Ear acupressure: a new weapon against chemotherapy side effects?

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria * Age 18-75 years, either sex. * Malignant solid tumor confirmed by histopathology. ③ Chemotherapy-naïve, planned to receive a single-day intravenous highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) regimen, including: * Cisplatin-containing regimens (dose ≥50 mg/m²); * Anthracycline plus cyclophosphamide (AC/EC) regimens; * Carboplatin AUC ≥4; * Other highly emetogenic chemotherapy regimens recognized by guidelines. ④ In accordance with guideline recommendations for HEC regimens, the triple regimen of NK-1 RA + 5-HT₃ RA + dexamethasone is used: ⑤ ECOG performance status score 0-1. ⑥ Life expectancy ≥ 6 months. ⑦ Voluntarily signed informed consent, and able to understand and complete the patient diary. Exclusion Criteria * Nausea or vomiting already present within 24 hours prior to enrollment. * Symptomatic brain metastases, gastrointestinal obstruction, or other organic diseases likely to cause nausea and vomiting. * Local skin breakdown, infection, or deformity of the auricle, or allergy to adhesive tape/Vaccaria seeds (Wang Bu Liu Xing). ④ Planned use of olanzapine, thalidomide, or other antiemetic agents not specified in the protocol as part of the routine prophylactic antiemetic regimen during this chemotherapy cycle (i.e., those receiving a quadruple regimen or other non-standard prophylactic regimens). ⑤ Long-term regular use (e.g., more than 3 times per week) of benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, or sedative-hypnotics; or known history of drug abuse/dependence. ⑥ Severe mental illness or cognitive impairment that precludes cooperation with assessments. ⑦ Receipt of ear acupuncture or auricular acupressure (ear seeds) within 4 weeks prior to enrollment. ⑧ Pregnant or lactating women.