TY - JOUR AU - Baccetti, Sonia AU - Cortesi, Elisabetta Barbara AU - Monechi, Maria Valeria AU - Di Stefano, Mariella AU - Cucca, Barbara AU - Conti, Tommaso AU - Traversi, Antonella AU - Terranova, Filippa AU - Montelatici, Roberto AU - Barberousse, Sylvie Yvonne AU - Sabatini, Federica AU - Vuono, Catia AU - Bini, Christian AU - Rossi, Elio AU - Martella, Francesca PY - 2019 DA - 2019/10/25 TI - Evaluating the Effectiveness of Acupuncture, Plum Blossom, and Auriculotherapy in Treating Pain and Hot Flashes in Breast cancer Patients: An Observational Retrospective Study JO - OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine SP - 061 VL - 04 IS - 04 AB - Background: Pain and vasomotor symptoms are common side effects in breast cancer patients. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may be an option of care for these side effects in a multidisciplinary pathway. Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate if TCM is safe and effective in hot flashes and pain of women affected by breast cancer. Materials and Methods: In the Centre Fior di Prugna of the Local Unit Tuscany centre from January 2012 to August 2016 128 questionnaires were analyzed. These were administered to 115 women with breast cancer (operated and/or undergoing chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy and/or hormonal treatment who had hot flashes or pain or both the symptoms). All the women received acupuncture according to a pre-specified protocol including plum blossom needle, somatic acupuncture and auriculotherapy. The effectiveness in hot flashes was evaluated by the questionnaires Hot Flash Score (HFS) and that in the pain at rest and during movement by the questionnaires with the verbal scale Present Pain Intensity (PPI) and Numeric Pain Intensity Scale (NRS) Results: No relevant side effects were registered. All the outcome indices have significantly improved. The average number of hot flashes in 24 hours changed from 14.2 before treatment to 7.52 at the end (p value SN - 2573-4393 UR - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.1904061 DO - 10.21926/obm.icm.1904061 ID - Baccetti2019 ER -