Acupuncture to improve salivary function is done at Johns Hopkins's Kimmel Cancer Center's acupuncture clinic (they also perform acupuncture for pain and nausea associated with cancer treatment) It has proved especially useful for cases where the usual pain and nausea medications do not work well. It does not "stimulate the cancer" -- a lot of study went into this before the acupuncture ceter was approved. The use of acupuncture for xerostomia was initiated (at least in this area) at the University of Maryland Hospital in Baltimore -- I have a link to this somewhere and will post more when I find it. There is also some evidence that acupuncture can improve immune response but this is very early.

Acupuncture does work -- that is, it is not just a placebo effect -- possibly by stimulating (in the brain) production of endorphins which also affect near-by brain regions. Which may be why needles applied to say, the hand, can reduce pain in the neck.

We use acupuncture on our dogs if they have an injury which leaves them with lingering pain or soreness and it definitely works -- not sure if dogs understand the "placebo effect" <gr>

Gail