The Effectiveness of Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA) With Standard Therapy in Gynecological Cancer Pain

Pain is one of the most important symptoms of cancer patients, with nearly 40% of all cancer patients experiencing moderate to severe pain. Gynecological oncology patients on palliative care have a chief complaint of pain or significant nausea/vomiting, contrary to the patient's initial complaints on admission such as fever, infection, dyspnea, changes, altered consciousness, bleeding, pancytopenia. Strong recommendations by WHO regarding the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), paracetamol and opioids either alone or in combination in adults, including the elderly and adolescents with cancer-related pain in the early stages, pain relief depending on clinical judgment and severity to achieve pain treatment which is fast and safe. Ear acupuncture is a simple and safe method that can be used alone or in combination with other forms of medical care, which is effective in treating a variety of conditions as well as painful conditions. Based on the previous 2020 systematic review regarding ear acupuncture in its benefits in cancer pain, it was stated that ear acupuncture was effective in treating pain in cancer patients with moderate pain levels, effective for reducing pain scores, faster onset, and longer duration of analgesics. Ear acupuncture is also more effective when compared to standard therapy without acupuncture, so it can be used as an additional modality for cancer pain. Currently there is no research on the effectiveness of BFA ear acupuncture therapy in the treatment of gynecological cancer pain to treat it based on the consistency of point selection, so it is necessary to conduct research on the effectiveness of BFA ear acupuncture therapy in the treatment of gynecological cancer pain. This study aim to analyze the effectiveness of BFA ear acupuncture therapy plus standard therapy on pain intensity (VAS score), changes in analgesic dose, and quality of life (EORTC QLQ C-30 score) in patients with gynecological cancer pain compared to stan