The Effects of P6 Acupressure and Guided Imagery on Nausea, Vomiting, Retching and Anorexia of the Patients with Thyroid Cancer Undergoing Radioactive Iodine Therapy

Abstract

연구의 필요성갑상선암은Address reprint requests to: Suh, Eunyoung, E. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of P6 acupressure and guided imagery on nausea, vomiting, retching, and anorexia of the patient with thyroid cancer who were undergoing high dose radio-active iodine therapy (HD-RAIT). Methods: Using a randomized control group pretest-posttest study design, the participants were randomly assigned into the control group (C), the experimental group I (E1, P6 acupressure only) and the experimental group II (E2, P6 acupressure and a guided imagery). The patients were recruited from December 2011 to June 2012 in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea. A total of 82 patients completed the study. The Korean version of the Rhodes INVR and the anorexia scale by Grant (1987) were used. Results: The levels of nausea, vomiting, retching, and anorexia were significantly different among the groups. The levels of nausea and retching especially showed significant group differences over time. Synergic effects of P6 acupressure with guided imagery had significant effects over separate P6 acupressure intervention. Conclusion: Non-pharmacological and nurse-provided P6 acupressure and guided imagery appeared to be effective and safe in reducing nausea, vomiting, retching, and anorexia of the patients with thyroid cancer underwent HD-RAIT.

Efficacy and Safety of Sipjeondaebo‐Tang for Anorexia in Patients with Cancer: A Pilot, Randomized, Double‐Blind, Placebo‐Controlled Trial

“…There were case studies on the improvement of anorexia in cancer patients using acupuncture [ 4 ] and acupressure [ 5 ], and there was a clinical study of moxibustion treatment for anorexia in patients with thyroid cancer [ 6 ]. Steroids, megestrol acetate, prokinetic agents (metoclopramide), ghrelin, melatonin, and so on are administered to treat cancerous anorexia state of cancer patients.…”

Effect of Acupuncture for Radioactive-Iodine-Induced Anorexia in Thyroid Cancer Patients

“…Other studies of acupoint stimulation (electroacupuncture and acupressure) for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting 24 and acupuncture (both real and sham) for radiotherapy-induced nausea 14 have shown positive outcomes in improving the symptoms, and there was one study on RAIinduced anorexia in thyroid cancer patients using acupressure, which also reported positive outcome. 25 Of the 4 FACT-G subcategories (Physical, Social/Family, Emotional, Functional Well-Being), patients reported the symptoms of the physical well-being category to be most improved after the completion of treatment in both groups, and the improved feeling continued through their final visit 2 weeks after. Also, the difference in mean increase of the physical well-being category from baseline to exit in PP analysis (T: 8.17 ± 10.52; C: 5.17 ± 4.83) was notably greater than that of the ITT analysis (T: 7.00 ± 10.52; C: 6.00 ± 4.83).…”