Research Article

Effects of Acupuncture on Leucopenia, Neutropenia, NK, and B Cells in Cancer Patients: A Randomized Pilot Study

Table 1

Baseline comparison between groups: sociodemographic and clinical characteristics; blood analyses and QOL-CR 29 and HADS scores.

CharacteristicsExperimental group ( )Control group ( )

Age
 Mean; range62.2; 38–7456.6; 43–74
Cancer type
 Colon8 (88.9%)9 (100%)
 Rectum1 (11.1%)0 (0%)
Tumor staging
 II1 (11.1%)2 (22.2%)
 III7 (77.8)3 (33.3%)
 IV1 (11.1%)4 (44.4%)
Type of chemotherapy
 FOLFOX6 (66.7%)6 (66.7%)
 XELOX1 (11.1%)2 (22.2%)
 FOLFIRI1 (11.1%)0
 Capecitabine1 (11.1%)1 (11.1%)
Blood analyses ( value)(mean cells/ L; s.d.)(mean cells/ L; s.d.)
 WBC ( )6367.78; 897.55 5915.56; 1288.59
 ANC ( )3128.78; 996.253219; 1199.07
 Total lymphocyte ( )1734.59; 586.981842.28; 735.77
 B cells ( )170.88; 51.59169.25; 168.91
 T cells ( )1378.95; 540.621548.76; 613.11
 NK cells ( )184.52; 81.07123.44; 88.46
QOL-Cr 29 and HADS scores ( value)(mean; s.d.)(mean; s.d.)
 Anxiety ( )14.78; 6.4515.67; 3.53
 Depression ( )16.11; 5.8414.33; 3.12
 Urological symptoms ( )7.67; 1.007.89; 0.93
 Gastrointestinal symptom ( )7.67; 2.748.44; 3.54
 Defecation symptoms ( )6.22; 6.0510.67; 3.67
 Stoma-related symptoms ( )2.89; 4.40a
 Chemo side effects ( )8.33; 1.936.67; 2.06
 Male sexual function ( )3.00; 2.591.56; 2.40
 Female sexual function ( )0.78; 1.201.78; 1.56
 Weight concerns ( )2.44; 1.242.56; 1.33
 Body image ( )4.56; 1.424.78; 2.49
 Future concerns ( )2.89; 1.363.33; 0.71

(S.d., standard deviation; considered statistically significant; —a, no patients with stoma bag on the control group.)