Roscoe, J.A., Morrow, G.R., Hickok, J.T., Bushunow, P., Pierce, I., Flynn, P.J., … Atkins, J.N. (2003). The efficacy of acupressure and acustimulation wrist bands for the relief of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: A University of Rochester Cancer Center Community Clinical Oncology Program multicenter study. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 26, 731-740.

Patients were randomized to one of three study groups.

• Acupressure bands (Sea-Bands®)
• Acustimulation band (ReliefBand®)
• No band control

The intervention or lack of intervention was used in combination with standard antiemetics for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

Patients wore devices (if any) continuously for five days, and those in the acustimulation band group could adjust the intensity of stimulation.

• The study consisted of 739 patients who were chemotherapy-naïve.
• Cancer diagnoses included breast cancer (85%) and hematologic neoplasms (10%).
• The majority of the patients were white (88%) and female (92%).
• Patients were about to receive cancer regimens containing cisplatin or doxorubicin, without concurrent radiation therapy or interferon.
• Patients were excluded from the study if they had pacemakers, bowel obstruction, or symptomatic brain metastases.

The study was conducted at outpatient clinics at 17 geographically diverse member sites of the University of Rochester Clinical Oncology Program.

The study design was a randomized controlled trial.

• Using diaries, patients reported on the severity of nausea and number of vomiting episodes in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night, on the day of treatment and the following four days on a seven-point scale.
• Quality of life was measured using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale-General.
• Demographic data, chemotherapy information, and antiemetics were recorded.
• Efficacy reports of wristband(s) were assessed on a five-point scale prior to treatment.

• Patients in the acupressure group experienced less nausea on the day of treatment compared to controls.
• No significant differences were found in delayed nausea and vomiting among the three groups.
• Pronounced gender differences existed. Men in the acustimulation group had less nausea and vomiting compared to controls. No significant differences existed in women among the three groups, although the reduction in nausea on the day of treatment in the acupressure group approached clinical significance.

A possible placebo effect existed.