Desert Sands Cancer Care
Cancer Research
Below is a listing of some research articles showing some of the benefits of incorporating acupuncture in the cancer management plan.
A Safety and Efficacy Pilot Study of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Chronic Lymphoedema
http://aim.bmj.com/content/early/2011/06/17/aim.2011.004069.full
Recent Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center research demonstrates that acupuncture significantly reduces lymphoedema related arm swelling in women after breast cancer surgery. The study concludes that acupuncture is safe and that some of the women in the study showed a 30 percent or better reduction of lymphoedema -related arm swelling.
Participants received acupuncture twice per week for a total of four weeks. Results were calculated after a six month follow-up. The study concludes that “acupuncture appears safe and may reduce lymphoedema associated with breast cancer surgery.”
Acupuncture Helps Ease Side Effects and Symptoms of Some Cancers
http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/98469.cfm
This article outlines some studies done at Sloan-Kettering using acupuncture for side effects and symptoms of cancer.
Acupuncture for Pain and Dysfunction After Neck Dissection: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2881730/?tool=pubmed
This study was done to determine whether acupuncture reduces pain and dysfunction in patients with cancer with a history of neck dissection. The secondary objective was to determine whether acupuncture relieves dry mouth in these patients. The concluding summary were “significant reductions in pain, dysfunction, and xerostomia were observed in study patients receiving acupuncture versus usual care. Acupuncture treatment was well tolerated. Although further study is needed, these data support the potential role of acupuncture in addressing post–neck dissection pain and dysfunction, as well as xerostomia.”
(Study conducted at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center)
Clinical Effectiveness and Safety of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Irradiation-induced Xerostomia in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: a Systematic Review
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21062848
According to this study “Limited evidence suggests that acupuncture is beneficial for irradiation-induced xerostomia. Although current evidence is insufficient to recommend this intervention, it is sufficient to justify further studies.”
Is There a Role for Complementary Therapy in the Management of Leukemia?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2792198/?tool=pubmed
This article from the National Institutes of Health lists studies involving acupuncture and other therapies which are beneficial to the patient with leukemia.
Acupuncture Treatment for Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy--a Case Series
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16783284
This article is summaries as “The responses were encouraging, and cannot be easily explained by the known neurophysiological mechanisms of acupuncture.”
The Value of Acupuncture in Cancer Care
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2642987/?tool=pubmed
This is a good source of general information.
Acupuncture-Point Stimulation for Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting
http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/23/28/7188.abstract
This article concludes that: Electroacupuncture has demonstrated benefit for chemotherapy-induced acute vomiting, but studies with state-of-the-art antiemetics as well as studies for refractory symptoms are needed to determine clinical relevance. Acupressure seems to reduce chemotherapy-induced acute nausea severity.”
Acupuncture Versus Venlafaxine for the Management of Vasomotor Symptoms in Patients with Hormone Receptor-positive Breast Cancer: a Randomized Controlled Trial
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20038728?dopt=Citation
According to the article summary: Acupuncture appears to be equivalent to drug therapy in these patients. It is a safe, effective and durable treatment for vasomotor symptoms secondary to long-term antiestrogen hormone use in patients with breast cancer.”
Acupuncture: Role in Comprehensive Cancer Care--a Primer for the Oncologist and Review of the Literature
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15911926
Some portions of the abstract that are noteworthy include: “ Although relatively few studies have been done on anxiety and depression, several researchers have found acupuncture to be just as effective as or more effective than antidepressants for patients without cancer. Studies on breathlessness, while small, have shown acupuncture to have a significant positive effect on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, breathlessness associated with end-stage cancer, and asthma. Researchers studying xerostomic individuals who have received salivary gland irradiation found significant positive results in salivary flow rates compared to baseline. Patients with hot flashes due to hormonal imbalance may benefit from the use of acupuncture. A recent pilot study showed improvement of chronic postchemotherapy fatigue following acupuncture treatments. Many individuals with cancer have turned to acupuncture because their symptoms persisted with conventional treatments or as an alternative or complement to their ongoing treatments. “
Acupuncture May Help With Side Effects of Hormone Therapy, Study Finds
Acupuncture may be just as effective as an antidepressant at reducing the unpleasant side effects associated with using hormone therapy for breast cancer, according to new research presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO).