It’s an alternative medicine technique.
A recent clinical trial has demonstrated the potential of acupuncture in alleviating hot flashes among breast cancer patients undergoing hormone therapy. This therapy, aimed at blocking estrogen and other hormones that fuel certain types of breast cancer, commonly leads to side effects such as hot flashes, affecting approximately 80% of patients and sometimes prompting them to discontinue treatment, which can heighten cancer risks.
Led by Weidong Lu, an oncology acupuncturist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, the study involved 158 women at various stages of breast cancer receiving hormone therapy. Half of these women underwent acupuncture sessions twice weekly for ten weeks, while the other half did not receive acupuncture initially.
Results showed that 64% of women who received acupuncture reported significant improvements in the frequency and severity of hot flashes compared to only 18% in the control group. Moreover, those receiving acupuncture reported enhanced overall quality of life. Importantly, after the initial ten-week period, the women who had not initially received acupuncture were also offered the treatment and showed similar improvements in their symptoms without any reported side effects.
Lu emphasized the importance of managing treatment-related side effects to help patients adhere to their prescribed medications, potentially reducing the risk of cancer recurrence and improving long-term outcomes for breast cancer survivors. He suggested that patients interested in using acupuncture to manage hot flashes consider starting with a trial period to assess its effectiveness, followed by ongoing sessions throughout their hormone therapy regimen if beneficial outcomes are observed.
Overall, the study underscores acupuncture as a promising adjunct therapy in mitigating the challenging side effects of hormone therapy, offering breast cancer patients a potential avenue to enhance their treatment experience and quality of life.
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