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

The acupuncturists will insert needles into the acupoints and manipulate the needles until"de qi"sensation is achieved and reported by the participants. Electrical stimulation will be delivered for 30 minutes at alternating frequencies of 2/10Hz.

Olanzapine 2.5 mg per day orally on days 1 through 4 + fosaprepitant 150 mg intravenous (IV) or aprepitant injectable emulsion 130 mg IV + palonosetron 0.25 mg IV or ondansetron 8 mg IV or tropisetron 5 mg IV (the previously mentioned medication, which includes fosaprepitant or aprepitant combined with palonosetron or ondansetron or tropisetron, can also be taken orally in a fixed combination of netupitant (300 mg) and palonosetron (0.50 mg))+ dexamethasone 10 mg IV 30 minutes prior to chemotherapy on Day 1, dexamethasone 8 mg IV on days 2, 3, 4 post chemotherapy. Dexamethasone doses may be individualized based on the doctor's judgment.

The sham acupuncture comprised a core standardized prescription of minimally invasive, shallow needle insertion using thin and short needles at body locations not recognized as true acupuncture points and are deemed to not belong to traditional Chinese meridians and have no therapeutic value. Participants will receive minimal acupuncture treatment without electrical stimulation at the same time as the intervention group.Care was taken to avoid "de qi" sensation.

Olanzapine 2.5 mg per day orally on days 1 through 4 + fosaprepitant 150 mg intravenous (IV) or aprepitant injectable emulsion 130 mg IV + palonosetron 0.25 mg IV or ondansetron 8 mg IV or tropisetron 5 mg IV (the previously mentioned medication, which includes fosaprepitant or aprepitant combined with palonosetron or ondansetron or tropisetron, can also be taken orally in a fixed combination of netupitant (300 mg) and palonosetron (0.50 mg))+ dexamethasone 10 mg IV 30 minutes prior to chemotherapy on Day 1, dexamethasone 8 mg IV on days 2, 3, 4 post chemotherapy. Dexamethasone doses may be individualized based on the doctor's judgment.All the antiemetic drugs used are the same as those in the true acupuncture group.