Acupuncture as a Complementary Therapy in Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting

Abstract

The effect of acupuncture on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting has been studied over the past 20 years, and clinical evidence gathered to date has been favorable. Current practice guidelines recommend acupuncture as a complementary therapy for uncontrolled nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy. Nevertheless, a placebo effect may have been present in studies that had no control group, and unanswered questions remain—particularly since newer and more effective antiemetic medications have become available. A research study employing adjunctive electroacupuncture for both acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting is proposed to address some of the unanswered questions.