Insights & Discussion
Acupuncture appears to be a potentially effective treatment for reducing hot flashes in women diagnosed with breast cancer.
In this systematic review, seven extensive databases including internationally recognized sources like PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were searched without any language restrictions to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the impacts of acupuncture on hot flashes in women with breast cancer. The timeframe of these searches spanned from the inception of each database to June 2015.
The results of the 12 identified RCTs suggested an overall potential therapeutic effect of acupuncture on hot flashes in women with breast cancer. Notably, out of these, three studies highlighted a significant difference compared with control groups while one showed encouraging trends. Six studies suggested no notable difference between acupuncture and control treatments. A further two trials revealed negative results when compared to hormone therapy. A meta-analysis of the results also suggested differences in the number of hot flashes post-treatment and during subsequent follow-ups compared with control groups. In three trials, Kupperman index scores were reported, indicating a significant difference between acupuncture and controls after treatment and during follow-up. However, due to the overall relatively small number and inconsistent quality of the reviewed studies, these results should be interpreted with caution.
Discover Related Insights
Soybean intake can potentially reduce risks of several cancers, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and hot flashes, and it may negatively impact some drug treatments and cause allergies.
2023 Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology Benefits of Soybean in the Era of Precision Medicine: A Review of Clinical Evidence Kang JH, Dong Z, Shin SH
Review Article Breast Cancer Hot Flushes Osteoporosis
This research primarily involves review and analysis of current clinical studies focusing on the benefits and risks of soybean ingredients. The method appears to be a systematic review of various epidemiological studies which were investigating the correlation between soybean consumption and the risk of developing multiple types of cancers including breast, prostate, colorectal, ovarian, and lung cancers. Besides cancer, other common diseases such as type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and menopausal symptoms like hot flashes were also investigated. Moreover, any potential adverse effects of soybean, including its possible detrimental impact on certain drug treatments and its allergenicity, were also factors of study in these clinical evidences.
In the discussion of results, the researchers found a significant inverse association between soybean intake and cancer risks, wherein an increase in the consumption of soybean foods was associated with a reduced likelihood of cancer. Besides showing potential anticancer properties, soybean consumption was found inversely correlated with risks of type 2 diabetes. Soy isoflavones, compounds present in soybeans, also showed potential benefits in the management of osteoporosis and hot flashes. On the other hand, the adverse effects of soybean, including interference with certain drug therapies and causing allergies, were also duly noted. Therefore, the research concludes that while soybean promises several significant health benefits, caution should be exercised for individuals under specific drug treatments or with allergies to soy.
Isoflavones, mainly found in soy-derived products, show beneficial effects on bone health, potential cancer risk reduction, and alleviation of menopausal symptoms, but not on cardiovascular risk.
2020 Nutrients Scientific Evidence Supporting the Beneficial Effects of Isoflavones on Human Health Gómez-Zorita S, González-Arceo M, Fernández-Quintela A, Eseberri I, Trepiana J, Portillo MP
Review Article Breast Cancer Hot Flushes Isoflavone
The study examined the potential uses of isoflavones, phenolic compounds mostly found in soy-derived foods and several vegetables. Isoflavones are seen as potential alternative therapies for hormone-dependent disorders due to their near-identical chemical structure to estradiol. These disorders include certain cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and menopausal symptoms. The investigation involved reviewing existing scientific evidence to evaluate the potential effects of isoflavones on these diseases and health concerns.
In assessing the results, the review found evidence suggesting that isoflavones could have a beneficial effect on postmenopausal women's bone health, contributing to osteoporosis prevention and treatment. However, observed study results were not entirely conclusive due to discrepancies among study designs. Contrarily, there appeared to be no significant protective effect against cardiovascular risk with soy isoflavones. In terms of cancer, preliminary observations suggested that isoflavones may reduce some types of cancer risks, such as breast and endometrial cancer. Lastly, isoflavones showed a potential role in reducing hot flushes associated with menopause. Concerning safety, most common adverse effects were mild and observed at the gastrointestinal level.
