Acupuncture:
Acupuncture involves the insertion of small, solid, sterile needles into specific points on the skin. In this study, the needles are placed in areas that are intended to help relieve numbness and tingling of the feet and hands. Weak electrical stimulation is also applied to the needles to try to improve the treatment effects of the acupuncture.
Acupuncture Sessions:
Your first acupuncture session will be on the same day as the tests described above, if possible. (If not, it will be scheduled for another day that will be no more than about 10 days after the screening visit.)
You will have an acupuncture session 3 times per week for 4 weeks (Weeks 1-4). You will then have 1 week off (Week 5). After that, you will have an acupuncture session twice per week for 4 more weeks (Weeks 6-10). This is a total of 20 sessions. In addition to the 20 planned sessions, you may also choose to receive an optional 21st acupuncture session at the end-of-study visit that is scheduled for Week 13.
For each session, you will be placed in a comfortable position and the study doctor/acupuncturist will find points on your body where the needles will be placed. All study participants will have the needles placed at the same points on the body (the hands, feet, legs, abdomen, and scalp).
Very thin, solid, sterile, stainless steel needles will be used. All of the needles are specially made for acupuncture. The depth of the needle in the skin and the number of needles used is based on standard acupuncture procedures. The needles will remain in place for about 20-30 minutes.
Electrical stimulation will be added to some of the needles on the feet and hands. This involves placing wires on the needles, which are connected to a machine that delivers a weak electrical current through the wires. The strength of the electrical current will be changed slowly until it is at a comfortable level for you.
Study Procedures:
At each session, before you receive the acupuncture, the following procedures will be performed:
* Your vital signs will be measured.
* You will be asked about any drugs you may be taking and any side effects you may be experiencing.
* The color and coating of your tongue and the quality of your pulse will be recorded.
Once a week, you will also be asked to complete the same 3 questionnaires as you did at the beginning of the study.
Most study visits will last about 1 hour. On the weeks that you complete the questionnaires, it may add about 15-20 minutes.
During the study, you may still receive your regular pain treatments. If you are receiving Neurontin (gabapentin), Cymbalta (duloxetine), and/or Lyrica (pregabalin), you must stay on the same drug(s) until you go off this study. Minor changes in the doses of your pain treatments are allowed, but if there is a large change, you will be taken off study early.
Length of Study Participation:
You may receive up to 21 acupuncture sessions over 13 weeks. If intolerable side effects or symptoms occur, you will be taken off study early.
End-of-Study Visit:
At Week 13, or if you go off study early for any reason, you will have an end-of-study visit. If the doctor thinks it is necessary, the following procedures will be performed:
* Your medical history will be recorded.
* Your vital signs will be measured.
* You will be asked about any drugs you may be taking and any side effects you may have experienced.
* You will complete the same 3 questionnaires as before.
* The 4 nerve tests will be repeated in order to learn if there have been any changes in your nerve function.
* Your tongue and pulse will be evaluated.
After the end-of-study visit, your participation in this study will be over.
This is an investigational study. The acupuncture needles used in this study are commercially available and FDA approved. It is considered experimental, however, to use acupuncture to treat numbness and/or tingling in the feet and/or hands that is related to chemotherapy.
Up to 30 patients will take part in this study. All will be enrolled at The University of Texas (UT) MD Anderson Cancer Center.
