Acupuncture: The answer to side effects of breast cancer treatment

Scientists at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have found that hot flashes are particularly severe and frequent in breast cancer survivors.  These patients cannot rely on the current FDA-approved hormone replacement therapies for hot flashes because the therapies include estrogen.

The results of the study are published this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Hot flashes are brief episodes characterized by sensations of heat, racing heartbeat, flushing, and sweating. Until now there was no clear explanation as to how and why these hot flashes arise, but they are closely linked with low estrogen levels, which is why most people associate hot flashes with menopause. These unpleasant episodes also affect many breast cancer survivors who have low estrogen levels. Even though these women are not at the menopause age, treatment using chemotherapy for breast cancer, or breast cancer surgery, pushes them into premature menopause.