Study praises acupuncture for relief of cancer-treatment symptoms

Acupuncture could help relieve hot flushes caused by breast cancer treatment just as effectively, if not better, than a commonly prescribed drug, research out today suggests.

A small study compared women given acupuncture to treat hot flushes, night sweats and excessive sweating, with those given the anti-depressant Effexor for the same symptoms.

The study on 47 patients found that acupuncture was just as effective as Effexor, also called venlafaxine, in managing the symptoms.

After 12 weeks of treatment, symptoms were reduced for an extra 15 weeks for women who had undergone acupuncture, compared with two weeks for those who had taken Effexor.

The women given acupuncture also reported a better sense of well-being and said they had more energy.

All the patients were being treated for breast cancer with the drugs Tamoxifen or Arimidex and were having at least 14 hot flushes per week at the start of the study.

They were divided into two groups, with the first given a 12-week course of acupuncture and the second a course of Effexor.

The authors of the research, presented at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology meeting in Boston, wrote: “Both acupuncture and venlafaxine groups exhibited significant decreases in hot flushes and other menopausal, quality of life symptoms, as well as decreases in depressive symptoms.”

These changes were similar in the two groups “indicating that acupuncture is at least as effective as venlafaxine” in reducing these symptoms, they said.

“Additionally, numerous patients treated with venlafaxine reported negative side effects including nausea, dry mouth, headache, difficulty sleeping, dizziness, double vision, increased blood pressure, constipation, fatigue, anxiety, feeling ”spaced out“, and body jerking during the night.

“Patients treated with acupuncture experienced no negative side effects. They reported increased energy, clarity of thought, sexual desire, and overall sense of well-being (compared to pre-treatment).

“The results of this study suggest that adding acupuncture to breast cancer treatment regimens may establish an integrative approach that is more effective in managing symptoms due to treatment with fewer side effects than conventional pharmacotherapy treatment.”

Dr Eleanor Walker, lead author of the study and a radiation oncologist at the Henry Ford Hospital Department of Radiation Oncology in Detroit, said: “Our study shows that physicians and patients have an additional therapy for something that affects the majority of breast cancer survivors and actually has benefits, as opposed to more side effects.

“The effect is more durable than a drug commonly used to treat these symptoms and, ultimately, is more cost-effective for insurance companies.”

Around eight in 10 women treated with chemotherapy and/or anti-estrogen hormones such as Tamoxifen and Arimidex, will experience hot flushes.

Carolyn Rogers, clinical nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Care, said: “From supporting women every day, we know that hot flushes are a commonly reported and often distressing side effect of breast cancer treatment.

“Acupuncture has been shown to be helpful for some patients in reducing such side effects, but clinical evidence as to its effectiveness is inconsistent.

“This latest study, which compares acupuncture to the drug venlafaxine, is interesting however with just 47 patients taking part in the trial, we would welcome further in-depth studies.”