Acupuncture treatment reduced anxiety, depression and improved immune system by increasing natural killer cells, white blood cells and other body defence cells of patients with colorectal cancer treated with chemotherapy, according to a study reported in the journal Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers and is a major cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Chemotherapy is one of common treatments for colorectal cancer. One of main adverse effects of chemotherapy is suppression of body immune system which has a major prognostic and predictive impact on the fate of cancer patients. How to improve immune system of cancer patients is very important.
Dr. Irene Pais and colleagues in Portugal conducted a randomized pilot study to assess immumodulative effect of acupuncture on colorectal cancer patients who were undergoing chemotherapy. The cancer patients were given acupuncture at acupoints LV3, ST36, SP3, GB39, LI4, PC5, TB5, and LU7 for 45 min, during which moxibustion was applied on following acupoints SI6, TB5, ST32 and CV6 for 2 min, twice a week for total 6 sessions. Blood tests were carried out prior, during and following acupuncture treatment. Anxiety and depression scores were also evaluated before and after acupuncture.
It was found that acupuncture treatment reduced anxiety and depression and increased natural killer cells by twofold, produced a positive trend on the levels of white blood cells, total lymphocytes, T and B cells compared with baseline and control group. The authors also noticed a tendency for decreasing certain symptoms such as gastrointestinal and urological symptoms and chemotherapy side-effects within acupuncture-treated patients.
The authors suggest that acupuncture may stimulate anticancer immunity, promote a myeloprotective effect and minimize chemotherapy side effect.
Reference:
Pais I et al., Effects of Acupuncture on Leucopenia, Neutropenia, NK, and B Cells in Cancer Patients: A Randomized Pilot Study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Vol. 2014, Article ID 217397,9 pages.
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