Acupuncture reduces pain and urinary symptoms in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer receiving Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy, according to a recent study presented at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. It is clear that it has been reduced.
Complementary therapy involves the insertion of small sterile needles into specific areas of the body that may have clinical significance in reducing pain and other symptoms. In fact, several major breast cancer organizations recommend acupuncture for managing cancer-related pain.
In the study, “as patients were treated weekly for six weeks for this bladder cancer, both their pain and, very importantly, their urinary symptoms appeared to be reduced,” said the authors, a professor of urology. Assistant Professor Dr. Sarah Pustka explained. at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
transcription
This was a randomized controlled trial, where patients could not choose which treatment department they would go to, 45 patients were randomized, and 30 patients received acupuncture at the urology clinic during their visit. They were assigned to a treatment group where they received BCG. is an intravesically administered drug for treating non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. In contrast, 15 patients were randomized to the control group.
The goal here was to see if acupuncture performed before the introduction of BCG could help alleviate the severe bladder symptoms suffered by many patients undergoing BCG therapy. These symptoms are mainly bladder pain, frequent urination, and urinary urgency. So the idea (behind this study) was to develop an acupuncture intervention that could hopefully alleviate those symptoms.
An important finding was that patients were found to be interested in the trial. We were then able to recruit participants for this study. This is the key (answer) to the question, “Would a patient looking to manage their bladder symptoms while receiving BCG want to try acupuncture?” ”
We found it to be very safe. There were no significant adverse events in any way, shape, or form. No patient was delayed from receiving the cancer treatment they needed. And importantly, patients really liked the treatment. Patients randomly assigned to the acupuncture group reported strong satisfaction with the treatment, said they were very satisfied with their treatment, and many recommended the treatment as part of their BCG-related bladder cancer treatment. .
Additionally, I considered whether it would be helpful. And what we found in a very small study was that when patients received six weeks of treatment a week for this bladder cancer, their pain and urinary symptoms decreased in a very important way. It seems that both are alleviated. Therefore, although this is a small study, it shows some very important findings regarding the potential usefulness of acupuncture to help patients undergoing treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. .
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