Acupuncture (PDQ®)—Patient Version - National Cancer Institute

Acupuncture (PDQ®)—Patient Version - National Cancer Institute

Acupuncture (PDQ®)–Patient Version

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CANCER TREATMENT

• Types of Cancer Treatment
• Side Effects
• Clinical Trials Information
• A to Z List of Cancer Drugs
• Complementary & Alternative Medicine (CAM)
  • CAM for Patients
  • CAM for Health Professionals
• Questions to Ask about Your Treatment
• Research

SECTIONS

• Overview
• Questions and Answers About Acupuncture
• Current Clinical Trials
• About This PDQ Summary
• General CAM Information
• Evaluation of CAM Therapies
• Questions to Ask Your Health Care Provider About CAM
• To Learn More About CAM
• View All Sections

Overview

• Acupuncture applies needles, heat, pressure, and other treatments to one or more places on the skin known as acupuncture points (see Question 1).
• Clinical trials report the use of acupuncture relieves nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy (see Question 5).
• Other trials have studied the use of acupuncture in cancer treatment to relieve symptoms such as fatigue, dry mouth and hot flashes (see Question 5).
• A strict clean needle method must be used when acupuncture treatment is given to cancer patients (see Question 6 and Question 7).

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Questions and Answers About Acupuncture