Electroacupuncture for Preventing Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Patients With Advanced Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥ 18 years.
• Pathological and imaging examinations confirmed the diagnosis of advanced cancer(IV stage), including: breast cancer, gastric cancer, intestinal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer or ovarian cancer;
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status of 0 or 1.
• Scheduled to receive chemotherapy containing a taxane, utidelone, or oxaliplatin, with no significant pre-existing neurological symptoms prior to chemotherapy. Specific regimens include: Colorectal cancer: Oxaliplatin-containing regimen. Gastric cancer: Oxaliplatin-containing or taxane-containing regimen. Breast cancer: Taxane-containing or utidelone-containing regimen. NSCLC or Ovarian cancer: Taxane-containing regimen.
• No history of acupuncture treatment within one month prior to study initiation.
• Adequate major organ function, meeting the following laboratory criteria: Hematology: Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.5 × 10^9/L; Platelet count ≥ 100 × 10^9/L; White blood cell count 3.5 - 9.5 × 10^9/L; Hemoglobin ≥ 100 g/L. Hepatic Function: Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 × upper limit of normal (ULN); Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase ≤ 3 × ULN; Serum bilirubin concentration < 1.5 mg/dL; Serum albumin > 2.5 g/dL. Renal Function: Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 × ULN, OR calculated creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min (using the Cockcroft-Gault formula). Coagulation: International normalized ratio ≤ 1.5, AND activated partial thromboplastin time ≤ 1.5 × ULN.
• Willing to receive acupuncture intervention and undergo subsequent follow-up assessments.
• Voluntarily agree to participate in the study and sign an informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with early-stage cancer.
• Pre-existing peripheral neuropathy prior to the initiation of chemotherapy.
• Severe impairment of major organ function, rendering the patient unable to tolerate standard-dose chemotherapy.
• Presence of active skin infection or other conditions unsuitable for acupuncture treatment.
• Coexisting underlying diseases associated with peripheral neuropathy, such as diabetes mellitus, Guillain-Barré syndrome, or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy.
• Current use of medications for neuropathic pain (e.g., gabapentin, pregabalin).
• Pregnant or lactating patients.
• Presence of dermatological conditions, as assessed by the clinician, that may interfere with the study procedures or outcomes.
• Patients with active brain metastases.
• Patients with a history of implanted cardiac pacemakers or defibrillators, or a history of epilepsy.