Pharmacopuncture for Cancer Care: A Systematic Review

Table 2

Characteristics of the included studies: chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV).

Author	Sample size (M/F); Cancer type	Intervention (𝑛)	Control (𝑛)	Outcome measures	Result
					Intervention	Control
Liu et al. 2011 [24]	51 (27/24); Hematologic cancer	Promethazine (25 mg) injection at bilateral ST36 (𝑛=26)	Metoclopramide (10 mg), IV  (𝑛=25)	Responder rate (%)^a	96.2%*	68%
Yang et al. 2011 [25]	96 (50/46); Various	Metoclopramide (10 mg) injection at bilateral ST36 (𝑛=50); 0.5 h before chemotherapy, qd	Tropisetron (5 mg), IV (𝑛=46); 0.5 h before chemotherapy, bid	Responder rate (%)^b	78%*	52.1%
You et al. 2009 [26]	142 (0/142); Ovarian cancer	Vit. B6 (50 mg) injection and MA at bilateral PC6 (𝑛=46); qod	(1) Vit. B6 (50 mg), IM  (𝑛=46); bid; (2) MA at bilateral PC6 (𝑛=45); qod	(A) Total number of emesis episodes in 21 days (mean, 95% CI); (B) Proportion of emesis free days in 21 days (%, mean, 95% CI)	(A) 5.9, 3.8–7.0**; (B) 59%, 48–69**	(1) (A) 13.2, 9.4–15.0 (B) 21%, 12–28; (2) (A) 10.6, 7.4–11.8 (B) 30%, 21–39
Chen 2007 [27]	258 (0/258); Ovarian cancer	Metoclopramide injection (𝑛=98); 10 mg, at left PC6 and CV10, 15 min before chemotherapy; 10 mg, at right PC6 and CV 10 after chemotherapy	(1) Metoclopramide, IV (𝑛=74); 20 mg each, before and after chemotherapy; (2) Granisetron (3 mg), IV (𝑛=86); before chemotherapy	Responder rate (%)^c	95%**	(1) 40.5%; (2) 96.5%
Hu 2003 [28]	123 (86/37); Various	Huangqi or Danggui (4 mL) injection, alternately at bilateral ST36, SP10, and BL23 (𝑛=71); qd	Batilol (50 mg), leucogen (20 mg) and Vit. B6 (20 mg), po (𝑛=52); tid	Responder rate (%)^b	71.8%**	44.2%
Tao et al. 2000 [29]	480 (343/137); Various	Metoclopramide (5 mg) and diazepam (1.25 mg) injection alternately at bilateral PC6 and ST36 (𝑛=160); 30 min before chemotherapy; Metoclopramide (10 mg) after chemotherapy	(1) Metoclopramide (20 mg) and diazepam (5 mg), IV (𝑛=160); 30 min before chemotherapy; Metoclopramide (20 mg) after chemotherapy; (2) Ondansetron, IV (𝑛=160); 8 mg, 30 min before chemotherapy; 8 mg, after chemotherapy	Responder rate (%)^d	98.8%**	(1) 43.1%; (2) 94.4%

AEs: adverse events; bid: twice a day; CI: confidence interval; h: hour(s); IM: intramuscular injection; IV: intravenous injection; MA: manual acupuncture; min: minute(s); NR: not reported; po: orally; qd: everyday; qod: every other day; Vit.: vitamin; WHO: World Health Organization.
Acupuncture point ST36 refers to 36th point of stomach meridian and extra points have different nomenclature (e.g., Ex-UE7 means 7th extra point in upper extremity).
^aResponder rate: (number of participants with any improvement from the intervention/total number of participants) * 100(%).
^bResponder rate: (number of participants with WHO grade [30] 0 + 1/total number of participants) * 100(%).
^cResponder rate: (number of participants with less than four emesis episodes per day/total number of participants) * 100(%).
^dResponder rate: (number of participants with less than three emesis episodes per day/total number of participants)*100 (%).
* 𝑃<0.05; **𝑃<0.01.