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Procedure

Acupuncture - One Type for Head and Neck Cancers

N/A
Waitlist Available
Led By Lorenzo Cohen, PHD
Research Sponsored by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
18 years of age and be able to give informed consent.
Diagnosed with head and neck cancer, which will be primarily nasopharyngeal, and scheduled to undergo IMRT or proton with or without concurrent chemotherapy at MD Anderson or Fudan University.
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up 1 week
Awards & highlights

Study Summary

The goal of this clinical research study is to learn which areas of the brain respond to acupuncture that is designed to prevent xerostomia (dry mouth) in patients with head and neck cancer. Researchers also want to learn if acupuncture can help prevent dry mouth and improve patient quality of life.

Eligible Conditions
  • Head and Neck Cancers

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~1 week
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and 1 week for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Outcome measures can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary outcome measures
Relative Changes of EEG Scores Between Pre- and Post-Acupuncture
Secondary outcome measures
Symptoms of Xerostomia

Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Acupuncture - One TypeExperimental Treatment3 Interventions
Participants recruited between weeks 3-5 of radiotherapy. Acupuncture treatments given within 3 to 7 days of each other during Weeks 3-5 of regularly scheduled radiotherapy visits. It should take about 20 minutes to complete the acupuncture session each time. At each acupuncture session, 3 questionnaires completed before each session that ask about dry mouth, any other symptoms, and treatment expectations. It should take about 5 minutes total to complete these questionnaires. Participants also complete another brief questionnaire about dry mouth after each session. It should take about 1 minute to complete this questionnaire. Participants also have an EEG at each acupuncture treatment. EEG recorded 5 minutes before acupuncture, during acupuncture, and for 5 minutes after acupuncture. Total visit time will last about 45-60 minutes.
Group II: Acupuncture - Different TypeExperimental Treatment3 Interventions
Participants recruited between weeks 3-5 of radiotherapy. Acupuncture treatments given within 3 to 7 days of each other during Weeks 3-5 of regularly scheduled radiotherapy visits. It should take about 20 minutes to complete the acupuncture session each time. At each acupuncture session, 3 questionnaires completed before each session that ask about dry mouth, any other symptoms, and treatment expectations. It should take about 5 minutes total to complete these questionnaires. Participants also complete another brief questionnaire about dry mouth after each session. It should take about 1 minute to complete this questionnaire. Participants also have an EEG at each acupuncture treatment. EEG recorded 5 minutes before acupuncture, during acupuncture, and for 5 minutes after acupuncture. Total visit time will last about 45-60 minutes.
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
Questionnaires
2013
Completed Phase 2
~3030
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
2014
N/A
~80
Acupuncture
2011
Completed Phase 3
~1240

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterLead Sponsor
2,958 Previous Clinical Trials
1,798,309 Total Patients Enrolled
National Cancer Institute (NCI)NIH
13,603 Previous Clinical Trials
40,913,245 Total Patients Enrolled
Lorenzo Cohen, PHDPrincipal InvestigatorM.D. Anderson Cancer Center
10 Previous Clinical Trials
1,800 Total Patients Enrolled

Frequently Asked Questions

These questions and answers are submitted by anonymous patients, and have not been verified by our internal team.
~3 spots leftby Mar 2025