Acupuncture for Dyspnea in Lung Cancer: Results of a Feasibility Trial.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Dyspnea is a common and distressing symptom for patients with lung cancer (LC) because of disease burden, therapy toxicity, and comorbid illnesses. Acupuncture is a centuries-old therapy with biological plausibility for relief of dyspnea in this setting. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of acupuncture for dyspnea among patients with LC.

Methods

Eligible patients had a diagnosis of LC and clinically significant dyspnea without a clear organic cause. The treatment consisted of 10 weekly acupuncture sessions, with a follow-up visit 4 weeks after therapy. The primary outcome was dyspnea severity as measured using a validated Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) of 0 to 10 (10 being "most severe shortness of breath imaginable").

SUBMITTER: Bauml J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5739187 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature