Hi Roy,
You ask a great question that I think many Head and Neck Cancer patients and survivors have wondered about as well.
The research on this is a bit inconclusive. One of the most recent research studies we could find was a retrospective series of case studies. The study suggested that 9 out of 10 patients experienced subjective quality of life improvements related to their swallowing function, dry mouth, pain, and fatigue.
In another study, conducted by investigators at Harvard Medical School and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, showed that although there was an improvement to their quality of life, it was not statistically significant compared to a group of participants who had “sham acupuncture.”
If you would like access to these articles, let us know and we can get this information to you.
-The NFOSD Team