Oral Cryotherapy Plus Acupressure and Acupuncture Versus Oral Cryotherapy for Decreasing Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy From Oxaliplatin-Based Chemotherapy in Patients With Gastrointestinal Cancer

Study Summary

This phase II trial investigates how well oral cryotherapy plus acupressure and acupuncture compared with oral cryotherapy alone work in decreasing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in patients with gastrointestinal cancer who are receiving oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. Acupressure is the application of pressure or localized massage to specific sites on the body to control symptoms such as pain or nausea. Acupuncture is the technique of inserting thin needles through the skin at specific points on the body to control pain and other symptoms. Cryotherapy uses cold temperature such as oral ice chips to prevent abnormally increased pain sensation. Giving oral cryotherapy with acupressure and acupuncture may work better in decreasing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy from oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with gastrointestinal cancer compared to oral cryotherapy alone.

Primary Outcome

Measured by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)-CIPN 20. Severity of CIPN will be summarized for each treatment arm, and treatment comparisons made via linear regression model with adjustment for baseline severity level. The EORTC QLQ-CIPN20 is a 20-item questionnaire that evaluates CIPN using 3 subscales that assess sensory (9 items), motor (8 items), and autonomic (3 items) symptoms and functioning. The CIPN-20 subscale raw scores are linearly converted to a

Interventions

• OTHER Quality-of-Life Assessment
• OTHER Questionnaire Administration
• PROCEDURE Acupressure Therapy
• PROCEDURE Oral Cryotherapy
• PROCEDURE Acupuncture Therapy