Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture intervention in muscle, bone and joint pain caused by aromatase inhibitors in the treatment of breast cancer. Method One hundred and forty breast cancer patients with aromatase inhibitors-caused muscle, bone and joint pain were randomly allocated to groups A, B, C and D, 35 cases each. group A received ear acupuncture plus the intravenous drip of zoledronic acid;group B, ear acupuncture alone;group C, the intravenous drip of zoledronic acid alone;group D, oral administration of calcium carbonate and vitamin D3 chewable tablets and alfacalcidol soft capsules. The Brief Pain Inventory score was observed in every group before and after treatment. Bone mineral densities of the lumbar vertebrae were compared between the groups before and after treatment. Result In groups a and B, there was a statistically significant difference in the pain interference score at three, six and twelve weeks of treatment and at six weeks after the end of treatment compared with before treatment (P<0.01). At three, six and twelve weeks of treatment and at six weeks after the end of treatment, there was a statistically significant difference in the pain interference score between group A or B and group C or D (P<0.01). In groups a and B, there was a statistically significant difference in the pain score during the most severe pain at three, six and twelve weeks of treatment compared with before treatment (P<0.05). At three, six and twelve weeks of treatment, there was a statistically significant difference in the pain score during the most severe pain between group A or B and group C or D (P<0.05). At three weeks of treatment, there was a statistically significant difference in the pain score during the most severe pain between group B and group C or D (P<0.05). In every group, there was no statistically significant difference in BMD T-score at twelve weeks of treatment and at six weeks after the end of treatment compared with before treatment (P>0.05). Conclusion Ear acupuncture can significantly relieve muscle, bone and joint pain caused by aromatase inhibitors and the pain relief is not related to bone mineral density, but muscle, bone and joint pain recurs in the patients after the treatment is discontinued. Zoledronic acid can not relieve the pain. Ear acupuncture plus zoledronic acid is not more effective than ear acupunctura alone in relieving the pain.

OBJECTIVETo compare the differences in the efficacy on depression after breast cancer operation treated with auricular point sticking therapy, the combined program of auricular point sticking therapy and TCM psychotherapy and medication with deanxit.

METHODSNinety patients were randomized into 3 groups, 30 cases in each one. In the western medication group, the simple oral administration of deanxit was applied, one tablet a day. In the auricular point group, Xin (GO15), Shen (CO10), Gan(CO12), Shenmen(TF4), Pizhixia (AT), Neifenmi (CO18) were selected and stimulated with auricular point sticking on either side in each treatment, once a week. In the combined program group, on the basis of the treatment as the auricular point group, TCM psychotherapy was combined with. The treatment of 4 weeks made one session. One session and 4 weeks follow-up were required. The self-rating depression scale (SDS) was used to compare the score before and after treatment in the patients of each group and the efficacy was assessed.

RESULTS(1) Compared with those before treatment, in 4 weeks of treatment and 4 weeks of follow-up, SDS scores were all reduced apparently in the 3 groups (all P<0.001). After 4 weeks of follow-up in the auricular point group, after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment and 4 weeks of follow-up in the combined program group, SDS scores were all lower than those in the western medication group (all P<0.05). (2) After 4 weeks of treatment, the curative rate in the combined program group was higher than that in the auricular point group and the western medication group [60.0% (18/30) vs. 40.0% (12/30), 36.7% (11/30), both P<0.05)]. After 4 weeks of follow-up, the curative rate in either the combined program group or the auricular point group was higher than that in the western medication group [60.0% (18/30), 30.0% (19/30) vs. 23.3% (7/30), both P<0.05].

CONCLUSIONThe auricular point sticking therapy, the combined program of auricular point sticking therapy and TCM psychotherapy, and medication with deanxit all relieve depression after breast cancer operation. The efficacy of the combined program with auricular point sticking therapy and TCM psychotherapy involved is the best, and the efficacy of the auricular point sticking therapy is better than the oral administration of deanxit.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture, Ear ; Adult ; Aged ; Breast Neoplasms ; complications ; surgery ; Depression ; etiology ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of acupoint catgut embedding in treating breast cystic hyperplasia of blood stasis-phlegm pattern.Methods One hundred and three patients with breast cystic hyperplasia of blood stasis-phlegm pattern were randomly allocated to a treatment group of 53 cases and a control group of 50 cases. The treatment group received acupoint catgut embedding and the control group took Rupi Sanjie granules. The symptom/sign scores and the qi stagnation transformation score were recorded and sex hormone levels were measured in the two groups before and after 12 weeks of treatment. The clinical therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups.Results The cure rate and the total efficacy rate were 50.9% and 92.5%, respectively, in the treatment group and 46.0% and 90.0%, respectively, in the control group. There were no statistically significant differences in the cure rate and the total efficacy rate between the two groups (P>0.05). There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in the symptom/sign scores (pain, mass hardness, mass range, mass size and accompanying symptoms scores) between the two groups (P<0.05). At the three-month and six-month follow-ups, there were statistically significant differences in the pain, mass range and accompanying symptoms scores as compared with at the end of treatment in the treatment group, and between the treatment and control groups (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant pre-/post-treatment difference in the qi stagnation transformation score in the two groups (P<0.01,P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the qi stagnation transformation score at the three-month and six-month follow-ups compared with at the end of treatment in the treatment group (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the qi stagnation transformation score between the treatment and control groups at the end of treatment and at the three-month and six-month follow-ups (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant pre-/post-treatment difference in the E2 content in the two groups (P<0.05). There were statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in the P and PRL contents in the treatment groups (P<0.05).Conclusion Acupoint catgut embedding is an effective way to treat breast cystic hyperplasia of blood stasis-phlegm pattern.

AIM: To investigate the sensitization of flavonoids from Tetrastigma hemsleyanum (FTH) on gefitinib (GEF)-resistant lung adenocarcinoma cells. METHODS: The viabilities of A549 and A549/GR cells treated with FTH and GEF were detected by MTT method. The apoptotic rates and cell cycles of A549/GR cells treated with FTH and GEF were detected by Flow cytometry. The anti-tumor effects of flavonoids from FTH and GEF were assayed in A549/GR tumor-bearing mice. The expressions of proteins (PTEN, PI3K, p-PI3K, AKT, p-AKT) were detected by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Compared with GEF group, FTH significantly enhanced the inhibition of GEF on the proliferation of A549/GR cells (P< 0.05). Combination with FTH and GEF significantly increased the apoptosis of A549/GR cells which were arrested at the G