Acupuncture in Cancer Treatment
There have been many advances in
the early detection and treatment of
cancer. While the standard medical
care for cancer is effective, the
treatments are aggressive and cause
numerous unwanted side effects as
well as a lowered immune system.
Acupuncture has received much
attention as an adjunctive therapy
in cancer treatments for its use in
pain relief, reducing side effects,
accelerating recovery and improving
quality of life.
What Acupuncture is used for during
Cancer Treatment
Acupuncture provides a total
approach to health care for people
with cancer. It can be used to
address many of the concerns that
come up during and after
chemotherapy, radiation, biological
therapy and surgery.
According to the National Cancer
Institute, acupuncture may cause
physical responses in nerve cells,
the pituitary gland, and parts of
the brain. These responses can cause
the body to release proteins,
hormones, and brain chemicals that
control a number of body functions.
It is proposed that, by these
actions, acupuncture affects blood
pressure and body temperature,
boosts immune system activity, and
causes the body's natural
painkillers, such as endorphins, to
be released.
Areas that acupuncture has shown
the most promise include:
Nausea and Vomiting
Dry Mouth, Night Sweats and Hot
Flashes
Stress, Anxiety and Fatigue
Pain Management
Increasing White Blood Cell
Count
Nausea and Vomiting
The strongest evidence of the effect
of acupuncture has come from
clinical trials on the use of
acupuncture to relieve nausea and
vomiting. Several types of clinical
trials using different acupuncture
methods showed acupuncture reduced
nausea and vomiting caused by
chemotherapy, surgery, and morning
sickness. It appears to be more
effective in preventing vomiting
than in reducing nausea.
Other symptoms caused by cancer
treatment
Clinical trials are studying the
effects of acupuncture on cancer and
symptoms caused by cancer treatment,
including weight loss, cough, chest
pain, fever, anxiety, depression,
night sweats, hot flashes, dry
mouth, speech problems, and fluid in
the arms or legs. Studies have shown
that, for many patients, treatment
with acupuncture either relieves
symptoms or keeps them from getting
worse.
Boosting the Immune System
Human studies on the effect of
acupuncture on the immune system of
cancer patients showed that it
improved immune system response,
including increasing the number of
white blood cells.
Pain Management
In clinical studies, acupuncture
reduced the amount of pain in some
cancer patients. In one study, most
of the patients treated with
acupuncture were able to stop taking
drugs for pain relief or to take
smaller doses.
Acupuncture is also very useful for
support if you are undergoing
chemotherapy, radiation, or hormonal
therapy. Because chemotherapy and
radiation therapy weaken the body's
immune system, a strict clean needle
method must be used when acupuncture
treatment is given to cancer
patients.
To learn more about how
acupuncture can safely and
effectively be incorporated into
care for people with cancer, please
call for a consultation today.
Source: National Cancer Institute.
www.cancer.org
New Lung Cancer Guidelines Include
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is now officially
recommended for lung cancer patients
experiencing fatigue, dyspnea,
chemotherapy-induced neuropathy,
pain, nausea and vomiting.
Evidence-based guidelines published
by the American College of Chest
Physicians recommend acupuncture
for lung cancer patients
experiencing fatigue, dyspnea,
chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, or
to soothe symptoms of pain or nausea
and vomiting.
The new edition of these standard
guidelines represents the first time
complementary and integrative
medicine has been addressed in the
prevention and treatment of lung
cancer. Lung cancer is the leading
cause of cancer death in the United
States, causing more fatalities than
the next four most common types of
cancer combined.
The new guidelines were developed
and reviewed by 100
multidisciplinary panel members and
have been endorsed by the American
Association for Bronchology,
American Association for Thoracic
Surgery, American College of
Surgeons Oncology Group, American
Society for Therapeutic Radiology
and Oncology, Asian Pacific Society
of Respirology, Oncology Nurses
Society, Society of Thoracic
Surgeons, and the World Association
of Bronchology.
Source: Chest, September 2007
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In This Issue
- Acupuncture in Cancer
Treatment
- New Lung Cancer
Guidelines Include
Acupuncture
- Cancer Fighting Veggies
Cancer Fighting Veggies
Widely considered to be one
of the healthier food choices is
the cruciferous vegetables.
Included in this family of
vegetables are broccoli,
cauliflower, radishes, brussels
sprouts, kale, cabbage, and bok
choy. Cruciferous vegetables are
high in vitamins, fiber, and
potent anti-cancer
phytochemicals.
According to the American
Institute for Cancer, there
is solid evidence that links
cruciferous vegetables and
protection against cancer.
Studies have shown that this
vegetable group has the ability
to stop the growth of cancer
cells for tumors in the breast,
uterine lining, lung, colon,
liver, and cervix. And studies
that track the diets of people
over time have found that diets
high in cruciferous vegetables
are linked to lower rates of
prostate cancer.
It is recommended that we eat
3-5 servings of cruciferous
vegetables per week. It's best
to eat these veggies raw or only
lightly steamed so they retain
their cancer fighting
phytochemicals.
EAT SOME OF THESE EVERY DAY:
• Arugula
• Beet greens
• Bok choy
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Chinese cabbage
• Collard greens
• Daikon
• Horseradish
• Kale
• Kohlrabi
• Mustard greens
• Radishes
• Rutabaga
• Swiss chard
• Turnips
• Watercress
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