Latest Headlines
Age should not affect chemotherapy choice for stage IV lung cancer: guidelines
Early PET-CT predicts treatment response of head and neck cancer
Evidence scarce to support RF ablation of colorectal CA metastases in the liver
Casopitant helps curb chemotherapy emesis
Australian scientists plan to regrow breasts after cancer
NEWS PROVIDED BY 
VIEW ALL NEWSAcupuncture eases a side effect of radiation
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When people with head or neck cancer are treated with radiation, a common side effect is dry mouth, and now researchers have shown that the problem can be relieved by acupuncture.
Excessive dryness of the mouth is technically termed xerostomia. Dr. Mark Chambers and colleagues from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, conducted a pilot study to see if radiation-induced xerostomia resulting from radiation therapy for cancer in the head and neck region can be reversed using acupuncture.
Among 19 patients treated twice weekly for 4 weeks, scores on a standard xerostomia assessment scale improved significantly at the end of acupuncture treatment, as well as at 8 weeks after the start of treatment, the researchers report in the medical journal Head and Neck.
However, significant increases in average saliva volume or saliva output were not apparent, they note.
Nonetheless, at week 5 and week 8, there were significant improvements in total quality-of-life scores, as well as improvements in physical well-being at week 8.
"This pilot study demonstrates that acupuncture can improve the subjective symptoms of dry mouth in patients with radiation-induced xerostomia as early as two weeks after starting treatment, and the benefits can remain at least one month after treatment ends," the authors conclude.
"These results are very promising," Chambers told Reuters Health. "However, further research is needed." The team is planning formal clinical trials in China and in the US.
Copyright © 2009 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
NEWS PROVIDED BY
TEXT SIZE 