• Delayed nausea by Marrow Assessment of Nausea and Emesis at 1, 3, and 6 weeks after study completion
  

• Quality of life by QLQ C-30 at 1, 3, and 6 weeks after study completion
  
• Pain by Brief Pain Inventory at 1, 3, and 6 weeks after study completion
  

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• Determine the efficacy of electroacupuncture, in terms of reducing acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea, in patients with newly diagnosed pediatric sarcoma, neuroblastoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, or germ cell tumors.

Secondary

• Determine the efficacy of this therapy, in terms of reducing delayed chemotherapy-induced emesis, in these patients.
• Determine the efficacy of this therapy, in terms of altering salivary cortisol levels and fasting serum glucose and insulin levels as stress parameters, in these patients.
• Determine the efficacy of this therapy, in terms of improving the quality of life, in these patients.
• Determine the efficacy of this therapy, in terms of reducing acute nausea and emesis, in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind study. Patients are stratified according to planned treatment with cisplatin-based chemotherapy (yes vs no) and gender. Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

• Arm I: Patients undergo electroacupuncture to specific acupuncture points on the arms and legs over 25 minutes twice daily on days 1 and 2 and then once daily on days 3-7 during week 1 of chemotherapy course 1 (9 acupuncture treatments total).
• Arm II: Patients undergo electroacupuncture to sham points on the arms and legs as in arm I.

Quality of life is assessed at baseline, on days 1 and 8 of each treatment course, and then after completion of the study.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 65 patients (approximately 32 per arm) will be accrued for this study within 2.5-3 years.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Newly diagnosed malignancy of 1 of the following types:

  • Pediatric sarcoma
  • Neuroblastoma
  • Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
  • Germ cell tumor
  • Hodgkin lymphoma

• Meets 1 of the following criteria:

  • Eligible for Children's Oncology Group (COG) protocol for sarcoma, neuroblastoma, or germ cell tumor
  • Eligible for NCI Pediatric Oncology Branch (POB) protocol for sarcoma
  • Following COG-approved standard treatment regimen for sarcoma, neuroblastoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, or germ cell tumor
  • Enrolled on the POB natural history protocol 98-C-0037
• Planned treatment, according to COG or POB protocols, that includes a cisplatin- and/or doxorubicin-containing regimen for sarcoma, neuroblastoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, germ cell tumor, or Hodgkin lymphoma OR either a cyclophosphamide/ifosfamide-doxorubicin-containing or cyclophosphamide/dactinomycin-containing regimen for rhabdomyosarcoma
• No clinical or radiographic signs of spinal cord compression

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 5 to 35

Performance status:

• Not specified

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Platelet count greater than 50,000/mm^3 (transfusion independent)
• No clotting disorders, including hemophilia

Hepatic:

• PT and PTT normal (within 10% of institution's upper limit of normal)

Renal:

• Not specified

Other:

• Not pregnant
• No casting of 1 or more extremities
• No other condition that would preclude access to acupuncture points
• No cognitive impairment

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior systemic chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• More than 4 weeks since prior glucocorticoid therapy
• No concurrent glucocorticoid therapy

Radiotherapy:

• Not specified

Surgery:

• Not specified

Other:

• No prior acupuncture
• No concurrent anticoagulants