Prospective Study of Non-invasive Acupuncture-like Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (Altens) to Help Alleviate Xerostomia After Radiation Therapy for Cancers of the Head and Neck
Summary
The purpose of this study would like to learn if acupuncture-like electrical therapy can be used in patients with head and neck cancer who have had radiation treatment to treat dry mouth.
Detailed description
In this study the investigator would like to better understand if acupuncture-like electrical therapy can be used in patients with head and neck cancer who have had radiation treatment to treat dry mouth. Acupuncture has been shown to help some people with symptoms of dry mouth, and low-level electrical stimulation of acupuncture points has been shown to have similar results as acupuncture treatment with needles.
Arms & interventions
- RadiationAcupuncture-Like Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation (ALTENS)
Twice weekly ALTENS therapy for 12 weeks
Outcome measures
Primary
Number of patients with a mean parotid dose > 25 Gy have an improvement on the XeQoL questionnaire that is significantly different than those with a mean dose < 25 Gy
Measure by responses to XeQoL questionnaire
Time frame: 6 Months
Secondary
Incidence of Treatment-Related Adverse Events [Safety and Tolerability]
Time frame: 6 Months
Eligibility criteria
Study locations (1)
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York, 14642