Group Versus Individual Acupuncture for Cancer Pain

University of Calgary76 enrolled

Overview

Typically, in North America, acupuncture is performed on an individual basis. However, community acupuncture, also known as group acupuncture, is an emerging method of treating patients. Although the practice can vary, community acupuncture is performed in a group setting, typically with reclining chairs dispersed around a large room, and one practitioner treating up to six people per session. The outcomes of this this randomized controlled trial will allow the researchers to assess whether group acupuncture is a viable treatment option for people with cancer who are suffering from pain, especially those who are either resistant to or looking to avoid the side effects of opioids. Objectives Examine the efficacy of community acupuncture for alleviating cancer pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances and distress when compared to individual acupuncture. Evaluate the cost-effectiveness of community acupuncture compared to individual acupuncture.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Cancer Pain

Interventions

AcupunctureDEVICE

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Acupuncture

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Adult cancer patients (≥18 years old), both male and female. 2. Experiencing pain with a minimum worst pain score (in the previous week) ≥3 on the 10-point Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). 3. All tumor groups, including metastatic patients. 4. Participant's pain can originate from any source, including postoperative, malignancy related, and neuropathic pain. 5. Must be willing to be randomized into either group, and must be able to attend a minimum of nine treatment sessions within a six-week period. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Use of acupuncture within the previous six months. 2. Currently on or within one-month of active treatment (chemotherapy or radiation).

Locations (1)

Psychosocial Oncology, Cancer Control Alberta

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

The Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form

The Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPISF) is a widely used self-report measure, originally developed for cancer pain, which measures both pain severity and pain interference

Time frame: 6 weeks

Secondary Outcomes

The Profile of Mood States-Short Form

The Profile of Mood States-Short Form (POMS-SF) is a validated measure of psychological distress, which calculates Total Mood Disturbance (TMD) using six subscales: fatigue, vigor, tension, depression, anger and confusion (Shacham, 1983). The 37-item questionnaire asks patients to rate how various adjectives relate to how they have felt in the past week, on a Likert scale from zero (not at all) to four (extremely).

Time frame: 6 weeks

Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index

The Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is 19-item questionnaire that measures quality of sleep and sleep disturbances

Time frame: 6 weeks

The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General

The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) is a 20-item questionnaire that measures health-related quality of life (HRQOL) within the cancer population. The questionnaire contains four subscales: physical, social/family, emotional and functional well-being.

Time frame: 6 weeks

The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Fatigue

The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue (FACT-F) comprised of the FACT-G, plus an additional 13 questions related to fatigue

Time frame: 6 weeks

The Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviours

The Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviours (ISSB) Short Form is an 18-item questionnaire designed to measure social support, which asks participants to indicate the number of times they have experienced particular behaviours in the past month

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.