Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for alleviating pain in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer

Abstract

Introduction: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, with a five-year survival rate of only 5%. Objectives: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is often fatal because of the lack of specific early symptoms and effective early screening tools. Therefore, 80%–85% of patients are usually diagnosed in the advanced stages. This study aimed to investigate the analgesic effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Methods: Eighty patients with advanced pancreatic cancer were recruited from the Integrative Medicine Department of our hospital between June 2017 and October 2018 and randomly divided into the experimental group (n = 40) and the control group (n = 40). The experimental group received transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation combined with analgesic medication for 3 consecutive days, while the control group received only analgesic medication. The pain scores of the two groups before and after intervention were compared. Results: The mean pain severity score was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group on day 1 (P < 0.001), day 2 (P < 0.001), day 3 (P = 0.005), and day 4 (P = 0.043). Conclusion: Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation therapy effectively alleviates the pain of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer with a high degree of safety and minimal adverse effects, and is worthy of clinical application.