Effect of Electroacupuncture on Opioid-induced Constipation in Patients With Cancer

NCT ID: NCT03797586

Last Updated: 2025-07-15

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 100 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2019-05-01
• Study Completion Date: 2021-12-11

Brief Summary

Approximately 70-80% of patients with advanced disease will be affected by moderate to severe pain. Opioid analgesics represented by morphine and oxycodone are the cornerstone of cancer-pain management, and recommended for use in the management of moderate to severe cancer pain according to WHO Cancer Pain Relief Guidelines. One view is that a trial of systemic opioid therapy should be administered to all cancer patients with pain of moderate or greater severity regardless of the pain mechanism. Although opioids analgesics do work well as relieving pain and improving quality of life via their action at opioid receptors in the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system, they also have powerful adverse effects. The overall occurrence of opioid-related adverse drug events has ranged from1.8% to 13.6%. Opioid-induced constipation (OIC), one of the most prevalent adverse events (AEs) in patients receiving opioid analgesics, defined as a change in baseline bowel habits or defecatory patterns following initiation, alteration, or increase in opioid therapy. The prevalence of OIC has been estimated to affect 41% of patients with chronic noncancer pain taking opioids and 94% of cancer patients taking opioids for pain. Unlike many other opioid-related AEs, OIC is persistent and rarely tolerated. OIC impacts pain control, patients' quality of life and may cause patients to reduce the dose or discontinue opioid use.

Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used to treat gastrointestinal disease including constipation for thousands of years. Two systematic reviews concluded that acupuncture can improve spontaneous bowel movements for functional constipation, and our recent study indicated that electroacupuncture(EA) could increase complete spontaneous bowel movements and is safe for chronic severe functional constipation. Acupuncture could improve gastrointestinal function via facilitating gastrointestinal motility. Currently, there is little detailed information available regarding the acupuncture use for OIC. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of EA for OIC in patients with cancer.

Conditions

Opioid-induced Constipation in Patients With Cancer

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Electroacupuncture group

Bilateral ST25,SP14, ST37 will be used in the EA group. For ST25 and SP14, 0.30×50mm or 0.30×75mm needles will be vertically inserted to the muscle layer of the abdominal , where patients will feel sharp pain and acupuncturists will feel resistance from the needle tip. For ST37, 0.30×40 mm needles will be vertically inserted approximately 15 mm deep, followed by three-time manipulation of even lifting and twisting method to elicit the sensation of deqi. Then paired alligator clips of the EA apparatus will be attached to the needle holders of the bilateral ST25, SP14, and ST37. EA stimulation will be retained for 30 minutes with a continuous wave of 10 Hz and current intensity of 0.5 to 4 mA.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Electroacupuncture group

Intervention Type: OTHER

Bilateral Tianshu (ST25), Fujie (SP14), Shangjuxu (ST37) will be used in the EA group. With the local skin of the patients was routinely sterilized in a prone position in relaxation, acupuncturists will insert needles into the acupuncture points. For ST25 and SP14, 0.30×50mm or 0.30×75mm needles will be vertically inserted to the muscle layer of the abdominal wall, where participants will feel sharp pain and acupuncturists will feel resistance from the needle tip. For ST37, 0.30×40 mm needles will be vertically inserted approximately 15 mm deep, followed by three-time manipulation of even lifting and twisting method to elicit the sensation of deqi. Then paired alligator clips of the EA apparatus will be attached to the needle holders of the bilateral ST25, SP14, and ST37. EA stimulation will be retained for 30 minutes with a continuous wave of 10 Hz and current intensity of 0.5 to 4 mA.

Sham electroacupuncture group

Bilateral sham ST25, SP14, and ST37 will be used in the SA group. After sterilizing the skin, 0.30×40mm needles will be straightly inserted at the sham points about 2-3mm until they can be fixed on the skin when attached by the alligator clips. No manipulation will be used, and no deqi sensation are elicited for all sham points. The bilateral sham ST25, SP14, and ST37 points will be attached by the same EA apparatus with a continuous wave of 10 Hz and current intensity of 0.1 to 0.2 mA for 30 minutes with only the initial 30 seconds on.

Group Type: SHAM_COMPARATOR

Sham electroacupuncture group

Intervention Type: OTHER

Bilateral sham ST25, SP14, and ST37 will be used in the SA group. After sterilizing the skin, 0.30×40mm needles will be straightly inserted at the sham points about 2-3mm until they can be fixed on the skin when attached by the alligator clips. No manipulation will be used, and no deqi sensation are elicited for all sham points. The bilateral sham ST25, SP14, and ST37 points will be attached by the same EA apparatus with a continuous wave of 10 Hz and current intensity of 0.1 to 0.2 mA for 30 minutes with only the initial 30 seconds on.

Interventions

Electroacupuncture group

Bilateral Tianshu (ST25), Fujie (SP14), Shangjuxu (ST37) will be used in the EA group. With the local skin of the patients was routinely sterilized in a prone position in relaxation, acupuncturists will insert needles into the acupuncture points. For ST25 and SP14, 0.30×50mm or 0.30×75mm needles will be vertically inserted to the muscle layer of the abdominal wall, where participants will feel sharp pain and acupuncturists will feel resistance from the needle tip. For ST37, 0.30×40 mm needles will be vertically inserted approximately 15 mm deep, followed by three-time manipulation of even lifting and twisting method to elicit the sensation of deqi. Then paired alligator clips of the EA apparatus will be attached to the needle holders of the bilateral ST25, SP14, and ST37. EA stimulation will be retained for 30 minutes with a continuous wave of 10 Hz and current intensity of 0.5 to 4 mA.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Sham electroacupuncture group

