Clinical trial · Interventional
Acupuncture as add-on to G-CSF for Febrile Neutropenia-related Hospitalization in Doxorubicin-treated Patients With Sarcoma
Acupuncture as add-on to GCS-F Treatment for Reducing Febrile Neutropenia-related Hospitalization in Patients Undergoing Doxorubicin-based Treatment for Sarcoma: a Randomized Crossover Study
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia (CIFN) is a dangerous complication of many chemotherapy drugs, with current treatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs) accompanied by adverse effects, primarily muscle and bone pain. Adult patients with sarcoma treated with doxorubicin-based chemotherapy have a high risk (\>40%) for developing CIFN. Acupuncture has been shown to have a potentially myelo-protective effect on bone marrow during chemotherapy, though its effect on the incidence of CIFN-related hospitalization has yet to be examined. In the proposed study, patients with sarcoma will be randomly allocated (in a ratio of 1:1) to Group A, receiving acupuncture during cycles 1, 3, and 5; or Group B, during cycles 2, 4, and 6, with the study oncologist blinded regarding allocation. Acupuncture will be administered on the first day (d1) and the 8th day (d8) of the chemotherapy cycles, with press-tack needles on d1 to d8, and patients will be taught to self-treat with acupressure from d8 to the next cycle. The incidence and duration of hospitalization due to CIFN will be examined, as will adherence to the chemotherapy regimen; G-CSF-related pain; and other outcomes using 3 quality-of-life-focused questionnaires. The study findings will have important implications regarding the role of acupuncture in the treatment of patients treated with chemotherapy drugs with a high risk for CIFN, such as those used in the treatment of sarcoma.
Conditions
Conditions (4)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doxorubicin Adverse Reaction | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Febrile Neutropenia | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Hospitalization-Associated Infection | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Sarcoma | Sarcoma | ONTOLOGY_EXACT | 0.98 |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acupuncture | Device | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
- label
- Group A
- description
- Patients in Group A will undergo the acupuncture intervention at the 1st chemotherapy cycle; no acupuncture at the 2nd cycle; intervention at the 3rd; and so on.
- interventionNames
- Device: Acupuncture
- type
- ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
- label
- Group B
- description
- No intervention at the 1st cycle; acupuncture intervention at the 2nd cycle; and so on.
- interventionNames
- Device: Acupuncture
Primary outcomes (2)
- measure
- Incidence of chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia-related hospitalization
- timeFrame
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
- Maximum age
- 65 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * age 18-65 years * diagnosed with sarcoma of any stage * scheduled for doxorubicin-based chemotherapy * function ECOG status score of 0-1 Exclusion Criteria: * not fulfilling all inclusion criteria * unwilling or unable to provide written informed consent for study participation
References
Publications (6)
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- BACKGROUNDShih YW, Su JY, Kung YS, Lin YH, To Anh DT, Ridwan ES, Tsai HT. Effectiveness of Acupuncture in Relieving Chemotherapy-induced Leukopenia in Patients With Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review With A Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis. Integr Cancer Ther. 2021 Jan-Dec;20:15347354211063884. doi: 10.1177/15347354211063884. PMID 34930039
- BACKGROUNDNian J, Sun X, Zhao W, Wang X. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for chemotherapy-induced leukopenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Oct 21;101(42):e30995. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000030995. PMID 36281119
- BACKGROUNDLi S, Huang J, Guo Y, Wang J, Lu S, Wang B, Gong Y, Qin S, Zhao S, Wang S, Liu Y, Fang Y, Guo Y, Xu Z, Ulloa L. PAC1 Receptor Mediates Electroacupuncture-Induced Neuro and Immune Protection During Cisplatin Chemotherapy. Front Immunol. 2021 Sep 6;12:714244. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.714244. eCollection 2021. PMID 34552585
- BACKGROUNDSamuels N, Ben-Arye E. Integrative Medicine for Cancer-Related Pain: A Narrative Review. Healthcare (Basel). 2024 Feb 4;12(3):403. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12030403. PMID 38338288