title: Acupuncture improves health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) and sleep in women with breast cancer and hot flushes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluate effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) and hormone therapy (HT) on health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) and sleep in breast cancer survivors with vasomotor symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five women, randomized to EA (n = 27) for 12 weeks or HT (n = 18) for 24 months, were followed for up to 2 years. Distress caused by, and numbers of, hot flushes, hours slept and times woken up/night, Psychological and General Well-being Index (PGWB) and Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ) were registered before and during treatment and at 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months after start of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 12 weeks of EA (n = 19), WHQ improved from 0.32 (IQR 0.23-0.53) at baseline to 0.24 (IQR 0.12-0.39; p < 0.001) and PGWB from 78 (IQR 53-89) to 79 (IQR 68-93; p = 0.002). All sleep parameters improved and Hot Flush Score (HFS) decreased by 80%. At 12 months, WHQ, PGWB and all sleep parameters remained significantly improved (n = 14) and HFS decreased by 65%. After 12 weeks of HT (n = 18), WHQ improved from 0.29 (IQR 0.15-0.44) at baseline to 0.15 (IQR 0.05-0.22; p = 0.001), PGWB from 75 (IQR 59-88) to 90 (62-97; p = 0.102) and three of five sleep parameters improved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both EA and HT increased HRQoL and sleep, probably through decreasing numbers of and distress by hot flushes. Although flushes decreased less in the EA group than in the HT group, HRQoL improved at least to the same extent maybe due to other effects of EA, not induced by HT, e.g. on anxiety, vitality and sleep, supported by subscale analyses. EA should be further evaluated as treatment for women with breast cancer and climacteric complaints, since HT no longer can be recommended for these women.
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, University Hospital, 581 85 Linköping, Sweden. Jessica.frisk@liu.se
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frisk
authors.forename: Ann-Christine
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Källström
authors.forename: Najme
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fredrikson
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hammar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires