P03.17. Utilization of Acupuncture Therapy Among Pediatric Oncology Patients at a Tertiary Care Pediatric Hospital

Acupuncture is infrequently studied in the pediatric oncology population; however, it has immense potential as a complementary cancer care modality. The aim of our analysis was to characterize the patients and utilization of acupuncture therapy among the pediatric oncology population at a tertiary care pediatric hospital. A retrospective analysis of medical records for patients between the ages of 0 and 18 years who were undergoing treatment for an oncological diagnosis and had received acupuncture therapy between January 2004 and September 2012 was conducted with sub-analysis performed of acupuncture treatments received. A total of 133 patients, comprising 3.2% of the pediatric oncology population at our institution, utilized acupuncture therapy during the years 2004 to 2012. A cumulative 523 acupuncture treatments were provided in both the outpatient and inpatient settings. The majority of patients receiving acupuncture were in their teenage years and received between 1 and 5 treatments. While referrals were mainly received for a pain indication or nausea and vomiting, acupuncture treatments provided addressed a wide variety of patients’ complaints. Acupuncture use among the pediatric oncology population is relatively low; however, acupuncture appears to be well tolerated, perceived as beneficial, and without any serious adverse events in this population. These findings help to identify optimal ways in which acupuncture services can be offered clinically to this unique population in the future. Acupuncture therapy demonstrated potential as a beneficial complementary cancer care modality for a wide variety of complaints and cancer treatment-related side effects in patients with varying ages and cancer diagnoses. Further research is warranted to explore evidence-based data with regard to the safety and efficacy of acupuncture use among pediatric oncology patients and to determine its impact on quality of life and treatment outcomes including impact on cancer treatment–related side effects.