Roscoe, J.A., Matteson, S.E., Morrow, G.R., Hickok, J.T., Bushunow, P., Griggs, J., … Smith, J. (2005). Acustimulation wrist bands are not effective for the control of chemotherapy-induced nausea in women with breast cancer. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 29, 376-384.

Patients receiving doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide were randomized to one of three arms.

• Active acustimulation
• Sham acustimulation
• No acustimulation

Participants were told to wear the assigned band and adjust the acustimulation dial to increase or decrease the acustimulation; they could wear the band as frequently as desired over five days.

• The study consisted of 96 patients.
• All patients were women with breast cancer on the second cycle of chemotherapy.
• Patients’ mean age was 49.5 years.
• The majority of patients were white (n = 87).
• The majority of patients (93%) took some type of antiemetic following treatment.

All participants were treated at outpatient centers at one of four Rochester, NY, area cancer centers.

The study design was a randomized, three-arm trial.

• Demographic information and details of prior nausea and vomiting experience were recorded.
• Five-point Likert-type questions were assessed at the time of randomization following a one-minute trial of the band.
• Patient report diaries were used to measure nausea and emesis over the five-day period.
• The severity of nausea and vomiting episodes, as well as antiemetics, were recorded.
• Quality of life was measured with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale-General.

No significant differences were found in any study measures among the three treatment conditions.

The study does not support the use of acustimulation bands as an adjunct to antiemetics in female patients with breast cancer.

• Only women were included in the study.
• The band could be viewed as a reinforcer (negative conditioning effect) and reminder of an unpleasant state.
• Patients with brain metastases, bowel obstructions, or cardiac pacemakers, or those undergoing concurrent radiation therapy or interferon therapy were excluded.