Acupuncture intervention could significantly improve the treatment outcomes for breast cancer-related lymphedema, regardless of the control treatments used.
2019 Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research Acupuncture therapy for breast cancer‐related lymphedema: A systematic review and meta‐analysis Hou W, Pei L, Song Y, Wu J, Geng H, Chen L, et al.
Systematic Review Breast Cancer Lymphoedema
The methodology of this study began with a detailed survey of public databases, including China Academic Journals Full-text Database, Database of Chinese Sci-Tech Journal, Wanfang, PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library, and focused on looking for randomized controlled trials related to the use of acupuncture for the treatment of breast cancer-related lymphedema. Clinical trials on the treatment of this condition, where acupuncture was used in conjunction with drugs or functional exercise, were singled out for inclusion in the study. The assessment of any potential risk of bias and quality was performed by two investigators using Cochrane Handbook standard, accompanied by meta-analysis with the help of Revman software.
As for the discussion of the results, the study comprised 13 different studies, enrolling a total of 747 patients. Analysis of these enrolled studies revealed that the use of acupuncture intervention showed an increase in success rate in treating breast cancer-related lymphedema. This was evidenced by an observed improvement in the subjective pain, discomfort, and upper limb swelling in patients who received acupuncture therapy, irrespective of the control intervention used. However, it was mentioned that the majority of the studies used in the assessment contained inconsistent efficacy indicators.
Acupuncture has been presented as an effective intervention for reducing limb oedema in women post breast cancer surgery.
2019 Acupuncture in Medicine Effects of acupuncture on breast cancer-related lymphoedema: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials Zhang X, Wang X, Zhang B, Yang S, Liu D.
Systematic Review Breast Cancer
The methodology involved a broad electronic search through six databases for research papers published till November 2017. Only randomized controlled trials focused on the use of acupuncture for breast cancer-related lymphedema were included in the process. Ultimately, six trials, involving a cumulative total of 318 patients, were identified for evaluation. The main outcomes looked at were the pre/post-treatment differences in the diameter of the elbow joint, reductions in upper limb lymphedema and effectiveness index based on arm measurement data in patients with breast cancer.
The analysis of results revealed an overall positive effect of acupuncture intervention on the parameters examined. Two of the studies observed a significant reduction in elbow joint diameter and upper limb lymphedema in the acupuncture groups. Another two studies noted a marked difference in the effectiveness index based on arm measurements between the acupuncture and control groups, favoring the former. The fifth study used bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy and reported a significant reduction in lymphedema. The sixth study, however, did not report any significant difference in bioimpedance between the groups. Overall the results suggest that acupuncture could be an effective method for managing limb oedema in patients post breast cancer treatment.
Acupuncture significantly reduces cancer-related fatigue, especially in breast cancer patients and those undergoing anti-cancer treatment.
2017 Supportive Care in Cancer Effects of acupuncture on cancer-related fatigue: a meta-analysis Zhang, Y., Lin, L., Li, H., et al.
Meta-Analysis Breast Cancer Cancer Fatigue
In the methodology, seven different medical databases were systematically reviewed for randomized controlled trials concerning the effects of acupuncture on cancer-related fatigue up until November 2016. Two independent reviewers assessed for bias and extracted correlated data with the use of Review Manager 5. Ten trials met the eligibility criteria for the meta-analysis, which incorporated a total of 1327 patients; 733 received acupuncture and 594 served as control.
The results showed that acupuncture markedly mitigated fatigue in cancer patients irrespective of whether they were simultaneously undergoing anti-cancer treatment, with particularly substantial effects among those with breast cancer. The duration and frequency of acupuncture sessions varied, but all schedules produced meaningful effects. While a majority of the trials reported no negative events, one highlighted manageable incidents such as spot bleeding and bruising. Overall, acupuncture was found to be a successful method for managing cancer-related fatigue.
Sign In
Users not signed in are limited to viewing the 5 most recent items of content.