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Acupuncture for treating hot flushes in men with prostate cancer: a systematic review

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Abstract

Goals of work

The goal of the study was to assess the effects of acupuncture as a treatment for hot flushes in prostate cancer (PC) patients.

Materials and methods

The literature was searched using 14 databases with dates ranging from their inceptions to December 2008 and without language restrictions. All clinical studies of any type of acupuncture in PC patients were included. Their main outcome measures had to be vasomotor symptoms. Their methodological quality was assessed using the modified Jadad score.

Results

Six studies met all the inclusion criteria. One randomised clinical trial compared the effects of manual acupuncture with acupuncture plus electro-acupuncture. The other five studies were uncontrolled observational studies and therefore had limitations.

Conclusion

The evidence is not convincing to suggest acupuncture is an effective treatment for hot flush in patients with PC. Further research is required to investigate whether acupuncture has hot-flush-specific effects.

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Acknowledgements

M. S. Lee, K. H. Kim, and S. M. Choi were supported by the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (K08010).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Research, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, 305-811, South Korea

    Myeong Soo Lee, Kun-Hyung Kim & Sun-Mi Choi

  2. Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter & Plymouth, Exeter, UK

    Myeong Soo Lee & Edzard Ernst

  3. Department of Oriental Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Oriental Medicine, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea

    Byung-Cheul Shin

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  1. Myeong Soo Lee
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Correspondence to Myeong Soo Lee.

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Lee, M.S., Kim, KH., Shin, BC. et al. Acupuncture for treating hot flushes in men with prostate cancer: a systematic review. Support Care Cancer 17, 763–770 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-009-0589-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-009-0589-3

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