Acupuncture May Help Manage Hot Flashes and Side Effects for Women Undergoing Breast Cancer Therapy

In a pooled analysis of three clinical trials, published online in the peer-reviewed journal CANCER by Wiley, acupuncture was found to significantly reduce hot flashes and other hormonal side effects in women undergoing endocrine therapy for breast cancer.

Endocrine therapy, which blocks hormone signalling that drives some forms of breast cancer, can be a life-saving treatment, but up to 80% of patients who take it experience hot flashes—a sudden, temporary sensation of body warmth, flushing, and sweating—and other side effects. Many patients who experience these symptoms discontinue endocrine therapy, which can put them at an elevated risk of cancer progression and death.

Other medications can reduce hot flashes, but they come with unpleasant side effects. Studies have evaluated the impact of acupuncture on hot flashes in women with early breast cancer undergoing endocrine therapy.

In the study, researchers conducted three independent randomized controlled trials involving 158 women with stage 0–III breast cancer. The participants were divided into two groups: immediate acupuncture (IA) and delayed acupuncture control (DAC). Those in the IA group received acupuncture twice a week for 10 weeks, followed by 10 weeks without acupuncture. The DAC group received usual care for the first 10 weeks, then switched to once-weekly acupuncture for the next 10 weeks.

The researchers used standardised clinical questionnaires to assess hormonal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and joint pain, as well as quality of life aspects including physical, functional and emotional well-being.

After 10 weeks, the IA group showed a significant reduction in symptoms compared to the DAC group. Specifically, 64% of IA participants reported improvements in the number and severity of hot flashes, compared to only 18% in the DAC group. The IA group also experienced greater improvements in overall quality of life.

Between weeks 10 and 20, the IA group’s scores remained stable. However, the DAC group, which received weekly acupuncture during this period, showed significant improvements in symptoms compared to their scores at week 10. Notably, no participants reported any side effects from the acupuncture treatments.

“By managing side effects, our approach helps patients stick to their prescribed medication, potentially reducing cancer recurrence and improving long-term outcomes for breast cancer survivors. Patients can start with a short trial of acupuncture to see if it reduces hot flashes and other symptoms. If effective, they can continue with regular sessions throughout their anti-hormonal medication regimen,” said lead author Weidong of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Reference: Weidong Lu MB, MPH, PhD, Anita Giobbie-Hurder MS, Anna Tanasijevic MPH, Sylvia Baedorf Kassis MPH, Sung Hwan Park MD, PhD, Young Ju Jeong MD; Acupuncture for hot flashes in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: A pooled analysis of individual patient data from parallel randomized trials; Cancer; https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.35374