Hot flashes, a problem for about 80 percent of men being treated for prostate cancer with hormone therapy, were reduced in frequency and intensity by acupuncture treatments, a Swedish study found.
Because testosterone feeds the prostate gland and its tumors, reducing its levels helps control symptoms and prevent further growth of the tumors. Hormone therapy reduces levels of testosterone in men who are fighting prostate cancer, but offers only partial relief, and hot flashes are a side effect of this treatment.
The Swedish pilot study of seven men found that the frequency of hot flashes was reduced by 50 to 70 percent. A Phase II clinical trial examining the effects of acupuncture on male hot flashes began in 2004, as well, at the Oregon Health and Science University. The study is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute.
