Effects of Acupuncture on Breast Cancer Patients Taking Aromatase Inhibitors.

Abstract

Although acupuncture has been used in clinical practice for thousands of years, it remains a controversial treatment option to help alleviate pain in cancer patients. In this study, we analyzed published material on randomized trials of acupuncture from MEDLINE published up until July 31, 2018, to assess its effects on pain experienced by cancer patients. Revman 5.0 software was used to conduct meta-analysis with pain score as the index. The results of nine randomized controlled trials involving 592 patients were analyzed and showed that acupuncture can relieve the pain caused by aromatase inhibitors. Weighted mean difference of worst pain and pain severity was -3.03, 95% CI (-3.90,-2.16) and -2.69, 95% CI (-4.08,-1.30), respectively (P < 0.01). This led us to conclude that acupuncture has pain relieving effects against pain caused by aromatase inhibitors.

• Authors: Qing-Ling Qi, Xue Han, Cheng Tang
• Journal: BioMed research international (Biomed Res Int) Vol. 2022 Pg. 1164355 ( 2022) ISSN: 2314-6141 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 36132087 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2022 Qing-ling Qi et al.

Chemical References

• Aromatase Inhibitors

Topics

• Acupuncture
• Acupuncture Therapy (methods)
• Aromatase Inhibitors (adverse effects)
• Breast Neoplasms (chemically induced, drug therapy)
• Female
• Humans
• Pain (drug therapy)
• Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic