| Objective1.To evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of cancer-related fatigue and quality of life for colorectal cancer patients who received chemotherapy.2.To explore the mechanism of acupuncture treatment for cancer-induced fatigue based on relevant imnune indicators detected.MethodsWe conducted a prospective,randomized controlled trial.Totally sixty-three colorectal cancer patients with cancer-related fatigue who met the inclusion criteria participated.We randomly assigned 30 patients to control group and 31 patients to acupuncture group(random assignment of 1:1 respectively)with minimization controlling for baseline general fatigue and maintenance treatment such as conventional chemotherapy and traditional Chinese medicine treatment.Meanwhile all patients received conventional chemotherapy and traditional Chinese medicine treatment.Treatment was delivered by me eight times for two courses of treatment through needling four acupoints during the period of chemotherapy(6 weeks).Primary outcome was measured with the Piper Fatigue Scale(PFS).Other measurements included the the 30-item EORTC-QLQ-C30 questionnaire(version 3.0)?T-cell subgroup+NK+natural killer cell.ResultsIn this clinical trial,61 patients with intestinal cancer were randomly selected and divided into 2 groups by SPSS 18.0,including control group(30 cases)and treatment group(31 cases).In the process of the experiment,exfoliated 6 cases,24 cases were analyzed in the final analysis in the control grouP;In the treatment group,5 cases were exfoliated.Finally,26 cases were analyzed.Therefore,a total of 50 cases were analyzed.In terms of main observational indicators(piper fatigue scale),statistical analysis showed that there were significant differences in Piper scale scores at different time points(pre-,post-,and post-treatment)(F=15.400,P<0.001).The effects of treatments on behavioral(V1)dimensions(F=20.501,P<0.001),perceived dimensions(V3)(F=5.390,P=0.006),cognitive dimensions(V4)(F=4.789,P=0.010),and total fatigue(F=9.234,P<0.001)will change over time.There was no significant difference between the two groups(F=0.034,F=0.855).Three weeks after the completion of acupuncture treatment as the sixth week after enrollment,compared with the control group,the mean value of the perceived dimension score of the treatment group decreased significantly,the difference was significant(t=2.465,F=0.019<0.05).compared with those indicators before experiment,the mean values of behavioral,emotional,perceptual,cognitive and overall scores of the patients with the treatment group showed a marked decrease,the difference was significant(t=4.947,2.371,4.687,2.311,7.559,P=0.000,0.026,0.000,0.029,0.000<0·05).For secondary observation indicators(quality of life instrument),by following up these patients after 3 weeks of acupuncture treatment,compared with the control group,the average score of somatic function increased significantly(Z=-2.233,P=0.026<0.05)in the treatment group at the 6th week after admission,while the average score of total health status,fatigue and shortness of breath decreased significantly(Z=-2.475,t=3.001,Z=-2.537,P=0.013,0.004,0.011<0.05).In terms of immune indexes,compared with indicators before treatment,CD3+(%)?Ts cells(%)and Th/Ts increased significantly after acupuncture treatment(Z==3.040,t=-3.157,-2.803,P=0.007,0.014<0.05)in the treatment group.The mean value of Th cells(%)increased significantly(t=-2.070,P=0.047<0.05)in the treatment group compared to control group.Conclusion1.As the treatment time and treatment progressed,the Piper scale scores of both groups improved.The effects of treatments on behavioral(V1)dimensions,perceived dimensions(V3),cognitive dimensions(V4),and total fatigue will change over time.2.Acupuncture of Qihai,Guanyuan and Zusanli on both sides have positive effects on perception of patients with cancer-related fatigue,then improving mental state,enhancing the quality of their lives.3.The acupuncture prescription have positive effects on improving the physical function of patients,and can improve the symptoms of fatigue and shortness of breath.4.The improvement of body immunity may be one of the mechanisms for acupuncture alleviating cancer-related fatigue and improving the quality of life. |
PDF Full Text Request