The Clinical Efficacy of Electroacupuncture Combined With PD-1 Inhibitor in the Treatment of ECOG2 Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Other
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY

The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture (EA) combined with PD-1 inhibitors in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have an ECOG performance status of 2 through a multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial. The core scientific question addressed in this study was whether EA combined with standard immunotherapy could further improve progression-free survival (PFS), immune function, and quality of life in these patients. Patients meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive EA plus a PD-1 inhibitor (trial group) or sham EA plus a PD-1 inhibitor (control group) through a computerized randomization system. PD-1 inhibitors were administered every 21 days for four to six cycles, followed by maintenance therapy according to each patient's condition. EA intervention was initiated on the first day of each immunotherapy cycle and administered once daily for five sessions per cycle, continuing for four to six cycles. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), first-line treatment completion rate, quality of life as assessed by the EORTC QLQ-C30 scale, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome score, immune function index, and incidence of adverse events according to CTCAE 5.0 criteria. In addition, peripheral blood was collected from patients at baseline for non-coding RNA sequencing, and differentially expressed genes were identified through bioinformatics analysis to determine potential molecular biomarkers associated with the synergistic effects of EA, thereby providing a basis for accurately identifying patients likely to benefit from EA therapy.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 18
Healthy Volunteers: f
View:

• Patients diagnosed with stage ⅢB-Ⅳ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) confirmed by pathological or cytological examination;

• Patients with negative driver gene mutations, excluding those harboring EGFR mutations, ALK rearrangements, or other common driver gene alterations as determined by genetic testing or other molecular biological methods;

• An Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status score of 2;

• A programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥ 1%;

• An expected survival time of more than 3 months, as assessed by the clinician based on the patient's overall condition, tumor progression, and response to treatment;

• Patients with good treatment compliance who provided written informed consent, confirming their understanding of and willingness to undergo treatment and follow-up according to the study protocol.

Locations
Other Locations
China
First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
RECRUITING
Tianjin
Contact Information
Primary
Fanming Kong, PhD
kongfanming08@163.com
+86 22 27986525
Time Frame
Start Date: 2025-11-30
Estimated Completion Date: 2027-12-31
Participants
Target number of participants: 120
Treatments
Experimental: EA + ICIs group
Bilateral Zusanli (ST36) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupoints were selected. After obtaining deqi sensation upon needle insertion, an electroacupuncture device was connected to each of the selected acupoints. A sparse-dense wave mode was chosen, with an intensity ranging from 0.5 to 2 mA, adjusted according to patient tolerance. The needles were retained for 20 minutes before removal. The electroacupuncture treatment was initiated on the same day as the commencement of the immunotherapy cycle, administered once daily for a total of five sessions, ensuring that each immunotherapy cycle was synchronized with electroacupuncture treatment. The overall treatment consisted of 4 to 6 cycles.
Sham_comparator: Sham EA + ICIs group
Bilateral Zusanli (ST36) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupoints were selected. Electroacupuncture devices were connected to these acupoints. A sparse-dense wave mode was utilized, with an intensity ranging from 0.5 to 2 mA, and the needles were retained for 20 minutes before removal. In the sham electroacupuncture group, no manual manipulation was performed. The placement of electrodes and other treatment settings were identical to those in the electroacupuncture group, but without skin penetration, electrical output, or needling techniques to induce deqi. Electroacupuncture treatment was initiated on the same day as the start of the immunotherapy cycle, administered once daily for a total of five sessions, ensuring synchronization with each immunotherapy cycle. The overall treatment regimen consisted of 4 to 6 cycles.
Sponsors
Leads: Kong Fanming

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov