Acupuncture and Hormone Therapy

Doctors prescribe hormone therapy to block estrogen, fueling breast cancer, reducing recurrence risk post-surgery. For instance, tamoxifen lowers cancer return rates. Similarly, aromatase inhibitors like letrozole, anastrozole, and exemestane treat breast cancer in post-menopausal women. However, these drugs cause fatigue, hot flashes, and mood swings. Consequently, doctors prescribe steroids or antidepressants, which trigger weight gain and nausea. At Henry Ford Hospital, researchers studied 47 women taking tamoxifen or anastrozole with frequent hot flashes. They divided women into two groups: 24 received acupuncture, while 23 took Effexor for 12 weeks. Both groups tracked hot flash frequency, severity, depression, and quality of life daily.