Millimeter Wave Therapy Device Combined with Analgesics for the Treatment of Cancer Pain

　　Subject terms: Microwave; Analgesics; Pain, Intractable

　　Abstract: Non-opioid medications for cancer pain have fewer side effects but weaker analgesic efficacy, offering minimal relief for patients with severe cancer pain. Opioid medications, while highly effective at relieving pain, come with more significant side effects; repeated use can lead to physical dependence and addiction, and high doses can cause respiratory depression, resulting in coma. Consequently, cancer patients often face the conflicting challenge of “pain versus control” in clinical treatment. To explore alternative, effective approaches to resolving this dilemma, millimeter wave–assisted therapy is employed for the management of cancer pain.

　　1. Materials and Methods

　　1.1 Materials: From May 1, 2002 to July 1, 2002, 57 patients who were hospitalized in the undergraduate ward and had been clinically and pathologically diagnosed with malignant tumors and experienced pain at Grade II or III were enrolled. Among them, 33 were male and 24 were female, with ages ranging from 18 to 85 years, averaging 52 years. The diagnoses included 17 cases of lung cancer, 13 cases of gastric cancer, 8 cases of breast cancer, 4 cases of liver cancer, 5 cases of rectal cancer, 7 cases of esophageal cancer, and 3 cases of malignant lymphoma. Pain was graded according to the WHO Pain Grading Scale⑴: Grade I (mild pain) – patients experience pain but can tolerate it and continue to live normally, with no significant disruption to sleep; Grade II (moderate pain) – pain is noticeable and difficult to bear, requiring analgesic medication to relieve symptoms and resulting in disrupted sleep; Grade III (severe pain) – pain is intense and unbearable, necessitating potent analgesics to alleviate symptoms and causing severe sleep disturbance. All cases in this group were classified as either Grade II or Grade III.

　　1.2 Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to two groups via a lottery—31 cases in the treatment group and 26 in the control group. The treatment group received acupuncture with a millimeter-wave therapy device, in addition to pain medication according to the WHO pain management protocol, employing both primary and auxiliary acupoints. The four‑radiation millimeter‑wave probe was carefully positioned on the skin surface over each primary and auxiliary acupoint and securely fixed in place, then the power switch was turned on. Treatment was administered once daily for 30 minutes per session, with 10 sessions constituting one course of therapy; efficacy was evaluated after three courses of treatment. The control group received only pain medication according to the WHO pain management protocol, using the same analgesics as the treatment group for patients with comparable levels of pain. Therapy began with non‑opioid agents: indomethacin 75 mg, taken orally three times daily. If ineffective, the regimen was switched to buclizine tablets 100 mg, taken orally three times daily; for patients with severe pain that could not be relieved, morphine 10 mg was administered via intramuscular injection twice daily. As the intensity of pain increased, the daily dose of morphine was gradually adjusted upward.

　　1.3 Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi‑square test.

　　2 Results

　　2.1 Efficacy Assessment: Effective – Pain medication dosage is reduced or downgraded, and pain is relieved; pain medication dosage remains unchanged, and pain does not worsen. Ineffective – Pain medication dosage is increased or upgraded, and pain gradually intensifies.

　　2.2 Assessment Results: Before treatment, the pain levels were compared between the two groups. In the treatment group, 15 patients had Grade II pain and 16 had Grade III pain; in the control group, 12 patients had Grade II pain and 14 had Grade III pain. Statistical analysis yielded χ² = 0.028, with P > 0.05, indicating no statistically significant difference. When comparing the treatment outcomes after pain management, the treatment group showed 25 cases of effective relief and 6 cases of ineffective relief, resulting in a total effective rate of 80.6%. In the control group, 11 cases were effective and 15 were ineffective, yielding a total effective rate of 42.3%. Statistical analysis revealed χ² = 8.09, with P > 0.005, indicating no statistically significant difference.

　　3 Discussion

　　The principle behind millimeter-wave therapy devices lies in harnessing energy resonance to stimulate the body’s metabolism through the energy they generate. When these waves are radiated onto acupuncture points, they induce localized resonance, thereby triggering biological effects at those points. Research has shown that millimeter waves can cause capillaries to dilate and alter blood flow velocity, leading to improved local tissue perfusion, enhanced nutrient and metabolic exchange within tissues and cells, and increased functional capacity and regenerative potential of tissues and cells—ultimately promoting inflammation resolution, reduction of swelling, and relief from spasm. Studies have also demonstrated that millimeter waves possess unique non‑biological effects and long‑range therapeutic effects: by stimulating meridians and acupoints, they regulate the endocrine system, activate the body’s pain‑modulating mechanisms, and accelerate local metabolism, thereby accelerating the elimination of locally produced pain‑inducing substances and providing effective pain relief. Furthermore, evidence suggests⑵ that millimeter waves exert a significant inhibitory and cytotoxic effect on cancer cells, continuously suppressing tumor growth while gradually alleviating pain—a benefit unmatched by any conventional analgesic.

　　This study found that among the 25 patients in the treatment group who showed efficacy, 19 were able to reduce or discontinue their pain medication, with pain relief observed; only 6 patients continued on the same pain medication without any increase in pain. In the control group, all 11 patients who showed efficacy maintained their current pain medication regimen, and their pain remained unchanged. Millimeter wave therapy significantly reduced…

　　It alleviates the severity of cancer pain in patients, thereby significantly reducing the dosage or potency of analgesics they need to take, minimizing the risks of drug‑induced physical dependence, addiction, and respiratory depression, and decreasing the occurrence of the “pain versus control” dilemma. At the same time, the treatment is simple, non‑invasive, and free from toxic side effects, making it well‑received by patients.

　　4 References (omitted)