BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is one of the most common complementary and alternative medicines used in the treatment of patients with breast cancer. However, the clinical effect of TCM on survival, which is a major concern in these individuals, lacks evidence from large-scale clinical studies. METHODS: The authors used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to conduct a retrospective population-based cohort study of...Weiterlesen

Vasomotor symptoms are common adverse effects of antiestrogen hormone treatment in conventional breast cancer care. Hormone replacement therapy is contraindicated in patients with breast cancer. Venlafaxine (Effexor), the therapy of choice for these symptoms, has numerous adverse effects. Recent studies suggest acupuncture may be effective in reducing vasomotor symptoms in menopausal women. This randomized controlled trial tested whether acupuncture reduces vasomotor symptoms and produces fewer...Weiterlesen

In the largest, most rigorous study of its kind, acupuncture was found to significantly reduce the debilitating joint pain experienced by tens of thousands of women each year while being treated for early stage breast cancer, according to SWOG research results to be announced at a December 7 press conference at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Investigators from SWOG, the global cancer clinical trials...Weiterlesen

A pilot study carried out in China suggests that acupuncture may be effective for reducing cancer pain. In a randomised trial, 42 patients with moderate to severe cancer pain were randomly assigned to three different groups. Those in group one were needled at the ‘Four Gates’ (Si Guan  – bilateral Hegu L.I.4 and Taichong LIV-3), group two received needling at the Four Gates combined with...Weiterlesen

An American pilot study suggests that acupuncture may have a protective effect on white blood cell (WBC) populations in women undergoing chemotherapy for gynaecological malignancies. Twenty-one ovarian cancer patients received either active or sham acupuncture while undergoing myelosuppressive chemotherapy. A standardised acupuncture protocol involving manual and electrical stimulation was applied two to three times per week for a total of 10 sessions, starting one week...Weiterlesen

Quelle: http://www.healthcmi.com  Acupuncture is effective for the prevention of nausea and vomiting caused by cisplatin based chemotherapy. Researchers at the Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine (Hebei, China) conducted a study comparing the effects of drug therapy as a standalone procedure with acupuncture combined with drug therapy. Based on the data, the researchers conclude that acupuncture plus antiemetic drug therapy is significantly more...Weiterlesen

Quelle (15 APRIL 2016): http://www.healthcmi.com Acupuncture and herbs produce optimal positive patient outcomes for patients with peripheral neuropathy due to chemotherapy. Research demonstrates that acupuncture and herbs alleviate pain and numbness of the arms and legs caused by the adverse effects of chemotherapy for patients with several types of cancer. The results demonstrate that a combined protocol of acupuncture and herbal medicine produces a 90%...Weiterlesen

Quelle (11 JUNE 2014): http://www.healthcmi.com Acupuncture reduces chemotherapy side effects for colorectal cancer patients. New research confirms that acupuncture benefits the immune system and improves the psychological state for these patients. Blood samples prove that acupuncture enhances the immune system’s NK (natural killer) cells for colorectal cancer patients. Subjective testing showed improved mental health scores after acupuncture. The researchers concluded that acupuncture is both “feasible and...Weiterlesen

Acupuncture and moxibustion may stimulate anti-cancer immunity, protect bone marrow cells and minimise drug side-effects in colon cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, according to a pilot study carried out in Portugal. Eighteen cancer patients were randomised to either acupuncture treatment or a wait list control group. Patients in the treatment group received six sessions of acupuncture twice a week, beginning one week prior to their first...Weiterlesen

Twelve patients with radiation-induced xerostomia were randomised into real or sham acupuncture groups. Acupuncture was conducted twice weekly for six weeks in a single-blind setting. The effect was evaluated by measuring salivary flow rates (stimulated and unstimulated) and questionnaire-based assessment of subjective symptoms pre- and at three and six weeks post-treatment. Both groups showed a slight increase in salivary flow rates, with no significant difference...Weiterlesen