Written by Edzard Ernst and the CAM-Cancer Consortium.
Updated March 6, 2011

Acupuncture for hot flushes, vasomotor symptoms, breathlessness, xerostomia, chemotherapy-induced leucopenia and for alleviating the adverse effects of conventional breast cancer therapies

Abstract and key points

  • Acupuncture usually entails the needling of specific points on the body surface.
  • Some evidence indicates that acupuncture could be effective in alleviating breathlessness. Evidence is unclear for chemotherapy-induced leucopenia and adverse effects of breast cancer, and fails to be positive for hot flushes and xerostomia.
  • Serious complications are probably very rare.

Acupuncture usually entails needling specific points of the body surface. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) philosophy, illness is caused by imbalances of energies in the body and acupuncture is a treatment that re-balances energies. Therefore, it is claimed to be helpful in most human condition, and many providers advocate it for a wide range of conditions and symptoms.

Low strength evidence indicates that acupuncture could be effective in alleviating breahtlessness in advanced stages of cancer. The effect of acupuncture on chemotherapy-induced leucopenia and on adverse effects of breast cancer therapies is unclear. Evidence fails to be positive for acupuncture as a treatment of hot flushes and xerostomia.

Mild adverse effects can be expected in about 10% of all cases and serious complications, such as pneumothorax and hepatitis, seem to be very rare.

In conclusion, there is insufficient evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture for the treatment of hot flushes, vasomotor symptoms, breathlessness, xerostermia, chemotherapy-induced leucopenia and for alleviating the adverse effects of conventional breast cancer therapies.

Citation

Edzard Ernst, CAM-Cancer Consortium. Acupuncture for other cancer-related complaints [online document]. http://www.cam-cancer.org/CAM-Summaries/Mind-body-interventions/Acupuncture-for-other-cancer-related-complaints. March 6, 2011.

Document history

First published in March 2011, authored by Edzard Ernst.

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