Efficacy of Auricular Acupuncture in Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Case Series of 73 Cases.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) can adversely affect completion of systemic anticancer treatment and cause long-term morbidity. To date, its physiopathology remains unclear, and treatments are rare and poorly performed. Auricular acupuncture has already offered interesting results in several symptoms. Objective: This study (AACIPN2020) assessed the efficacy of auriculotherapy in CIPN. Design: We used patients' systematically collected data of 2014-2016 in a medical oncology practice. The treatment was made according to guidelines of the interuniversity diploma and the cartography of the World Health Organization. Pain assessment according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Event scale was orally collected. Results: Seventy-three cancer patients were treated for CIPN. They had finished chemotherapy 24 weeks prior on average. They received on average 23 punctures at each appointment. Sixty-five percent of patients met satisfaction, with 31% with a real impact on their daily life. Efficacy appeared after one or two treatments for 96% of cases. Some patients continued treatment to maximize benefits. Conclusions: Auricular acupuncture is a safe and inexpensive method of CIPN treatment. It may be applied earlier in chemotherapy administration, and in a large variety of other symptoms. Clinical trial registration number: COS RGDS 2019 09 001.
Competing Interests: No competing financial interests exist.
(Copyright 2021, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.)