Cancer Treatments with Natural Alternative Therapies
– Acupuncture, Special Herbal Formulas, Dietary Therapy and QiGong Exercises

We have experiences treating :

• Breast Cancer
  
• Lung Cancer
  
• Skin Cancer
  
• Stomach Cancer
  
• Bladder Cancer
  
• Prostate, Testicular Cancers
  
• Cervical, Vaginal, Ovarian and Uterine Cancers
  
• Colorectal cancer
  
• Thyroid Cancer
  
• Bone Cancer, etc.
  

Acupuncture & Herbal medicine for the Side Effects of Chemo-therapy
and Radio-therapy on Cancer Patients

The use of TCM, especially acupuncture and acupuncture related therapies, in oncology, for
management of treatment-related side effects (adverse effects) and for palliative care, is finding
greater acceptance in  Western medicine. Some clinical studies and trials suggest that acupuncture
and specific herbal remedies enhance immune function – the body’s defensive ability, and is effective
for treatment and management of chemotherapy or radiotherapy – induced symptoms, cancer related
pain, and generalized symptoms that result from cancer and treatment. ON some cases acupuncture
and specific herbal remedies help to control and shrink the cancer tumours and lesions to achieve a
effective way for the cancer patients.

TCM is of benefit for

•    Immune function.
  
•    Generalized symptoms, including fatigue, insomnia, diarrhea, constipation, dyspnea(difficult
  

     breath) and anorexia(no appetite), etc.

•    Cancer related pain.
  
•    Chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting.
  
•    Radiotherapy induced xerostomia(dry mouth) and rectitis.
  
•    Chemotherapy or radiotherapy induced myelosuppression, low red, white blood cells and
  

     platelets counts.

•    Treatment related vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes and sweating.
  
•    Brachial plexopathy (pain and weakness in the arm) resulting from axillary     
  lymphadenectomy for breast cancer.
  
•    Dysphagia (swallowing difficulty) due to carcinomatous obstruction.
  
•    Hair loss and mouth ulcers due to the treatment.
  

TCM Perspectives in Cancer

Western science views cancer as resulting from genetic-envionmental interactions causing multiple
genetic alterations that affect coding of oncogenes for growth factors, growth factor receptors, and
tumor suppresser genes. When oncogenes are inactivated, they fail to control the normal cells through
a series of events that result in loss of regulation of cell proliferation and programmed cell death
(apoptosis).

Despite events that result in derangements of regulatory mechanisms for cell growth and death,
dysfunction of the host immune system plays an important role in the development of cancer. One of
the vital functions of the immune system is immune surveillance, i.e., the recognition and elimination of
cells that have undergone neoplastic transformation. Cancer cells express antigens that serve as
targets for antitumor immunity and make them vulnerable to immune effector calls such as natural killer
cells, lymphokine-actived killer cells, tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes, and macrophages.
Development of cancer can thus be viewed as a failure of immune surveillance.

In TCM, uncontrolled cell proliferation and dysfunction of the immune system can be attributed to a
decline or deficiency of Essence(Jing, in Chinese). Essence, stored in the Kidneys, governs
reproduction, growth and development. Thus, it exerts primary control over the processes of cellular
differentiation and proliferation. Improper control over these processes due to a deficiency of Essence
may result in uncontrolled cellular growth, which manifests as cancer. Essence also determines basic
constitutional strength and resistance to exterior pathogenic factors. Essence has an important role in
maintaining proper immune function by producing Marrow, which, in turn, produces bone marrow that
contains the pluripotent stem cells that give rise to immune effector cells. The differentiation of stem
cells and subsequent proliferation of immune effector cells are also governed by Essence. Thus, a
decline or deficiency of Essence could result in an individual’s immune system failing to recognize
and eliminate cells that have undergone neoplastic transformation.

The physical manifestation of cancer can also be viewed as resulting from a decline or deficiency of
Essence. Essence, in its dynamic and rarefied form as Original Qi with its origin in the Kidneys, can
be viewed as the force that arouses and moves the functional activity of all the organs. Thus the
development of tumors results from a deficiency of Essence and Original Qi(yuan Qi), which result in
deranged functions of the internal organs. The results of the derangements can lead to stasis of Blood
and formation of Phlegm, in TCM, either of which may be manifest as tissue masses. Although, all
tissue tumors are not necessarily malignant, and some tumors or nodules may be transient, but those
resulting from blood stasis and/or congealed Phlegm are most likely manifestations of malignant
processes.

