Acupuncture may reduce hot flashes induced by hormone therapy, a treatment often given to breast cancer patients.
- Hormone therapy, a treatment sometimes given for breast cancer, can cause side effects such as hot flashes.
- Acupuncture may significantly reduce hot flashes in patients treated with hormone therapy.
- About 64% of patients observed an improvement in their symptoms.
Hormone therapy is sometimes used to treat breast cancer. However, this treatment can be associated with various side effects, including hot flashes or excessive sweating. International researchers have recently suggested that acupuncture may significantly alleviate these symptoms.
The beneficial effects of acupuncture on hot flashes
For the purposes of this research, the scientists analyzed data from three clinical trials involving patients living in the United States, China and South Korea. The work was published in the journal Cancer.
Nearly 158 women with stage 0-III breast cancer were included in the analysis. They were divided into two groups: immediate acupuncture and delayed acupuncture control. In the first panel, volunteers received acupuncture twice a week for ten weeks and were followed for another ten weeks without acupuncture. The second group received usual care for ten weeks before receiving acupuncture at a reduced intensity, once a week, for ten weeks.
Acupuncture and breast cancer: 64% of patients reported improvement in their symptoms
During follow-up, participants answered questionnaires to assess their hormonal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and joint pain.
Nearly ten weeks after the trial began, nearly 64% of subjects in the immediate acupuncture group reported an improvement in the number and severity of their hot flashes, compared with 18% in the second group.
During the tenth and twentieth weeks, the results did not significantly change for participants in the first group. On the other hand, significant improvements were identified for patients in the second group. delayed control of acupuncture, who benefited from a weekly session during this period. The use of acupuncture has therefore shown conclusive results in reducing hot flashes. “In practice, patients interested in acupuncture for this purpose may begin with a short trial period, to assess their response to treatment, particularly in terms of reduction of hot flashes and other symptoms. If the trial period yields positive results, patients may then commit to a long-term program, receiving regular acupuncture sessions throughout the duration of their anti-hormone treatment.”noted Weidong Lu, lead author of the study, who is with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (USA).
