Breast Cancer: An Integrative Treatment
by Shanna Lynn Guzman, L. Ac, Dip. Ac, MTCM
Breast Cancer is an epidemic for women in the United States. According to the National Institute of Health, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in this country other than skin 
cancer. Each year more than 200,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. One in seven women either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Luckily with an awareness of breast cancer, it is now being detected early enough to receive treatment. Depending on the invasiveness of the cancer, most women go through a series of radiation or chemotherapy once the cancer is surgically removed. Some decide to have a mastectomy or a double mastectomy which is the removal of a breast or both breasts. Many oncologists recommend this if a woman has had two lumps removed in the same breast or some women decide to have the mastectomy to avoid having breast cancer in the future. If a woman decides to have a mastectomy and it has not spread to other areas of the body for instance the lymph nodes, then chemotherapy and radiation can be avoided. Chemotherapy is used when the breast cancer has spread beyond the breast tissue and radiation is used primarily when the cancer has been caught at an early stage and has not spread into the lymph system.
These treatments can be emotionally, mentally, and physically draining. Of all the treatments for breast cancer or any type of cancer, chemotherapy is the most aggressive and has the most debilitating side effects. The side effects of chemotherapy come about because chemotherapy targets cells that divide rapidly. Since cancer cells are not the only cells in the body that divide rapidly, cells in the blood, mouth, intestinal tract, nose, nails, vagina, hair, etc. are affected. Common side effects of chemotherapy are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss, fatigue, anemia, infections, mouth sores, menopause, infertility, neuropathy, immune deficiency, and memory loss. Many of these side effects can be helped tremendously with acupuncture. It would be a complete revolution in medicine if cancer patients could receive acupuncture in the same medical clinic they receive chemotherapy. Numerous studies from the National Institute of Cancer have shown that acupuncture is extremely effective for the side effects of chemotherapy.
From a chinese medicine perspective acupuncture builds qi (pronounced-chee) and blood to help the body cope with fatigue, digestive problems, and strengthen the immune system. Chinese medicine believes that qi is the vital energy to life. Qi courses through the body to provide nourishment to every tissue, organ, muscle, and tendon. With chemotherapy the body becomes qi and blood deficient leading to many side effects. Acupuncture is a wonderful holistic medicine that can help strengthen the body, mind, and spirit which is vital to someone going through chemotherapy. At this time, modern medicine does not incorporate acupuncture into chemotherapy treatment, but integrative medicine will hopefully be the wave of the future.
Shanna Lynn Guzman, L. Ac, Dip, Ac is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist who integrates western and eastern medicine into her practice. She specializes in women’s health, specifically infertility, pms, pre and post natal care, and menopause. She is now starting a low cost breast cancer clinic one evening a week for women that are currently receiving treatment for breast cancer.