Acupuncture does not reduce radiotherapy-induced nausea, but patients belie...(motherapy and radiotherapy said Enblom. ...),Health

Acupuncture is increasingly used in cancer care as an alternative to drugs to treat therapy side effects such as pain and nausea, despite unclear evidence that it has any real effect. The percentage of cancer patients using acupuncture for various kinds of symptoms, including nausea and pain, varies from two percent to 30 percent depending on the population.

It is believed that acupuncture works by stimulating the peripheral circulation and activating nerves that prompt the release of important substances from the brain such as endorphins.

It has proven efficacy in pain related to, for example, osteoarthritis, but the evidence for its effect in cancer patients is lacking, Enblom said. In this study, the question of whether invasive acupuncture is more effective than non-penetrating placebo needles for the reduction of radiotherapy-related nausea is answered.

In the study presented at ECCO, 66 percent of patients who got acupuncture and 71 percent who got the sham treatment said they would be highly interested in having acupuncture again if it turned out they needed another course of radiotherapy.

In Sweden, the cost of acupuncture is covered by the state healthcare system when given for indications where it is proven to work.

As long as the best possible available drug treatment for nausea is given to cancer patients receiving radiotherapy, the patient may be satisfied with a gentle and pain free acupuncture treatment and believe it helps. It is not recommended to give acupuncture if it produces pain or harm.

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