According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 10million people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer every year, and more than 6 million die from cancer. It is projected that in the next 20 years these numbers will increase by 50%.
Although Cancer has always accompanied humankind in its evolutionary process, its prevalence has increased dramatically in recent decades partly due to a longer life expectancy, better detection methods and partly due to emotional stress, irregular or poor diet and exposure to cancer-inducing chemicals in food and in the environment.
Chinese medicine has been used to support persons with cancer in three major ways:
i) It may be used in conjunction with Western treatments to maximize results
ii) It can be used to alleviate side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy
iii) It can be used to reduce cancer related pain (https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org/acupuncture-cancer-pain/)
It is generally recognised that the techniques of Western medicine (essentially surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy) are more effective than Chinese medicine in eliminating cancer and restricting the growth and metastasis or tumours.
However Western treatments of cancer may have side-effects which can profoundly damage the Qi, Blood and Essence. From a TCM perspective the ideal is to treat the whole person to bring about good health. Chinese medicine can restore the body’s balance, strengthening the immune system, reducing the side-effects of Western treatment methods and enable the courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to be completed.
Pain in cancer patients and survivors is very common and can be caused by the cancer itself invading organs, soft tissues (nerves and blood vessels) or bones, or the treatments for cancer, which include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormones and surgery. (https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org/acupuncture-cancer-pain/)
Moderate to severe pain is experienced by 40% of individuals with early or intermediate stage cancer and 90% of individuals with advanced cancer. Up to 70% of all patients with cancer pain do not receive adequate pain relief, diminishing their quality of life in terms of both physical and psychological well-being. (Paley, C.A., Johnson, M.I., Tashani, O.A. and Bagnall, A.M., 2011. Acupuncture for cancer pain in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 1(10).)
Studies show that acupuncture can act against carcinogens (factors attributable to cancer development) through its ability to reduce stress and enhance immune function. (Acupuncture Evidence Project(McDonald J, and Janz S 2017)
Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help to improve the quality of life of cancer patients, keeps them strong enough to fight the disease and restore health and balance.