Effect of Acupuncture for Loss of Appetite in Advanced Lung Cancer Undergoing Immunotherapy: Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Abstract
Background Loss of appetite (LOA) is a highly prevalent and distressing symptom in advanced lung cancer, leading to malnutrition, poorer treatment tolerance, and reduced quality of life. Although acupuncture may help manage cancer-related symptoms, its effect on LOA in patients receiving immunotherapy is unclear. This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for alleviating LOA in this population. Methods This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial will enroll 80 eligible patients with advanced lung cancer undergoing immunotherapy who experience LOA, defined as a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score ≥30 mm. Participants will be randomly assigned to either true acupuncture or sham acupuncture in a 1:1 ratio, administered over 24 sessions within a 12-week period. The primary outcome is the LOA response rate at week 12. Secondary outcomes include changes in LOA severity, nutritional and hematologic markers, patient-reported measures (appetite/cachexia, disease symptoms, psychological distress, and sleep), and tumor response. Safety and blinding success will also be assessed. Data will be analyzed using SPSS 20.0 and R software. Discussion To our knowledge, this is the first rigorously designed trial evaluating acupuncture for LOA in advanced lung cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy. The findings may inform integrative supportive care strategies for this patient population.
Related
- A pilot randomized controlled trial of melatonin supplementation on plasma 2-arachidonoylglycerol, ghrelin, and hedonic appetite intensity in females with overweight/obesity
- Efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy for chronic spontaneous urticaria: a network meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials
- Efficacy of acupuncture for sleep disorders in amnestic mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial with fMRI.
- Effects of synchronous versus sequential scalp acupuncture and transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on post-stroke cognitive impairment based on multimodal assessments: a single-center randomized controlled trial protocol
- Adjunctive effects of acupuncture and moxibustion in women with premature ovarian insufficiency receiving hormone replacement therapy: protocol for a multicenter, assessor-blinded, 2 × 2 factorial randomized controlled trial
BibTeX
@article{fan2026effect,
title = {{Effect of Acupuncture for Loss of Appetite in Advanced Lung Cancer Undergoing Immunotherapy: Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial}},
author = {Jiarong Fan and Ying Zhan and He Chen and Yuanjie Sun and Jiufei Fang and Yixing Xu and Zhishun Liu},
journal = {Integrative Cancer Therapies},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1177/15347354261499341},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/15347354261499341},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effect of Acupuncture for Loss of Appetite in Advanced Lung Cancer Undergoing Immunotherapy: Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial
AU - Jiarong Fan
AU - Ying Zhan
AU - He Chen
AU - Yuanjie Sun
AU - Jiufei Fang
AU - Yixing Xu
AU - Zhishun Liu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Integrative Cancer Therapies
DO - 10.1177/15347354261499341
UR - https://doi.org/10.1177/15347354261499341
AB - Background Loss of appetite (LOA) is a highly prevalent and distressing symptom in advanced lung cancer, leading to malnutrition, poorer treatment tolerance, and reduced quality of life. Although acupuncture may help manage cancer-related symptoms, its effect on LOA in patients receiving immunotherapy is unclear. This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for alleviating LOA in this population. Methods This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial will enroll 80 eligible patients with advanced lung cancer undergoing immunotherapy who experience LOA, defined as a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score ≥30 mm. Participants will be randomly assigned to either true acupuncture or sham acupuncture in a 1:1 ratio, administered over 24 sessions within a 12-week period. The primary outcome is the LOA response rate at week 12. Secondary outcomes include changes in LOA severity, nutritional and hematologic markers, patient-reported measures (appetite/cachexia, disease symptoms, psychological distress, and sleep), and tumor response. Safety and blinding success will also be assessed. Data will be analyzed using SPSS 20.0 and R software. Discussion To our knowledge, this is the first rigorously designed trial evaluating acupuncture for LOA in advanced lung cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy. The findings may inform integrative supportive care strategies for this patient population.
SN - 1552-695X
SN - 1534-7354
ER -