Acupuncture Versus Sham Acupuncture or Usual Care for Antiandrogen-Induced Hot fLashes in Prostate Cancer (AVAIL): a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial
Hot flashes are a common and debilitating symptom among prostate cancer patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Strong evidence from multiple rigorously designed studies indicated that venlafaxine provides partial relief, but the tolerability is poor when the dose is not tapered. Hence, an alternative therapy is needed. Previous studies reported that acupuncture may be helpful in the management of hot flashes. However, the insufficient randomized controlled trial limited the quality of evidence.
• patients aging from 18 to 75 years diagnosed with prostate cancer undergoing ADT;
• with an average of 3 or more hot flashes a day for at least 3 days before enrollment and no other clinically significant disease;
• not receiving any medications for hot flashes nor did they have a previous history of acupuncture treatment.