeks. We measured CIPN symptoms by NRS, Neuropathic Pain Scale; Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Neurotoxicity subscale; and Quantitative Sensory Testing, including tactile threshold measured by Von Frey's filaments, vibration threshold measured by biothesiometer, and thermal threshold measured by TSA‐II system. Results: Within one year, 75 patients were enrolled and 27 were randomized to RA, 24 to SA, and 24 to UC. 80% were female with a mean age of 61 years (SD 9), and 73% were white. There were 53% breast, 16% colorectal and 8% endometrial cancer survivors. Seven patients (9%) withdrew from the trial, leaving 68 evaluable at Week 8 (primary endpoint). Data analysis is underway; the final results will be presented at the conference. Conclusions: A pilot RCT using appropriate controls on acupuncture for persistent CIPN is feasible. The effect size observed by the pilot study will inform a rigorous and adequately powered trial to establish the definitive efficacy of acupuncture for CIPN.