Common causes of blood stasis are Qi deficiency and Qi stagnation. If Qi become too weak to move
Blood, or Qi stagnates, Blood congeals. Masses resulting from Blood stasis most commonly manifest
as fixed abdominal masses associated with a boring or stabbing pain.

The primary cause of formation of Phlegm is Spleen deficiency. In TCM, Spleen governs
transformation and transportation, The Spleen transforms the digested food and drink to extract Qi
from it, which is called Food-Qi and is the basis for the production of Qi and Blood. Once Food-Qi is
formed, the Spleen transports this and some other refined parts of food, called Food Essence, to the
various organs ans parts of the body. If the Spleen fails to transform and transport body fluids, them
will accumulate and form Phlegm. Although Spleen deficiency is the primary cause in the formation of
Phlegm, failures of the Lung to disperse fluids, or failure of the Kidney to transform and excrete fluids
may also result in the their accumulation into Phlegm. If Phlegm congeals, it may manifest as tissue
masses, more commonly as subcutaneous nodule such as enlarged lymph nodes and thyroid tumors
but also as tumors in the uterus and breast, etc.

Treatment of  Symptoms

General Symptoms
Some clinical studies reported the benefits of acupuncture for treating generalized symptoms resulting
from different kind of cancers, or from chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
The incidence of chemotherapy related adverse effects was much less in the acupuncture group as
compared with the incidence on the control group in which the patients were treated with Western
therapies only(Anorexia: 22% vs 75%, diarrhea: 0% vs 13%, dizziness: 16% vs 69%, insomnia: 6% vs
44%, fatigue: 22% vs 100%).

Pain of Malignancy
Acupuncture and acupuncture related therapies, such as electro-acupuncture, ear acupuncture
(auricular therapy), magnet therapy, acu-point injection, etc. have been reported to effectively relieve
the pain of malignant disease.
Electroacupuncture techniques were used to relieve the pain due to bony metastasis which is one of
the most difficult challenges in the palliative e care of cancer patients. Chinese herbal remedies were
also administered in conjunction with electroacupuncture to treat severe pain, describes as
excruciating pain for which strong analgesic agents were indispensable and accompanied by
functional disturbances in the autonomic nervous system.

Nausea and Vomiting
Chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting occur in both an acute and a delayed form. Acute
nausea and vomiting, occurring during or soon after intravenous administration of chemotherapeutic
agents, resulting from stimulation of the chemoreceptor trigger zone. Delayed nausea and vomiting
result from the toxicity of antineoplastic agents to the gastrointestinal tract. Acupuncture and
acupuncture related therapies have been used effective for many years, for the treatment of both acute
and delayed nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy. Many clinical trails, which were done in USA,
Europe and China, reported that acupuncture effectively benefited patients with nausea and vomiting
when acupuncture point selection and techniques were applied according to TCM theory.  One
reported over 90% of patients with gastrointestinal symptoms experienced complete relief with daily
acupuncture treatment.

Treatment of Myelosuppression & Immunosuppression

Chemotherapy & Radiotherapy induced Myelosuppression
Acupuncture and herbal remedies are effective treatment of low red, white blood cells account, as
well as low platelets account due to cancer treatment of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.
Acupuncture can be administrated before, during and after the chemotherapy and radiotherapy
courses.

Immunosuppression
Several investigations have shown that acupuncture enhances various parameters of cell-mediated
immunity in patients with cancer who exhibit immunosuppression. Acupuncture has also been
reported to improve immune function when immunosuppression is due to causes other than cancer
or cancer treatment.
In TCM, the body’s defensive Qi(energy), partly equivalent to the immune system, is a very important
part of  keeping well being, healthy and fighting diseases. For patients already with cancer, the
defensive Qi will fight the growth of cancer cells thus improve the quality of life.

Link to
Acupuncture For Pancreatic Cancer Pain – New Research