Swedish scientists have found that while acupuncture doesn't reduce radiotherapy-induced nausea, patients believe it does. 

   Researchers at Linkoping University in Sweden evaluated the effectiveness of acupuncture in 215 patients with various types of cancer who received either active acupuncture or a sham treatment given two or three times a week during radiotherapy.

   "Both groups of patients reported they believed the treatment had been invasive and effective in reducing nausea," said Anna Enblom, a physiotherapist and lead researcher of the study.

   Vomiting was experienced by 24 percent of the patients getting acupuncture and 28 percent of patients receiving the sham treatment, Enblom added.

   "There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in the number of days with nausea or vomiting or in the intensity of the nausea, neither in the patients receiving radiotherapy alone, nor in those receiving a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy," Enblom said. "Our study may indicate that attitudes and expectations play a major role in the experience of the effect of the treatment."

   The study was presented last week in Spain during the 14th European Cancer Conference.

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