plus 1, Acupuncture May Cut Hot Flashes, Boost Sex Drive in Breast Cancer ... - abc40 |
| Acupuncture May Cut Hot Flashes, Boost Sex Drive in Breast Cancer ... - abc40 Posted: 02 Jan 2010 02:40 AM PST By Amanda Gardner HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, Dec. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Acupuncture is just as good as standard medication to ease hot flashes and other uncomfortable symptoms in women undergoing breast cancer treatment. And as an added bonus, the needle treatment may boost the patient's sex drive and contribute to clearer thinking. "I think the data shows you that acupuncture is a good option for these patients [and] it has no side effects," added Dr. Eleanor Walker, division director of breast services in the department of radiation oncology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, and lead author of a study appearing online Dec. 28 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. But another expert warned against taking the findings too seriously at this stage. "It's provocative but the problem is it's a small number of patients and, having participated in research trials in vasomotor [hot flashes, night sweats, etc.] symptoms in women, it's a field that has a large placebo effect," said Dr. Jay Brooks, chairman of hematology/oncology at Ochsner Health System in Baton Rouge. "It needs to have a bigger trial." Prior studies have shown that acupuncture can reduce hot flashes in postmenopausal women without breast cancer. All of these studies, however, compared acupuncture to sham acupuncture, not to commonly used drugs, Walker noted. This is the first randomized controlled study to compare acupuncture alongside medication. Many women with breast cancer receive anti-estrogen hormone therapy, usually for as long as five years, in addition to other treatments. Although hormone therapy is effective in reducing tumor recurrence, it does cause hot flashes and night sweats. The antidepressant Effexor (venlafaxine) is the most commonly used therapy for relieving these symptoms, but the drug brings its own problems, namely dry mouth, reduced appetite, nausea and constipation. "We need something that's accessible that doesn't add adverse effects," Walker said. For this study, 50 women with breast cancer were randomly assigned to receive 12 weeks of acupuncture (twice a week for four weeks then once a week) or daily Effexor. They were followed for a year. Initially, both groups of women experienced similar reductions (about 50 percent) in hot flashes and depression, with an overall improvement in quality of life. But the acupuncture benefits were longer lived. Two weeks out, women taking the antidepressant saw a resurgence in hot flashes while women in the acupuncture arm continued to have far fewer problems. About 25 percent of women receiving acupuncture also reported more interest in sex while many also reported more energy and clearer thinking. How might acupuncture work its magic? One expert had a theory. Acupuncture operates as a balancing mechanism, said Janet Konefal, a licensed acupuncturist and assistant dean of complementary and integrative medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. "It is a regulator for the systems of the body," she explained. "It doesn't add or take anything -- it simply increases activity or decreases activity depending upon the points used. In this situation, it helped regulate the endocrine system, thus helping to balance the activity of hormones, neurotransmitters, and other biochemical reactions that regulate the body." However, getting access to the treatment can be problematic, Walker said. "The issue most of the time is the cost of it and whether insurance companies will pay for it," she said. Additional studies also need to look at how often women would need booster acupuncture to minimize their symptoms. More information There's more on breast cancer treatments at the U.S. National Cancer Institute.  Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Acupuncture boosts libido, decreases hot flashes in breast cancer ... - Newstrack India Posted: 29 Dec 2009 09:00 PM PST
Washington, Dec 30 (ANI): A new study has shown that acupuncture not only helps reduce hot flashes, but also improves sex drive of breast cancer patients. The Henry Ford Hospital study revealed that acupuncture, when compared to drug therapy, has a longer-lasting effect on the reduction of hot flashes and night sweats for women receiving hormone therapy for breast cancer treatment.
Women also report that acupuncture improves their energy and clarity of thought, and improve their sense of well-being. "Acupuncture offers patients a safe, effective and durable treatment option for hot flashes, something that affects the majority of breast cancer survivors. Compared to drug therapy, acupuncture actually has benefits, as opposed to more side effects," said study lead author Eleanor Walker, M.D., division director of breast services in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Henry Ford Hospital. During the study, Walker and her research team recruited 50 patients tested the use of acupuncture to combat vasomotor symptoms in breast cancer patients as an alternative to drug therapy. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either acupuncture or venlafaxine treatment for 12 weeks. At the end of 12 weeks, all patients stopped their therapy and were followed for one year. The study found that both groups initially experienced a 50 percent decline in hot flashes and depressive symptoms, indicating that acupuncture is as effective as drug therapy. However, the acupuncture group continued to experience minimal hot flashes, while the drug therapy group had a significant increase in hot flashes. The acupuncture group did not experience an increase in the frequency of their hot flashes until three months post-treatment. The study is published online in the Journal of Oncology. (ANI) Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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