Effectiveness of Manual Acupuncture for Head and Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemoradiation

The goal of this clinical trial is to assess whether manual acupuncture (MA) is more effective than sham acupuncture in improving leukocyte count and reducing cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients undergoing chemoradiation therapy (CRT). The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does MA, compared to sham acupuncture, increase leukocyte and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) during CRT? * Does MA, compared to sham acupuncture, reduce the severity of CRF as measured by the Visual Analogue Scale-Fatigue (VAS-F)? * Does MA, compared to sham acupuncture, improve quality of life as measured by the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire? Participants will: * Be adult patients with head and neck cancer who have completed induction chemotherapy and are undergoing CRT * Be screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, including normal INR and platelet count above 25,000/mm³ * Be randomly assigned to either the MA group or sham group using Park sham needle * Receive acupuncture at points ST36, SP6, CV4, and CV6 three times per week for seven sessions (total 21 sessions) * Be evaluated for leukocyte count, ANC, fatigue (VAS-F), and quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30) at baseline and at weekly intervals during therapy

NCT Number	NCT07044414
Lead Sponsor	Indonesia University
Conditions	Head and Neck Neoplasms
Enrollment	34 participants
Start Date	2025-09-01
Primary Completion	2025-12-12 (estimated)
Study Completion	2025-12-12 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-12-31