Sep 22, 2008 2:32 pm US/Mountain
Breast Cancer Survivors Find Relief In Acupuncture
DETROIT
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Breast Cancer Pink Ribbon
AP/CBS
Hot flashes, nausea, and fatigue are just some of the debilitating side effects associated with breast cancer treatments. Now a new study shows that acupuncture can ease these symptoms in some women.
Doctors at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit conducted a study comparing acupuncture to drug therapy for the treatment of these side effects.
Read: Henry Ford Study Report
Breast Cancer Survivor Joan Deignan is one woman for whom the treatment is working. She was diagnosed with cancer nine years ago and had two mastectomies.
For many women like Joan, the life-saving treatment of chemo and hormonal therapy comes with night sweats, hot flashes and fatigue. Anti-depressants and steroids have been used for years to ease those side effects, but often they come with side effects of their own.
Now, new research shows those drugs accompanied by acupuncture may be a more effective remedy.
"They have found that it relieves nausea. They've found relief of hot flashes. They have increased energy from it," said Dr. Sharon Rosenbaum, Joan's surgeon.
The Detroit study shows the acupuncture treatment lasts longer than medication. Two weeks after stopping the drugs, women say their symptoms started coming back. With the acupuncture it was 15 weeks.
Acupuncture isn't the only alternative therapy that can help with the side effects of breast cancer treatment. Yoga has been shown to reduce hot flash frequency and severity and may also improve joint pain, fatigue, sleep problems and emotional distress in breast cancer survivors.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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