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Not provided at time of registration

To determine whether patients suffering with chronic radiation induced xerostomia experience a reduction in key xerostomia symptoms following treatment with acupuncture in a group setting.

Interventional multicentre randomised phase III crossover trial

Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.  

The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:

2013 Results article in http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23104718 results

Interventional

Intervention Type : Other
Intervention Description : Intervention 1: Nurse/radiographer specialist-led educational package in oral care (control). Two group sessions, weeks 1 and 5, and follow up for 6 months.

Intervention 2: Group acupuncture. Eight weekly group sessions, weeks 1 - 8, follow up for 6 months.

Patients are randomised equally to either intervention 1, or intervention 2. Four weeks after completion of treatment they crossover to receive the alternate intervention.

You can take part if:

1. Patients treated with radical radiotherapy for head and neck cancer at least 18 months previously2. At least one parotid gland within field of radiotherapy3. Patient complains of xerostomia4. No clinical sign of local recurrence5. Age 18 years or over, either sex

You may not be able to take part if:

1. Xerostomia caused by reason other than radiotherapy, e.g., Sjogren's disease2. Previous surgery to more than one parotid gland3. Currently using pilocarpine4. Previous acupuncture treatment for this condition5. Any physical characteristics that could prevent, or complicate, correct needle insertion

Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.

• Sussex Cancer Centre
  Brighton
  BN2 5BE
  

Dr Richard Simcock

The study is sponsored by Brighton and Sussex Medical School (UK) and funded by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) (UK) (ref: C54/A7374).