A recent study of breast cancer survivors treated with endocrine therapy found that acupuncture may improve sleep quality and reduce hot flashes, according to results published in Supportive Care in Cancer.
Participants experienced significant improvements after eight weeks, with no side effects reported.
“These findings support the inclusion of acupuncture in symptom management protocols and warrant further integration into treatment plans that prioritize patient-centered care,” the authors wrote.
Long-term endocrine therapy for breast cancer can significantly lower the risk of recurrence. However, treatment adherence and quality of life remain limited due to the numerous side effects these therapies may cause. While pharmacologic therapies to reduce the burden of menopausal symptoms exist, they may carry adverse effects of their own.
The study enrolled 52 women in Italy who received endocrine therapy for breast cancer. All participants had moderate-to-severe hot flashes and clinically meaningful sleep disturbance. Of these, one individual left the study, citing an inability to attend treatment sessions, and another failed to complete questionnaires.
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The authors utilized the Hot Flash Related Daily Interference Scale (HFRDIS), a 10-point scale, to measure the burden of hot flashes on daily life. Similarly, they used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a 21-point scale, to measure the effect of acupuncture on sleep.
After eight weeks of treatment, average HFRDIS scores declined from 4.69 to 3.44. In addition, PSQI scores declined from a mean of 11.40 to 8.45. Specifically, individuals reported improvements in subjective sleep quality, time to fall asleep, sleep disturbances and function during the day. Participants did not report meaningful changes in sleep duration or habitual sleep efficiency, though scores did decline slightly.
Of note, the mean PSQI score of 8.45 after treatment indicates that individuals continued to experience sleep disturbances. Nevertheless, the significant decline in score with acupuncture may point to a potential benefit.
The authors caution that the study included no true control group. Therefore, it is possible that individuals may have felt improvements even if acupuncture has no true causal effect on symptoms, a phenomenon known as the placebo effect.
“Future studies need to incorporate randomized controlled trials with expanded sample sizes to verify the effectiveness of acupuncture compared to sham treatments or standard care,” the authors wrote.
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