Acupuncture for Anxiety in Women With Breast Cancer: A Feasibility Study

To assess the efficacy of acupuncture treatment in reducing symptoms of anxiety in women recently diagnosed with cancer.

• To assess the efficacy of acupuncture treatment on improving perceived quality of life in women recently diagnosed with cancer.

This is a feasibility study of acupuncture for anxiety reduction in women with breast cancer. Ten patients will be recruited at the UNM Cancer Research Treatment Center via the Breast Clinic and screened for anxiety. Treatment will consist of 10 acupuncture sessions over 5 weeks. Measures (Hopkins Symptom Checklist, Sheehan Disability Index) will be administered and analyzed for treatment effect on scores.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Woman age 18 years or older excluding the need for parental/guardian permission.
• Histologic diagnosis of breast cancer.
• Having a minimum anxiety score of 1.75 on the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL) with sufficient English language proficiency for the investigators to make this determination.
• Able to give informed consent.
• Willingness to participate in the study and receive 10 acupuncture treatments in 5 weeks.
• Ability to fill out questionnaires and communicate with the research staff

Exclusion Criteria:

• Males with breast cancer
• Psychoses or a major personality disorder
• Current use of opiates,