Electroacupuncture for the Prevention of Chemotherapy-induced Nausea and Vomiting in Patients With Breast Cancer

This study is a parallel-group, blinded (participants, evaluators, and statisticians), randomized controlled trial exploring the effectiveness of electroacupuncture combined with standard quadruple antiemetic drugs for breast cancer patients undergoing HEC. Both groups will receive Olanzapine, Neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists (NK-1RAs), serotonin receptor antagonists [5HT3RA], and dexamethasone at the start of HEC on Day 1. Electroacupuncture or sham acupuncture will be randomly administered to each group. Participants will document all instances of nausea and vomiting and note the use of rescue antiemetic medications. Blood samples will be collected and analyzed to investigate whether genetic polymorphisms can predict electroacupuncture outcomes in breast cancer patients undergoing HEC. Primary and secondary outcomes as well as adverse events will be assessed.

Inclusion criteria

• Aged 18 years or older and aged 75 years or younger, of any nationality;
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2;
• Patients with breast cancer, with no restrictions on molecular typing; early-stage patients must not have undergone prior chemotherapy, while advanced-stage patients must be candidates for first-line chemotherapy and have declined neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy for over 3 months. All patients must receive highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) based on anthracycline chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide (EC or AC) or carboplatin (AUC≥4)/cisplatin;
• Predicted life expectancy of ≥3 months;
• Adequate bone marrow, kidney, and liver function;
• Adequate contraception if premenopausal women;
• Written informed consent by the patient before enrolment.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients already submitted to chemotherapy;
• Is scheduled to receive any non-HEC on Day 1;
• Is scheduled to receive any chemotherapy on days 2-4 after HEC;
• Received or is scheduled to receive radiation therapy to the abdomen, pelvis, head and neck within 1 week prior to Day 1 or between Days 1 to 5 in cycle 1;
• Has symptomatic primary or metastatic symptomatic central nervous system malignancy causing nausea and/or vomiting;
• Have ongoing emesis or CTCAE grade 2 or greater nausea;
• Significant medical or mental conditions;
• Any allergies to study drug, antiemetics or dexamethasone;
• Significantly abnormal laboratory values (platelets, coagulation indexes, absolute neutrophils, AST, ALT, bilirubin or creatinine);
• Patients who are pregnant or breast-feeding;
• Inflammatory skin reaction;
• Has lymphedema in acupuncture stimulation area;
• Patients who are afraid of electroacupuncture stimulation or allergic to stainless steel needles;
• Received acupuncture treatments for any conditions less than 4 weeks before HEC;
• Currently using drugs with antiemetic activity (e.g., 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, corticosteroids (except when used at physiological doses), dopamine receptor antagonists, minor tranquilizers, antihistamines, and benzodiazepines (except for nocturnal sedation));
• Patients with concomitant severe diseases or with a predisposition to emesis such as gastrointestinal obstruction, active peptic ulcer, and hypercalcemia and symptomatic brain metastasis;
• Has a convulsive disorder requiring anticonvulsant treatment;
• Patients administered thioridazine as a chronic antipsychotic medication (patients are allowed to receive prochlorperazine and other phenothiazines as a rescue antiemetic treatment);
• Concurrent treatment with quinolone antibiotics;
• Has a history of chronic alcoholism (determined by the investigator);
• Known arrhythmias, uncontrolled congestive heart failure, or acute myocardial infarction within the past six months;
• Has a history of uncontrolled diabetes (e.g., using insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents).