OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effects between moxibustion combined with 5-hydroxy tryptamine (5-HT) receptor antagonist and simple 5-HT receptor antagonist in the prevention and treatment of nausea and vomiting caused by cisplatin chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer.

METHODSFifty-eight patients with lung cancer who were treated with cisplatin chemotherapy were randomly assigned into an observation group and a control group, 29 cases in each one. The patients in the two groups were applied by 5-HT receptor antagonist to prevent nausea and vomiting on the 1st through 3rd days of chemotherapy. Moxibustion at Baihui (GV 20) and Zhongwan (CV 12) was used in the observation group 1-3 days before chemotherapy for 1 course, 3 days as 1 course, 5 cones each acupoint and once a day. Rhodes's index of nausea and vomiting and retching (INVR) was recorded in 0-24 h, 24-48 h, 48-72 h and 72-96 h of chemotherapy. The rates of nausea and vomiting, as well as fatigue degree were observed in the above 4 time periods. The safety was assessed.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the scores of nausea and vomiting in 0-24 h, 24-48 h, 48-72 h and 72-96 h of chemotherapy in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (all <0.01). The nausea rates in the above 4 time periods in the observation group were 37.9% (11/29), 62.1% (18/29), 60.7% (17/28) and 17.4% (4/23), which were lower than 93.1% (27/29), 89.7% (26/29), 89.3% (25/28), 52.0% (13/25) in the control group respectively (all <0.05). The vomiting rates in the above 4 time periods in the observation group were 10.3% (3/29), 31.0% (9/29), 32.1% (9/28) and 13.0% (3/23), which were better than 37.9% (11/29), 79.3% (23/29), 82.1% (23/28) and 44.0% (11/25) in the control group (all <0.05). The fatigue scores in the observation group in 0-24 h, 24-48 h, 48-72 h and 72-96 h of chemotherapy were lower than those in the control group (all <0.01). There was no adverse reactions in the two groups during chemotherapy, such as skin toxicity, diarrhea, fever, allergy, etc.

CONCLUSIONMoxibustion combined with 5-HT receptor antagonist can obviously reduce the rates and degrees of nausea and vomiting caused by cisplatin chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer, which are better than simple 5-HT receptor antagonist, without apparent adverse reactions.