The efficacy of acupuncture to ameliorate nocturia in survivors of prostate cancer was assessed in a pilot randomized clinical trial (NOCTURNAL) conducted at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and the results were published in JAMA Oncology.

A total of 60 participants were enrolled in this study and included individuals with treated prostate cancer and no signs of disease who reported ≥2 episodes of nocturia per night in the previous month. Participants were randomized 2:1 to receive acupuncture or waiting list control (WLC; who received usual care for nocturia) for 10 weeks. At the end of treatment (week 10), individuals receiving acupuncture experienced a reduction in nocturia episodes to a greater extent than participants in the WLC group (–1.08 versus 0.05; 95% CI –1.56 to –0.71; P < 0.001). Reported International Prostate Symptom Score total scores were also higher in participants in the acupuncture versus the WLC group (–3.64 versus 0.12; 95% CI −6.07 to –1.44; P = 0.002).