Bilateral sham ST25, SP14, and ST37 will be used in the SA group. After sterilizing the skin, 0.30×40mm needles will be straightly inserted at the sham points about 2-3mm until they can be fixed on the skin when attached by the alligator clips. No manipulation will be used, and no deqi sensation are elicited for all sham points. The bilateral sham ST25, SP14, and ST37 points will be attached by the same EA apparatus with a continuous wave of 10 Hz and current intensity of 0.1 to 0.2 mA for 30 minutes with only the initial 30 seconds on.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Cancer patients who conformed to all the following conditions will be further screened for eligibility:

1. Cancer patients must meet the Rome IV[1] diagnostic criteria for OIC: New or worsening symptoms of constipation following initiation, alteration, or increase in opioid treatment. For patients with a history of chronic functional constipation, he/she must have worsening symptoms of constipation when the opioid therapy is initiated, changed, or the dose is increased;

2. Patients recruited in this trial must have a history of OIC symptoms for at least 1 week;

3. Patients must be ≥18 years of age and ≤85 years of age;

4. Patient's cancer condition must be stable with a life expectancy that is more than six months;

5. Patients must have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-3;

6. Patients must have been receiving a relatively stable maintained opioid regimen, consisting of a total daily dose of 30 mg to 1000 mg oral morphine equivalents for at least 2 weeks prior to screening for cancer pain. Furthermore, it must be anticipated that the opioid will be maintained for at least 10 weeks;

7. The SBM frequency of the patients must be ≤ 2 times a week when laxatives are not being taken;

8. Patients must be capable of oral intake of drugs, food and beverages;

9. Provision of written informed consent before participation.

Exclusion Criteria

Participants who fulfill any of the following criteria will be excluded:

1. Patients diagnosed with clinically significant abnormal defecation due to structural abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract and other tissues related to gastrointestinal tract (not including OIC): inflammatory bowel disease, rectal prolapse, gastrointestinal obstruction, peritoneal metastasis, or peritoneal tumor at the time of enrollment;

2. Patients with a history of gastrointestinal tract operation, abdominal operation, or abdominal adhesion within one month prior to screening; history of intestinal obstruction within three months prior to screening;

3. Diagnosis of active diverticular disease; or severe hemorrhoid; or anal fissure; or artificial rectum or anus;

4. Patients with an intraperitoneal catheter or a feeding tube;

5. Diagnosis of pelvic disorder which are considered to have obvious effects on the intestinal transport of feces (such as uterine prolapse ≥degree 2, uterine fibroids [located in the posterior of the uterus with a diameter ≥ 5 cm] affecting bowel movement);

6. Patients that are being treated with a new cancer chemotherapy, which had never been administered in the past, within 14 days of the screening or are scheduled to receive such therapy during the study;

7. Patients that received radiotherapy within 28 days of the screening or are scheduled to receive such therapy during the study;

8. Patients that underwent a surgery or intervention that is considered to have an obvious effect on the gastrointestinal functions within 28 days of the screening or are scheduled to receive surgery or intervention which is considered to have obvious effects on the gastrointestinal functions during the study, or scheduled to receive surgery or intervention which will be anticipated to prevent the patients from completing the trial;

9. Patients with uncontrolled hyperthyroidism, severe hypertension, heart disease, systematic infection or blood coagulation disorders (hypercoagulation status or hemorrhagic tendency) at the time of study inclusion;

10. Patients that consumed >4 additional opioid doses per day, for breakthrough pain, for more than 3 days during the baseline period, or if their maintenance opioid dosing regimen was modified during this period;

11. Patients with severe cancerous pain (e.g., typical average daily pain intensity rating of 7 to 10 on a numerical rating scales (NRS; 0 [no pain] to 10 [the worst pain possible]) after the use of routine dose and frequency of opioids) refractory to opioid therapy;

12. Patients with a history of opioid discontinuation due to severe adverse events or patients that are expected to discontinue opioid use due to the potential risk of adverse events;

13. Patients that received an opioid receptor antagonist within one month of the screening, or those who are scheduled to receive such therapy during the study;

14. Patients with a history of nerve neurolysis;

15. Patients with severe cognitive impairment, aphasia, or psychiatric disorders; abdominal aortic aneurysm; hepatomegaly(liver span > 14cm at the mid-clavicular line by ultrasound examination); or splenomegaly (spleen length [cranial to caudal] > 13cm by ultrasound examination);

16. Patients that have received acupuncture within three months of the screening;

17. Other patients who are considered ineligible for the study by the investigator on the basis of concomitant therapy and medical findings.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 85 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Liu Zhishun

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Zhishun Liu

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

China Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences

Locations

Guang An Men Hospital

Beijing, , China

Countries

China

References

Wang W, Liu Y, Yang X, Sun J, Yue Z, Lu D, Zhou K, Sun Y, Hou A, Zang Z, Jin X, Liu C, Wang Y, Yu J, Zhu L, Liu Z. Effects of Electroacupuncture for Opioid-Induced Constipation in Patients With Cancer in China: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Feb 1;6(2):e230310. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.0310.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 36811861 (View on PubMed)

Wang W, Wang X, Liu Y, Sun Y, Liu X, Yan Y, Liu Z. Effects of Electroacupuncture on Opioid-Induced Constipation in Patients With Cancer: Study Protocol for a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. Front Med (Lausanne). 2022 Apr 13;9:818258. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.818258. eCollection 2022.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 35492306 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol and Informed Consent Form

View Document

Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

2018-164-KY-01

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id