by KYW's Dr. Brian McDonough

Some good news about an alternative form of medicine from the American Society from Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology meeting in Boston.

According to the results produced from their study, acupuncture reduces side effects from breast cancer surgery as well as if not better than depressants. The researchers looked at 47 women who were treated with hormone therapy for breast cancer who had t least 14 hot flashes per week. 

The women who treated with either the antidepressants effexor, or the acupuncture for 12 found that the acupuncture did better.

Now this is not to say the effexor did not work well but there were more side effects, including dry mouth headache and nausea that were not those same side effects with the acupuncture.

Once again this is a small study of only 47 people, but it shows that there are alternative treatments that may be looked at in situations like this. 

Read Dr. Brian McDonough's Medical Reports