Effect of ear Acupressure on Chemotherapy Induced Nausea and Vomiting on Delayed phase in Breast Cancer Patients

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers that can affect women. Chemotherapy is one of the main treatment options for this disease. Despite the use of anti-emetic drugs, the incidence of this complication is reported between 21% and 35% .
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of ear acupressure in relieving delayed nausea and vomiting among women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy.
This study was randomized clinical trial conducted on 48 women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy in Imam Khomeini and Hazrat Rasoul Akram hospital. Before chemotherapy and after obtaining informed consent, the patients were randomly allocated into intervention and control groups. Intervention group received routine medications for controlling nausea and vomiting as well as auricular acupressure. Meanwhile, the control group received only the routine medications. The data were gathered using demographic and Morrow Standard questionnaire; and were compared using statistical tests in the SPSS-21.
The results showed that using ear acupressure led to a decrease in the number and the intensity of nausea at delayed phases and this decrease was statistically significant (P=0/001). The effects of acupressure on the ear led to a decrease in the severity and number of vomiting at delayed phases, and this decrease was statistically significant (P=0/001). Acupressure application did not lead to any complications in the patients.
According to the results of this study, using auricular acupressure on points like, Shenmen, point zero, stomach, Brainstem, and cardiac can relieve nausea and vomiting at delay phase of chemotherapy. It is suggested that nurses use this pressure technique as a complementary, simple and non- invasive, treatment for relieving nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy.