Acupuncture For Breast Cancer Patients

By Young Yi, LAc, DOM

Yi’s Acupuncture & Herbal Clinic

. http://eyecure.net/

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Acupuncture For Breast Cancer Patients

The term “breast cancer” refers to a malignant tumor that has developed from cells in the breast. Usually breast cancer either begins in the cells of the lobules, which are the milk-producing glands, or the ducts, the passages that drain milk from the lobules to the nipple. Less commonly, breast cancer can begin in the stromal tissues.

In recent years, there's been an explosion of life-saving treatment advances against breast cancer, bringing new hope and excitement. Instead of only one or two options, today there's an overwhelming menu of treatment choices that fight the complex mix of cells in each individual cancer, such as surgery, radiation, hormonal (anti-estrogen) therapy, and/or chemotherapy.

Unfortunately, most treatment options involve some unpleasant side effects, such as nausea or pain. Acupuncture has been found to lessen some of these side effects significantly.

In acupuncture, sterile, hair-thin needles are inserted into specific points on the skin, called “acupuncture points,” and then gently moved. Researchers propose that acupuncture stimulates the nervous system to release natural painkillers and immune system cells. They then travel to weakened areas of the body and relieve symptoms.

Studies show that
acupuncture may

Help relieve fatigue

Control hot flashes

Help decrease nausea

Reduce vomiting

Lessen pain

Improve the immune system

Along with practices such as tai chi, acupuncture is a central part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), an ancient system of medicine. In Chinese medicine, it is believed that vital energy, called “qi” (pronounced “chee”), flows through 20 pathways, or “meridians,” which are connected by acupuncture points. According to TCM, if qi is blocked, the body can't function at its peak. The goal of acupuncture is to open certain points on these pathways and release blocked qi.

The most thorough study of acupuncture in breast cancer patients was published in Journal of the American Medical Association in 2000. In the study, 104 women undergoing high-dose chemotherapy were given traditional anti-nausea medication. In addition to taking the medication, the women were randomly chosen to receive five days of electroacupuncture (acupuncture in which needles are stimulated with a mild electrical current), acupuncture without an electrical current, or no acupuncture. The women who had acupuncture had significantly fewer nausea episodes than those who didn't.

Another study, completed at Duke University and published in 2002, compared the use of acupuncture to the use of Zofran (chemical name ondansetron), an anti-nausea medication, before breast cancer surgery to reduce the nausea that can occur after surgery. The acupuncture treatment was found to work better than Zofran at controlling nausea.

If you're suffering from breast cancer and the effects of cancer treatment, acupuncture may be able to help you through the process.