[Effects of TEAS and acupoint pressing on the quality of life of breast cancer patients during perioperative chemotherapy: a randomized controlled trial].

[OBJECTIVE] To observe the effects of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) and acupoint pressing on the quality of life, sleep quality, and anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients during perioperative chemotherapy.

[METHODS] A total of 150 breast cancer patients during perioperative chemotherapy were randomly assigned to a TEAS group, an acupoint pressing group, and a conventional treatment group, 50 cases in each group. Patients in the conventional treatment group received routine chemotherapy and symptomatic treatment, while patients in the TEAS group and the acupoint pressing group received TEAS and acupressure respectively on this basis. The selected acupoints included both sides of Hegu (LI4), Neiguan (PC6), Zusanli (ST36), and Sanyinjiao (SP6), applied throughout four chemotherapy cycles. At baseline (T0) and the first day after the end of each chemotherapy cycle (T1, T2, T3, T4), functional assessment of cancer therapy-breast (FACT-B), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) scores of patients in each group were compared, and the safety was evaluated.

[RESULTS] Compared with T0, the FACT-B score of the TEAS group at T4 was increased (<0.05). The FACT-B scores at each time point after chemotherapy in the TEAS group were higher than those in the conventional treatment group (<0.05), and the FACT-B scores at T2, T3 and T4 were higher than those in the acupoint pressing group (<0.05). The FACT-B scores of the acupoint pressing group at T2 and T4 were higher than those of the conventional treatment group (<0.05). The PSQI scores of the TEAS group at T2, T3 and T4 were lower than those of the conventional treatment group (<0.05 ), and the PSQI score at T4 was lower than that in the acupoint pressing group (<0.05). The PSQI score of the acupoint pressing group at T2 was lower than that of the conventional treatment group (<0.05). Compared with T0, the HADS scores of the acupoint pressing group were decreased at each time point after chemotherapy (<0.05). The HADS scores of the acupoint pressing group at T1 and T4 were lower than those of the conventional treatment group (<0.05).

[CONCLUSION] Both TEAS and acupoint pressing can improve the quality of life of breast cancer patients during perioperative chemotherapy. TEAS is more effective in improving sleep quality, while acupoint pressing is better at alleviating anxiety and depression.