This clinical trial aims to evaluate whether far infrared radiation therapy and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation can reduce treatment-related side effects in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy.
The primary objectives of this study are to determine whether far infrared radiation therapy and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation can improve shoulder pain and disability, cervical range of motion, maximum interincisal distance, oral mucositis, systemic inflammation, and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: Group A will receive standard care (control group); Group B will receive standard care plus transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation; and Group C will receive standard care plus far infrared radiation therapy combined with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.
The intervention will be administered over two cycles of concurrent chemoradiotherapy, for a total of 10 intervention days. During each treatment cycle, participants in the intervention groups will receive the assigned treatment once every morning and once every evening for five consecutive days. Outcome assessments will be performed at three time points during each treatment cycle: before the intervention on Day 1 (baseline), after the intervention on Day 3, and after the intervention on Day 5.
Adults aged 30 to 85 years.
Histologically confirmed head and neck cancer.
Scheduled to concurrent chemoradiotherapy.
Able to communicate verbally or in writing, willing to complete study questionnaires, and able to comply with all study procedures.
Presence of wounds or skin lesions at the sites where the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation electrodes will be applied.
Contraindications to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, including a history of epilepsy, brain tumor, arteriovenous malformation, implanted cardiac pacemaker, or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, due to the potential risk of electrical stimulation interfering with the underlying medical condition.
Parallel
Standard Care (in control arm)
Other interventionParticipants will receive standard care during concurrent chemoradiotherapy according to institutional practice. Standard care includes routine pre-treatment evaluation, radiotherapy followed by chemotherapy, post-radiotherapy cold compresses applied to the irradiated area three times daily, and standard supportive care during chemotherapy.
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation
DeviceParticipants will receive transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation twice daily (morning and evening) for five consecutive days during each concurrent chemoradiotherapy cycle. Each treatment session will last 20 minutes. Self-adhesive electrode pads will be applied bilaterally to the Fengchi (GB20), Neiguan (PC6), and Hegu (LI4) acupoints.
Far-Infrared Therapy
DeviceParticipants will receive far-infrared therapy twice daily (morning and evening) for five consecutive days during each concurrent chemoradiotherapy cycle. Each treatment session will last 30 minutes. Participants will be placed in a supine position with the dorsum of both feet exposed. Far-infrared irradiation will be applied bilaterally to the Taichong (LR3) acupoints, with the radiator positioned approximately 20 cm above the treatment sites.
Shoulder Pain and Disability
Shoulder pain and disability will be assessed using the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI). The SPADI is a validated questionnaire that evaluates the severity of shoulder pain and the impact of shoulder dysfunction on activities of daily living. Higher scores indicate greater pain and disability.
Cervical Range of Motion
Cervical range of motion (ROM) will be measured using a goniometer and recorded in degrees. Measurements will include cervical flexion, extension, left and right lateral flexion, and left and right rotation to evaluate cervical mobility in patients with head and neck cancer.
Maximum Interincisal Distance
Maximum interincisal distance (MID) will be measured as the maximum distance between the upper and lower incisors during maximal mouth opening. For participants with natural teeth or dentures, the distance between the upper and lower central incisors will be measured. For edentulous participants, the distance between the upper and lower alveolar ridges will be measured. Measurements will be recorded in millimeters (mm) to evaluate mouth opening function.
Oral Mucositis
Oral mucositis will be assessed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), Version 5.0. The severity of oral mucositis will be graded according to the CTCAE grading system, with higher grades indicating more severe mucosal toxicity.
Inflammatory Biomarkers
Inflammatory biomarkers will be assessed using laboratory blood tests. Complete blood count analysis will be performed to measure white blood cell count, red blood cell count, platelet count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio for evaluating systemic inflammatory status.
Nausea and Vomitin
Nausea and vomiting will be assessed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), Version 5.0. The severity of nausea and vomiting will be graded according to the CTCAE grading system, with higher grades indicating more severe symptoms.
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
