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Acupuncture for hot flashes in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: A pooled analysis of individual patient data from parallel randomized trials.

Cancer
January 1, 1970
Weidong Lu et al. (15 authors)
Journal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to determine whether acupuncture improves hot flashes, endocrine symptoms, and quality of life in women undergoing endocrine therapy for breast cancer.

Results Summary

Acupuncture significantly improved endocrine symptom scores, hot flash severity, and breast cancer-specific quality of life compared to delayed acupuncture control. The effects varied by study site but were clinically meaningful overall.

Population

Women with stage 0-III breast cancer receiving endocrine therapy in the United States, China, and South Korea.

Effective Dosage

20 acupuncture sessions over 10 weeks.

Duration

10 weeks

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (6)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
immediate acupuncture (IA)
increase
endocrine symptom subscale score
women with stage 0-III breast cancer undergoing endocrine therapy
mean change ± standard error: 5.1 ± 0.9 vs. 0.2 ± 1.0
statistically significant improvements
#1
immediate acupuncture (IA)
decrease
hot flash score
women with stage 0-III breast cancer undergoing endocrine therapy
mean change ± standard error: -5.3 ± 0.9 vs. -1.4 ± 0.9
statistically significant improvements
#2
immediate acupuncture (IA)
increase
FACT-Breast total score
women with stage 0-III breast cancer undergoing endocrine therapy
mean change ± standard error: 8.0 ± 1.6 vs. -0.01 ± 1.6
statistically significant improvements
#3
acupuncture
decrease
hot flashes
women undergoing endocrine therapy for breast cancer in the United States, China, and South Korea
-
led to statistically and clinically meaningful improvements
#4
acupuncture
decrease
endocrine symptoms
women undergoing endocrine therapy for breast cancer in the United States, China, and South Korea
-
led to statistically and clinically meaningful improvements
#5
acupuncture
increase
breast cancer-specific quality of life
women undergoing endocrine therapy for breast cancer in the United States, China, and South Korea
-
led to statistically and clinically meaningful improvements
#6
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hot flashes are a common side effect of endocrine therapy (ET) that contribute to poor quality of life and decreased treatment adherence. METHODS: Patients with breast cancer wo were receiving ET and experiencing hot flashes were enrolled through three parallel, randomized trials conducted in the United States, China, and South Korea. Participants were randomized to either immediate acupuncture (IA) or delayed acupuncture control (DAC). IA participants received 20 acupuncture sessions over 10 weeks, whereas DAC participants received usual care, then crossed over to acupuncture with a reduced intensity. The primary end point was a change in score on the endocrine symptom subscale of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT)-Endocrine Symptoms between baseline and week 10. Secondary end points included the hot flash score and the FACT-Breast score. A planned pooled analysis of individual patient data was performed using longitudinal mixed models. RESULTS: In total, 158 women with stage 0-III breast cancer were randomized (United States, n = 78; China, n = 40; South Korea, n = 40). At week 10, IA participants reported statistically significant improvements in the endocrine symptom subscale score (mean change ± standard error: 5.1 ± 0.9 vs. 0.2 ± 1.0; p = .0003), the hot flash score (-5.3 ± 0.9 vs. -1.4 ± 0.9; p < .003), and the FACT-Breast total score (8.0 ± 1.6 vs. -0.01 ± 1.6; p = .0005) compared with DAC participants. The effect of the acupuncture intervention differed by site (p = .005). CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture led to statistically and clinically meaningful improvements in hot flashes, endocrine symptoms, and breast cancer-specific quality of life in women undergoing ET for breast cancer in the United States, China, and South Korea.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansFemaleHot FlashesBreast NeoplasmsMiddle AgedAcupuncture TherapyAdultQuality of LifeAgedRepublic of KoreaReceptors, EstrogenTreatment OutcomeChinaAntineoplastic Agents, HormonalUnited States
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy85/10
Quality80/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations3
Citations/Year3.0
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score1.52
Normalized Score0.70
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