“Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) have proven efficacy for the treatment of hormone-sensitive breast cancer.1 For more than 50% of patients, however, arthralgias (pain and stiffness) contribute to nonadherence with therapy.2 A previous report3 of results from Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) S1200, a multicenter, blinded sham acupuncture (SA) and waiting list control (WC) randomized clinical trial that was conducted to evaluate the effect of true acupuncture (TA) on joint pain related to AIs among women with early-stage breast cancer, found that TA compared with SA or WC resulted in a statistically significant reduction in joint pain at 6 weeks, the primary end point, and at 12 weeks. Subsequent systemic reviews and meta-analyses4,5 have confirmed this effect.
The duration of persistent benefit of acupuncture after a course of treatment is uncertain. A meta-analysis5 of acupuncture trials with longer-term follow-up suggested that treatment effects persist for up to 12 months. Specifically, the authors reported only a 10% reduction in the long-term beneficial effect of TA when compared with usual care and a 50% reduction in effect when compared with SA.5 The trials were heterogeneous in terms of design, condition, and duration of treatment. To address the sustained benefit of acupuncture among women with AI-induced arthralgias, we now report the 52-week results from SWOG S1200.”
