The use of acupunture to control side effects and pain during treatment for childhood cancer

ABSTRACT

At the Hospital do Câncer in São Paulo, Brazil, appoximately 300 patients per year are diagnosed with childhood câncer. Generally 60 children/adolescents are seen in the outpatient clinics each day (25 receive chemotherapy). The multidisciplinary team includes a consulting acupuncturist (a specialty recognized by the Federal Medical Council of Brazil) to address the side effects of the treatment of childhood cancer. Six children/adolescents, 2 to 20 years of age, were chosen during 2000 to receive this treatment. Diagnoses included soft tissue sarcoma, retinoblastoma, and Hodgkin’s disease, nd one third of the patients were in palliative care. The indications for acupuncture included nause/vomiting, pain, constipation, stress, and aversion to chemotherapy. Children/adolescents, identified by the nurse as appropriate for the treatment, met with the acupuncturist to discuss the indications and carefully explain the procedure. Each needle application took 30 minutes, while the patient was observed by the nursing staff. The nurses removed the needles, gave the discharge instructions, and monitored the child/adolescent during follow-up.