About Cancer
Cancer is a medical situation that malignant cells grow in the body to threaten the life. In the normal person, the immune system routinely quells malignancies before they take hold. Cancer will occur when the immune system’s defensive action can’t or won’t react effectively. The lack of immune response may be due to age, toxic or viral damage, genetics, unique traits within the cancer cell that stymie immune response, or other factors.
The symptoms of cancer depend on the kind of cancer. Common symptoms include bleeding, mass(s), weight loss, pain, fever and so on. In the late stage, cancer may destroy many organs or tissues to make patient die. So the treatment of cancer in the early stage is very important.
View of TCM
In theory of TCM, cancer is come from the blood stasis, qi stagnation or phlegm. Under the disorder of diet and mood, the blood stasis, qi stagnation or phlegm can be caused.
Treatment of TCM
The primary ways that western medicine treats cancer include: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Preventative measures include anti-oxidants and other vitamins and good nutrition. But many side effects may follow these treatments. Sometimes cancer patients can die of these side effects not than cancer itself.
Besides western treatment itself, the support and guidance of an experienced acupuncturist can be a great
help. Acupuncture can re-establish homeostasis by re-balancing energy distribution and un-blocking energy flow to accelerate patients’ recovery. Acupuncture and herbal medicine generally take a supportive role to western treatment during and after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Acupuncture is a very effective cancer treatment, the American Cancer Society says.
1) Mechanism
A. Retrain the immune system and “seek and destroy” mission against cancer (reducing the recurrence of cancer)
B. Reduce the side effects of the various therapies: such as pain, post-operative pain, local swelling, nausea, vomitting, fatigue, confusion, disturbed mentality, behavioral changes, constipation or diarrhea , weight loss, cough, chest pain, fever, anxiety or depression, night sweats, hot flash, dry mouth, speech problem, fluid in the arms/legs, and so on.
C. Improve the body general situation (increasing energy, appetite and mental situation etc.) and rebuild the body from the damage done by the chemotherapy or radiation
D. Increase the effectiveness of medical care so that the patient has a better chance of recovering from conditions difficult to treat: combining with acupuncture can minimize use of cancer medications
E. Other benefits include: promoting the healing of wounds and prevents the formation of scar tissue; enhancing lymph and blood flow; treating other diseases resulting from the cancer treatment or cancer itself
2) Procedure
Depending on the patient’s willingness to receive ongoing treatment, treatment frequencies may be from once or twice per week up to several times per week. Commonly energetic acupuncture will be done. So-called energetic acupuncture is the treatment that combines needles with electricity and moxibustion, herbs.
3) Effect
Acupuncture is a technique by which thin needles are inserted into the skin at specific places to restore healthy energy flow and balance to the body. Through supplements, herbs, diets and exercise, we are trying to keep her immune system up. In a word, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can help to restore health and prolong greatly survival of cancer patients.