Oncology

Acupuncture Outperforms Drugs on Hot Flashes

Acupuncture does as well and is longer-lasting than drug therapy in handling the hot flashes and sweating that afflicts 80 percent of women who are treated for breast cancer, according to recent research.

In addition, the study showed, treatment with acupuncture engenders none of the nasty side effects associated with conventional drugs. In fact, it produces some very attractive benefits, including a greater sense of well-being, increased energy, and, occasionally, a higher sex drive.

"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," said Eleanor Walker, lead author of the study and a radiation oncologist at the Henry Ford Hospital Department of Radiation Oncology in Detroit.

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

Forty-seven breast cancer patients, each of whom received either of the anti-estrogen hormones Tamoxifen or Arimidex and each of whom experienced at least 14 hot flashes per week, participated in the randomized clinical trial. The patients were divided into two groups, one of which received acupuncture treatment and other of which was treated with venlafixine for their hot flashes for 12 weeks. Acupuncture worked as well as venlafixine, its effects lasted longer than the drug's after the treatment was over, and it produced unanticipated health benefits.

The results are significant because breast cancer victims treated with chemotherapy or anti-estrogen drugs suffer a deficit of estrogen, which produces sometimes life-disrupting night sweats and hot flashes. These can't be treated with hormone replacement therapy, because this has been shown to increase the risk of cancer recurrence. And the drugs that are used to counter the hot flashes and related symptoms have frequent side effects such as weight gain, nausea, constipation and fatigue.

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