Study of Electroacupuncture Combined With Olanzapine-based Four-Drug Antiemetic Therapy to Prevent Severe Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting in Breast Cancer Patients

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the use of electroacupuncture combined with olanzapine-containing standard quadruple antiemetic drugs to prevent nausea and vomiting caused by highly emetogenic chemotherapy HEC in patients with breast cancer. This phase III randomized controlled trial also aims to explore the relationship between genetic variations and the effectiveness of electroacupuncture treatment for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups one group receives electroacupuncture once daily from day 1 to day 4 alongside standard antiemetic drugs including olanzapine, fosaprepitant or aprepitant, palonosetron or ondansetron or tropisetron, and dexamethasone. The other group receives sham acupuncture without electrical stimulation combined with the same standard antiemetic regimen. Electroacupuncture involves needle insertion and electrical stimulation for 30 minutes at specific acupoints, while sham acupuncture uses shallow needle insertion at non-acupuncture points without electrical stimulation. During the study, participants will record all episodes of nausea and vomiting and any use of rescue antiemetic medications. Blood samples will be collected to study genetic factors that may influence treatment response. Researchers will assess nausea control at different time stages up to 120 hours after chemotherapy, along with quality of life, insomnia, fatigue, constipation, and any side effects related to electroacupuncture. The study includes careful monitoring of adverse events and lasts through the chemotherapy treatment period.

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