该国研究人员公布的最新研究成果显示，针灸可缓解癌症患者在接受放射治疗时通常出现的作呕、恶心等副作用。
瑞典研究人员调查了215名癌症患者通过针灸缓解放射治疗副作用的效果，并将他们与另外62名接受传统治疗的癌症患者比较。研究人员发现，在接受针灸治疗的癌症患者中，只有37％在治疗中感觉恶心，7％出现呕吐现象。与此相对，接受传统治疗的患者中，这两个比例分别是63％和15％，明显高于前者。
在接受针灸治疗的215名癌症患者中，109人接受了真正的针灸治疗，另外106名则只是接受安慰性的模拟针灸治疗，即仅使用钝头的伸缩针按压在患者皮肤上，并没有真正刺进去。研究人员比较之后发现，两者的疗效基本一样，也就是说病人自身的心理预期非常重要。
对此，研究人员说，下一步将研究针灸疗法真正起作用的机理，以便将研究成果应用到癌症治疗中，减轻病人的痛苦。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原文出处：
PLoS ONE 6(3): e14766. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0014766
Getting the Grip on Nonspecific Treatment Effects: Emesis in Patients Randomized to Acupuncture or Sham Compared to Patients Receiving Standard Care
Anna Enblom1,2,3*, Mats Lekander3,4, Mats Hammar5, Anna Johnsson6, Erik Onel?v7, Martin Ingvar3, Gunnar Steineck7,8, Sussanne B?rjeson1,9
Background
It is not known whether or not delivering acupuncture triggers mechanisms cited as placebo and if acupuncture or sham reduces radiotherapy-induced emesis more than standard care.
Methodology/Principal Findings
Cancer patients receiving radiotherapy over abdominal/pelvic regions were randomized to verum (penetrating) acupuncture (n = 109; 99 provided data) in the alleged antiemetic acupuncture point PC6 or sham acupuncture (n = 106; 101 provided data) performed with a telescopic non-penetrating needle at a sham point 2–3 times/week during the whole radiotherapy period. The acupuncture cohort was compared to a reference cohort receiving standard care (n = 62; 62 provided data). The occurrence of emesis in each group was compared after a mean dose of 27 Gray. Nausea and vomiting were experienced during the preceding week by 37 and 8% in the verum acupuncture group, 38 and 7% in the sham acupuncture group and 63 and 15% in the standard care group, respectively. The lower occurrence of nausea in the acupuncture cohort (verum and sham) compared to patients receiving standard care (37% versus 63%, relative risk (RR) 0.6, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.5–0.8) was also true after adjustment for potential confounding factors for nausea (RR 0.8, CI 0.6 to 0.9). Nausea intensity was lower in the acupuncture cohort (78% no nausea, 13% a little, 8% moderate, 1% much) compared to the standard care cohort (52% no nausea, 32% a little, 15% moderate, 2% much) (p = 0.002). The acupuncture cohort expected antiemetic effects from their treatment (95%). Patients who expected nausea had increased risk for nausea compared to patients who expected low risk for nausea (RR 1.6; Cl 1.2–2.4).
Conclusions/Significance
Patients treated with verum or sham acupuncture experienced less nausea and vomiting compared to patients receiving standard care, possibly through a general care effect or due to the high level of patient expectancy.
