Acupuncture Treatment of Vomiting Caused by Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is mainly used for treating malignant tumor. However, some patients can not withstand the side effects in the digestive system and had to abandon the treatment. In order to prevent vomiting, antiemetics, such as metoclopramide and ondansetron (a new kind of antiemetic), are used. But some patients still vomit after taking these drugs. Moreover, drugs like ondansetron are very expensive for many patients. Since March 1999, we have applied acupuncture to prevent vomiting caused by chemotherapy with satisfactory results. The following is a report of 34 cases observed.