Acupuncture for radiotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: A systematic review protocol

BACKGROUND: Assessing the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture therapy for treating patients with radiotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (RINV) is the main purpose of this systematic review protocol. METHODS: The following electronic databases will be searched from inception to Sep 2019: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Wan-Fang Database, and Chinese Scientific Journal Database. All published randomized controlled trials in English or Chinese related to acupuncture for RINV will be included. The primary outcome is the severity and frequency of RINV during radiotherapy. The secondary outcomes is the physical condition and quality of life after radiotherapy. Two reviewers will conduct the study selection, data extraction, and assessment independently. The assessment of risk of bias and data synthesis will be conducted with Review Manager Software V.5.2. RESULTS: The results will provide a high-quality synthesis of current evidence for researchers in this subject area. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of our study will provide evidence to judge whether acupuncture is an effective intervention for patients suffered from RINV. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019130952.