Abstract PO5-12-09: A Single-Arm Pilot Study of the Feasibility and Efficacy of Electro-Acupuncture in Subjects with Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
Authors: Vobugari Nikitha , Liang John Paul , Savage Loni , Jain Dharamvir , Sun Kai , Mai Hanh , Chang Jenny , Desai Monica , Patel Tejal , Niravath Polly 
Published: May 2024

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a very common dose-limiting side effect of many cancer treatments. However, the optimal treatment for CIPN remains unclear. Electroacupuncture (EA) is a non-pharmacologic treatment that combines traditional acupuncture with electrical stimulation. EA is being examined for CIPN and has shown modest benefits. Design: This is a pilot, single-center, prospective, single-arm, non-blinded study. All subjects had residual grade ≥2 CIPN after having received curative intent chemotherapy for stage I-III breast cancer, completed at least 3 months prior to study enrollment. Patients received 10 sessions of electro-acupuncture, administered by a licensed professional, over the course of 7 weeks. A sub-group of patients also had baseline and post-treatment skin punch biopsies to assess intra-epithelial nerve density (IEND). The primary objective was to determine the feasibility of completing a 10-treatment EA program in this patient population. Feasibility was defined as ≥15 subjects completing ≥8 EA treatments. Secondary endpoints included neuropathic pain, as assessed by the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF), and change in the quality of life, as assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity (FACT/GOG-NTX) subscale. Results: Twenty eligible female subjects were included in the study, with a median age of 66.5 years (range 45-81 years old). All patients received taxane chemotherapy, with 15 (75%) patients receiving weekly paclitaxel, 4 (8%) patients receiving Taxotere every 3 weeks, and 1 (2%) patient received weekly abraxane. The duration between chemotherapy completion and EA treatment initiation ranged between 4-92 months, with a median of 29 months. Eight (40%) patients were taking gabapentin, 2 (10%) on duloxetine, 1 (5%) pregabalin, and 3 (15%) on NSAIDS before and during the study. The study met its primary endpoint of feasibility, with 18 of 20 (90%) patients completing 8 or more EA sessions. Pain level, as assessed by the worst pain score on BPI-SF, improved significantly from a mean of 6.3 to 3.7, 2 weeks after completion of EA treatments (p = .0058). FACT/GOG-NTX quality of life measurement, “I am bothered by side effects of my treatment” also significantly improved from a mean score of 2.1 to 0.8 (p = .0177). There were no major adverse events (AEs) related to EA. Nine mild AEs were noted among 6 (30%) patients; localized skin biopsy site infections: G1=3, G2=3, nonlocalized cellulitis G3=1, Fatigue G1-2 =2. The localized skin biopsy site infections led to the discontinuation of further skin biopsy procedures. [We will also present data on the IEND for the nine patients who have paired before and after skin punch biopsies – this will be available at the time of the conference.] Conclusion: Electroacupuncture is a feasible treatment for CIPN. Furthermore, this pilot study did show a benefit for perceived pain and quality of life. Further studies will need to be conducted in regards to longevity of response. As larger studies in the future confirm the benefit of acupuncture, insurance payors are more likely to cover this important service.

Citation Format: Nikitha Vobugari, John Paul Liang, Loni Savage, Dharamvir Jain, Kai Sun, Hanh Mai, Jenny Chang, Monica Desai, Tejal Patel, Polly Niravath. A Single-Arm Pilot Study of the Feasibility and Efficacy of Electro-Acupuncture in Subjects with Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-12-09.