Acupuncture Can Ease Side Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on June 27, 2024.

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, June 27, 2024 -- Acupuncture can help breast cancer patients deal with the hot flashes that often accompany hormone therapy, a new clinical trial says.

Nearly 2 in 3 women who got acupuncture during hormone therapy reported fewer and less intense hot flashes, results show.

Hormone therapy blocks the effect of estrogen and other hormones that powers some breast cancers.

Unfortunately, 4 in 5 patients (80%) experience hot flashes and other side effects associated with hormone deficiencies, researchers said. This causes some patients to drop hormone therapy, increasing their risk of cancer progression and death.

“By managing side effects, our approach makes it easier for patients to continue their prescribed medication, which has the potential to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and improve long-term outcomes for breast cancer survivors,” researcher Weidong Lu, lead oncology acupuncturist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, said in a news release.

For the study, researchers recruited 158 women with early to advanced breast cancers who were receiving hormone therapy. Half were randomly assigned to receive acupuncture twice a week for 10 weeks.

About 64% of women who got acupuncture reported improvement in the number and severity of their hot flashes, compared to 18% of women not receiving acupuncture, results show. They also reported greater improvements in quality of life.

After 10 weeks, the women not initially chosen also were given acupuncture, and they also had significant improvements in their hormone therapy symptoms, researchers said.

No side effects from the acupuncture were reported.

“In practice, patients interested in using acupuncture for this purpose might begin with a short trial period to assess their response to the treatment, particularly in terms of reduction in hot flashes and other symptoms,” Lu said. “If the trial period yields positive results, patients may then engage in a long-term program, receiving regular acupuncture sessions throughout the duration of their anti-hormonal medication regimen.”

The new study was published June 24 in the journal Cancer.

Sources

  • American Cancer Society, news release, June 24, 2024

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2024-06-28 03:15

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords