This prospective randomized open-label trial aimed to evaluate the role of acupuncture in the treatment of pain related to curative and adjuvant (chemo)radiotherapy of head and neck cancer. Patients in two arms (30 patients in each arm) underwent standard oncology therapy and standard supportive care with or without acupuncture. The stratification factors were the type of treatment and chemotherapy indication. The toxicity assessed was represented by pain rated on a 10-point pain scale and analgesic use. Average pain (AP) and the worst pain during the day (WP) were significantly lower in the acupuncture arm during radiotherapy (AP median 0.16 vs. 1.36, p < 0.001; WP median 0.90 vs. 1.96, p < 0.001) and three months after radiotherapy (AP median 0.07 vs. 0.50, p < 0.001; WP median 0.30 vs. 0.83, p = 0.002). The analgesic consumption between arms was statistically significantly different. A median of the proportion of days when the patients used analgesics was 8% and 32.5% during radiotherapy (p = 0.047) and 0% and 20.8% during three months after radiotherapy (p = 0.006) for the acupuncture and control arm, respectively. Results point out lower analgesic consumption and milder pain in acupuncture arm. Acupuncture consequently offers another alternative to standard treatment leading to a reduction in the toxicity of oncological treatment.

Clinic of Radiation and Clinical Oncology Central Military Hospital Teaching Hospital 034 01 Ruzomberok Slovakia

Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University 625 00 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute 656 53 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University 625 00 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Radiation Oncology Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute 656 53 Brno Czech Republic

Research Center for Applied Molecular Oncology Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute 656 53 Brno Czech Republic

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