title: Acupuncture for hot flashes in patients with prostate cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of acupuncture on hot flash frequency and intensity, quality of life, and sleep quality in patients undergoing hormonal therapy for prostate cancer. Hot flashes are a common adverse effect of hormonal therapy for prostate cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Men who had a hot flash score > 4 who were receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer underwent acupuncture with electrostimulation biweekly for 4 weeks, then weekly for 6 weeks, using a predefined treatment plan. The primary endpoint was a 50% reduction in the hot flash score after 4 weeks of therapy, calculated from the patients' daily hot flash diaries. The hot flash-related quality of life and sleep quality and biomarkers potentially related to hot flashes, including serotonin, calcitonin gene-related peptide, and urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 25 men were enrolled from September 2003 to April 2007. Of these, 22 were eligible and evaluable. After 4 weeks, 9 (41%, 95% confidence interval 21%-64%) of 22 patients had had a > 50% reduction in the hot flash score. Of the 22 patients, 12 (55%, 95% confidence interval 32%-76%) met this response definition at any point during the therapy course. No patient had a significant increase in hot flash score during therapy. A reduced hot flash score was associated with improvement in the hot flash-related quality of life and sleep quality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multiple placebo-controlled trials have demonstrated a 25% response rate to placebo treatment for hot flashes. Of the 22 patients, 41% had responded by week 4 and 55% overall in the present pilot study, providing evidence of a potentially meaningful benefit. Additional studies of acupuncture for hot flashes in this population are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA. beert@ohsu.edu
authors.forename: Tomasz M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benavides
authors.forename: Sandra L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Emmons
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: Guohui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garzotto
authors.forename: Deirdre
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Donovan
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katovic
authors.forename: Caron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reeder
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eilers
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000097:blood; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009919:Orchiectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D012701:Serotonin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide