# Auricular Point Acupressure to Manage Chemotherapy Induced Neuropathy

> **NIH NIH R01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $656,091

## Abstract

More than 60% cancer patients experience chemotherapy-induced neuropathy (CIN), a severe side effect of
chemotherapy (including platinum drugs, vinca alkaloids, taxanes and/or bortezomib). CIN may cause
treatment delays, dose reductions, or discontinuation of therapy which can affect survival rates. With
improved cancer treatments and longer survival, the late effects of CIN continue to produce a significant
burden in up to 50% of cancer survivors who are suffering from CIN 6 years after treatment, with a 1.8-fold
increased risk of falls. CIN continues to cause significant functional disability, negatively impacts quality of
life, and significantly demands high health care costs and resource use.
We propose to test auricular point acupressure (APA)—a non-invasive and nonpharmacological patient
managed strategy—as an innovative solution for CIN. APA is developed from auricular acupuncture, which
is an invasive (using needles) and passive treatment (administered by a licensed practitioner). APA is a
non-invasive and active treatment for patients with pain. It involves needleless acupuncture-like stimulation
of ear points. Small seeds are taped on specific ear points by a skilled provider and patients press on the
seeds to stimulate ear points three times daily, three minutes per time, for a total of nine minutes per day to
achieve pain relief. APA provides pain relief within 1–2 minutes after ear stimulation and sustains pain relief
for one month after a 4-week APA intervention. APA is popular in Taiwan, China, and Europe. Though its
use is sparse in the U.S., a limited number of clinical trials have supported APA in pain management.
This study will provide vital information to gain a comprehensive understanding of underlying mechanism of
APA on CIN and provide strong impetus for including APA as part of CIN management in clinical settings.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10052307
- **Project number:** 1R01CA245054-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Chao Hsing Yeh
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $656,091
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10052307

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10052307, Auricular Point Acupressure to Manage Chemotherapy Induced Neuropathy (1R01CA245054-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10052307. Licensed CC0.

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