Auricular point acupressure for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: a randomized controlled trial.
Nada Lukkahatai, Yannuo Jiang, Jingyu Zhang et al.
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In 30 seconds
This pragmatic randomized controlled trial evaluated auricular point acupressure (APA) for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in 227 cancer survivors, comparing in-person delivery, video-guided self-placement, and usual care. Both APA groups were more likely than usual care to achieve at least a 20% reduction in an individualized symptom measure at Week 1 (in-person OR = 2.60, 95% CI 1.27-5.33; virtual OR = 3.22; 95% CI 1.48-7.01; p < 0.01). The in-person group retained an advantage at Week 2 and showed more consistent improvement in neuropathy interference. The authors characterize the findings as preliminary.
Key findings
- At Week 1, both in-person and virtual APA improved the likelihood of a ≥20% symptom reduction versus usual care (OR = 2.60 and OR = 3.22, respectively; p < 0.01).
- The in-person APA advantage for symptom reduction persisted at Week 2 (OR = 2.49, p = 0.02).
- In-person APA improved neuropathy interference versus usual care every week (OR = 3.29-4.28, all p < 0.01).
- Anxiety, depression, and pain interference improved only in the in-person APA group in exploratory analyses.
Why it matters
CIPN can persist, while management options are limited. These results suggest APA may reduce symptom severity in the short term and may improve interference with daily life, with more consistent interference benefits from in-person delivery. The distinction between delivery formats and the preliminary nature of the findings are important when interpreting potential benefits.
What to keep in mind
The trial had no blinding or attention control and differential attrition (52% vAPA versus 96% usual care); quality-of-life analyses were exploratory.