Effect of acupuncture on hot flush and menopause symptoms in breast cancer- A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

BackgroundMany breast cancer patients suffer from hot flush and medical menopause as side effects of treatment. Some patients undergo acupuncture, rather than hormone therapy, to relieve these symptoms, but the efficacy of acupuncture is uncertain. This meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of acupuncture on hot flush and menopause symptoms in women with breast cancer.MethodsA literature search was performed, following the PRISMA Statement and without language restrictions, of 7 databases from inception through March 2017. All selected studies were randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that examined the effect of needle acupuncture on hot flush and menopause symptoms in patients with breast cancer. The methodological quality of these trials was assessed using Cochrane criteria, and meta-analysis software (RevMan 5.2) was used to analyze the data.ResultsWe examined 844 breast cancer patients (average age: 58 years-old) from 13 RCTs. The trials had medium-to-high quality, based on the modified Jadad scale. The meta-analysis showed that acupuncture had no significant effect on the frequency and the severity of hot flush (p = 0.34; p = 0.33), but significantly ameliorated menopause symptoms (p = 0.009). None of the studies reported severe adverse events.ConclusionsAcupuncture significantly alleviated menopause symptoms, but had no effect on hot flush. Breast cancer patients concerned about the adverse effects of hormone therapy should consider acupuncture. Further large-scale studies that also measure biomarkers or cytokines may help to elucidate the mechanism by which acupuncture alleviates menopause symptoms in patients with breast cancer.

Prevalence of and attitudes towards complementary therapy use for weight after breast cancer in Australia: a national survey

“…Further, acupuncture may alleviate co-morbid anxiety symptoms in people with obesity [23,32,33]. Given that acupuncture is a relatively safe treatment [34][35][36] and may have additional benefits in women with BC including relief of chemotherapyinduced peripheral neuropathy [37], aromatase-inhibitor induced arthralgia [38,39], menopausal symptoms [40] and lymphoedema [41], it may represent a useful adjunctive therapy that can assist women in managing a number of bothersome symptoms and manage weight. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies examining the effectiveness of acupuncture for weight loss in women with BC, and such research appears warranted.…”

Investigation of the role of herbal medicine, acupressure, and acupuncture in the menopausal symptoms: An evidence-based systematic review study

“…On the other hand, modern Western medicine has investigated the mechanism of acupuncture based on changes in neurological, physiological, and hormonal neuronal activities. [ 99 ] Some studies show that acupuncture increases endorphin activity. Therefore, it modulates thermoregulation in the hypothalamus and neutralizes temperature in patients with vasomotor syndrome.…”

“…[ 143 ] Another branch of complementary and alternative medicine is acupuncture. [ 99 ] Acupuncture is used to treat menopausal symptoms as a complementary and alternative therapy without serious side effects. [ 113 ] We examined 18 acupuncture studies.…”

The effectiveness of anticancer traditional Korean medicine treatment on the survival in patients with lung, breast, gastric, colorectal, hepatic, uterine, or ovarian cancer

“…Recent reviews have suggested that adjunct CAM therapies, including acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and herbs, have benificial effects on cancer-related symptoms, conventional treatment-associated side effects, and the response rate of the tumor. [ 27 – 34 ] However, limited cohort evidence has been published on its effects on survival and quality of life for patients being treated with TKM. The objective of this prospective cohort study is to evaluate both the effect of ACTKMT on EFS, DFS/PFS, OS, quality of life, blood test results, and telomere length and the adverse events associated with ACTKMT.…”