Acupuncture Reduces Side Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment

A study has shown that acupuncture is as effective and longer-lasting in managing the common debilitating side effects of hot flashes, night sweats, and excessive sweating associated with breast cancer treatment compared to conventional drug therapy with undesirable side effects.

There were additional benefits to acupuncture treatment for breast cancer patients, such as an increased sense of well being, more energy, and in some cases, a higher sex drive, that were not experienced in those patients who underwent drug treatment for their hot flashes.

The reduction in hot flashes lasted longer for those breast cancer patients after completing their acupuncture treatment, compared to patients after stopping their drug therapy plan.

Eighty percent of women treated for breast cancer suffer from hot flashes after being treated with chemotherapy and/or anti-estrogen hormones, such as Tamoxifen and Arimidex. Although hormone replacement therapy is typically used to relieve these symptoms, breast cancer patients cannot use this therapy because it may increase the risk of the cancer coming back.

As a treatment alternative, patients are generally treated with steroids and/or antidepressant drugs. These drugs, however, have additional side effects, such as weight gain, nausea, constipation and fatigue. The antidepressant, venlafaxine (Effexor), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is one of the most common drugs used to treat these hot flashes. However, many women decide against this treatment choice because of potential side effects, including decreased libido, insomnia, dizziness and nausea, or because they simply do not want to take any more medications.

The 12-week randomized clinical trial compared acupuncture treatment to venlafixine to find out if acupuncture reduced vasomotor symptoms in breast cancer patients receiving hormonal therapy with fewer side effects than venlafaxine. The study involved 47 breast cancer patients who received either Tamoxifen or Arimidex and had at least 14 hot flashes per week.

Results of the study show that acupuncture reduces hot flashes as effectively as venlafaxine, with no side effects, and also provides additional health benefits to breast cancer patients.

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References:
1. Eleanor Walker, M.D. et al. Acupuncture for the Treatment of Vasomotor Symptoms in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Hormone Suppression Treatment. Henry Ford Hospital Department of Radiation Oncology in Detroit.
2. Image by magneticblue