ABSTRACT
Background: Acupuncture has been used for many breast cancer treatment-related problems, but how long the effect lasts is unknown. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate how long the effect of acupuncture on breast cancer-related hot flushes and menopause symptoms lasts.Methods: The research design followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement, without language restrictions. Seven databases from inception through February 2019 were accessed; only randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that examined the maintenance effect of acupuncture on hot flushes or menopause symptoms after treatment were included. Cochrane criteria were followed and RevMan 5.2 software was used to analyze trials.Results: In total, 943 patients from 13 RCTs were analyzed. The meta-analysis showed that acupuncture had no significant long-term maintenance effect on the frequency or severity of hot flushes (p = 0.29; p = 0.34), but had a significant 3-month maintenance effect of ameliorating menopause symptoms at 3 months after treatment ended (p = 0.001). No adverse events were reported.Conclusions: Acupuncture significantly alleviated menopause symptoms for at least 3 months, but not hot flushes. Breast cancer patients concerned about the adverse effects of hormone therapy could consider acupuncture as an alternative. Additional acupuncture at 3 months after the initial treatment course could be considered. A large-scale study may help to define the optimal guideline for this issue.
Subject(s)
Acupuncture Therapy , Breast Neoplasms/therapy , Hot Flashes/therapy , Menopause/physiology , Breast Neoplasms/complications , Female , Humans , Randomized Controlled Trials as TopicABSTRACT
Laryngospasm occurring after tracheal extubation in children is potentially dangerous. This study uses acupuncture with bloodletting at the Shao Shang (L 11) or Shang Yang (Li 1) acupoints to investigate whether this technique can prevent or treat laryngospasm. Seventy-six patients were randomly divided into two groups. Patients in the acupuncture group (n = 38) were treated with bilateral Shao Shang acupunctures at the end of the operation. Patients in the control group (n = 38) were not. The incidence of laryngospasm in the acupuncture group (5.3%) was less than that in the control group (23.7%) (p < 0.05). If laryngospasm developed, patients were immediately treated with acupuncture at either the Shao Shang or Shang Yang acupoints. As judged by an increase in peripheral oxygen saturation, the laryngospasm was relieved within 1 min of acupuncture in all patients. It is concluded that acupuncture with bloodletting at the Shao Shang acupoint may prevent and treat laryngospasm occurring after tracheal extubation in children.
