As reported in the July 30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, new findings presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology indicate that cancer investigators are finding new ways to ease the discomfort often associated with anti-cancer treatment.

One of the strategies presented at the meeting was the use of acupuncture to relieve pain and symptoms of dry mouth in patients with head and neck cancers. Investigators from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center found that acupuncture (with or without supplemental pain medication) was more effective than a combination of physical therapy and medications at reducing pain and improving function.

Another strategy presented was the use of stimulants, such as modafinil (marketed as Provigil®), to combat the severe fatigue that frequently occurs among cancer patients who are on chemotherapy. In a trial of 642 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, researchers found that patients with severe fatigue experienced a benefit from modafinil, although patients with lesser degrees of fatigue did not report the same improvement.

Quality of life is a prominent concern among cancer patients, particularly because the prognosis can be so uncertain and the treatment may have side effects that are difficult to tolerate. More strategies are needed to help cancer patients cope with both the cancer itself and the therapies used to fight it.