Acupuncture Relative to Sham Control in Managing Breast Cancer-Related Hot Flashes: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• Breast cancer is a leading global cause of cancer morbidity and mortality in women.
• Hot flashes are a common and distressing side effect for breast cancer patients.
• Acupuncture is frequently utilized as a complementary therapy for cancer patients worldwide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of acupuncture versus sham acupuncture for managing hot flashes in breast cancer patients.
• To analyze the impact on hot flash frequency, severity, quality of life, and response rates.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted.
• Searched eight major databases for RCTs comparing acupuncture to sham control for hot flashes in breast cancer patients.
• Outcomes included hot flash frequency, severity, quality of life, and response rate, analyzed using standardized mean difference (SMD) and risk ratio (RR).

Main Results:

• Eight RCTs with 493 participants were included in the analysis.
• Acupuncture showed a significantly higher response rate compared to sham acupuncture (RR: 2.66 [1.63, 4.36]).
• Improvements in quality of life were observed, but results were inconsistent; no significant differences were found in hot flash frequency or severity.

Conclusions:

• Acupuncture demonstrates a higher response rate for managing hot flashes in breast cancer patients compared to sham control.
• Evidence regarding acupuncture's effect on quality of life is inconsistent.
• Due to significant heterogeneity and low-quality evidence, further large-scale, high-quality RCTs are recommended.