Grundmann Oliver, Yoon Saunjoo L, Williams Joseph J
Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA Department of Adult and Elderly Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Department of Adult and Elderly Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Acupunct Med. 2015 Feb;33(1):16-22. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2014-010667. Epub 2014 Nov 20.
Patients with gastrointestinal cancers often suffer from malnutrition and cachexia caused by inflammatory processes due to malignancy and therapeutic intervention. Evaluation of nutritional status and well-being of patients is essential to prevent or slow down the progression of cachexia. In addition, acupuncture as a complementary intervention may help reduce cachexia and unintentional weight loss.
Seven patients with cancers of the gastrointestinal tract enrolled in this pilot study were provided with eight acupuncture sessions in addition to their regular treatment schedule. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) measurements were taken at every other acupuncture session to evaluate the body composition of patients. BIA is a fast, inexpensive and non-invasive method for evaluating fluid, fat and muscle mass distribution which correlates with nutritional status.
All patients enrolled in the pilot study completed the acupuncture intervention and BIA measurements. The average weight loss and reduction in body weight was 1.3%, which is less than the average weight loss of 5% reported in the literature. Both phase angle and fat-free mass decreased in patients, indicating a worsening of the condition. However, a shift from intracellular to extracellular fluid was not observed, which is usually associated with a loss of cell integrity.
This pilot study indicates that patients tolerate acupuncture treatments well. The BIA results should be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size. A larger randomised placebo-controlled study is currently being conducted to further investigate the influence of acupuncture and to provide insights into BIA as a reliable tool for evaluating body composition in patients with gastrointestinal cancers.
胃肠道癌症患者常因恶性肿瘤及治疗干预引发的炎症过程而出现营养不良和恶病质。评估患者的营养状况和健康状况对于预防或减缓恶病质进展至关重要。此外，针灸作为一种辅助干预手段可能有助于减轻恶病质和非故意体重减轻。
参与这项初步研究的7名胃肠道癌症患者，除常规治疗方案外，还接受了8次针灸治疗。每隔一次针灸治疗时进行生物电阻抗分析（BIA）测量，以评估患者的身体成分。BIA是一种快速、廉价且非侵入性的评估液体、脂肪和肌肉质量分布的方法，其与营养状况相关。
所有参与初步研究的患者均完成了针灸干预及BIA测量。平均体重减轻率为1.3%，低于文献报道的5%的平均体重减轻率。患者的相位角和去脂体重均下降，表明病情恶化。然而，未观察到从细胞内液到细胞外液的转变，而这种转变通常与细胞完整性丧失相关。
这项初步研究表明患者对针灸治疗耐受性良好。由于样本量小，BIA结果的解释应谨慎。目前正在进行一项更大规模的随机安慰剂对照研究，以进一步探究针灸的影响，并深入了解BIA作为评估胃肠道癌症患者身体成分的可靠工具的作用。
