Betsy Smith is getting acupuncture not for the side affects of chemotherapy but for relief from back pain, which could be one of the many problems breast cancer patients face.

Amy Sear is the president of the Florida Society of Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture. She practices at a breast cancer center in south Florida, but recently visited Orlando. Her hair-thin needles are where the east meets west in modern medicine.

In addition to relieving stress, helping with sleep, and giving the patient a sense of well being, researchers at Duke University discovered acupuncture can reduce nausea with fewer adverse side affects than a leading medication.

Doctors say patients seemed to have less pain and were more satisfied with their recovery. .. Important factors in determining how quickly they can return home after surgery.

Many breast cancer patients have to take the drug tomoxifen to help prevent their cancer from coming back. But that can throw a women into instant menopause with hot flashes can be so annoying some women stop taking the drug. Because acupuncture can relieve those symptoms, it may help women stay on the drug longer and that can save lives.