A Feasibility Study of Moxibustion for Treating Anorexia and Improving Quality of Life in Patients With Metastatic Cancer A Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial

Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of using moxibustion for treating anorexia and improving quality of life in patients with metastatic cancer. Methods. We conducted a randomized sham-controlled trial of moxibustion. Sixteen patients with metastatic cancer were recruited from Daejeon, South Korea. The patients were randomly placed into a true or a sham moxibustion group and received 10 true or sham moxibustion treatments administered to the abdomen (CV12, CV8, CV4) and legs (ST36) over a 2-week period. Outcome measures included interest in participating in the trial, identification of successful recruitment strategies, the appropriateness of eligibility criteria, and compliance with the treatment plan (ie, attendance at treatment sessions). Clinical outcomes included results of the Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy (FAACT), answers on the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer 30-item core quality of life (EORTC...