#2996 Hot flashes Treatment with Auricular Acupuncture M Dubreuil Lemaire, J Llory, J Hamelin, D Bourgeois, J Vannetzel; Clinique Hartmann, Neuilly Sur Seine, France Hot flashes (HF) in women with breast cancer represent a difficult therapeutic problem. estrogen-progesterone preparations which are usually effective on these symptoms are contra-indicated in these patients (pts). In addition, anti-estrogen treatments which is often used in these pts, itself causes hot flashes. Auricular acupuncture was shown to be effective in the management of functional symptoms and we felt that it would be useful to assess the effectiveness of this treatment of HF in pts with breast cancer. An open pilot study enrolled 30 pts with breast cancer suffering from HF for more than six months to be included between January and September 2000: median age was 55 y (42-71), twenty-two of them treated with Tamoxifen. The two end-points were the daily number of HF and their severity measured on a numerical scale from 0-10. The pts were treated with one session each month. Two pts were lost to follow up. Eighteen pts (60%) improved. The daily number of HF in these pts reduced, on average, by 55% and severity by 50%. In all cases the fall in the number of HF correlated with the reduction of severity of HF before after % Wilcoxon Treatment treatment reduction test Number HF/day median 10 4.5 55% p<0.0001 range 4-25 0-13 Intensity median 8 4 50% p,0.0001 range 4-100-7. Two patients developed minor, reversible adverse effects consisting of auricular pruritis (n=1) and nausea (n=1). In conclusion: Auricular acupuncture appears to be an effective and well tolerated treatment for hot flashes, particularly indicated for patients treated for breast cancer. PA men receiving hormone treatments Similar results Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.