Chinese Herbal Approach
to Breast Cancer
According to current scientific
theory, breast cancer is believed to result from a series of alterations in the
genes of breast cells. A cancerous tumor may develop for several years before
it can be detected. Signs and symptoms of breast cancer include a lump,
swelling, discharges from the nipple, tenderness, indentation of the nipple, or
a dimpled appearance of the breast skin.
The
most frequently-cited factors in developing breast cancer are hormones, age,
and family history. The risk of breast cancer increases with age. Statistics on
the relative risk of developing breast cancer with age show that one woman in
19,608 at the age of twenty-five, one woman in 50 at the age of fifty, and one
woman in ten at the age of eighty develops breast cancer. Women who began
menstruation early (age 11 or younger) or who reach menopause late (age 55 or
older) are at higher risk for breast cancer. Some women inherit genes that are
more susceptible to the alterations that can lead to breast cancer.
Today, the standard therapies
for breast cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone
therapy, and autologous bone marrow transplants.
These therapies are often used in combination, and they are the best hope for
breast cancer sufferers. But these powerful treatment modalities also produce
significant side effects, and coping with the side effects can be as
emotionally difficult as coping with the cancer itself. It is precisely in this
area of dealing with the side effects of cancer therapy that traditional
Chinese medicine is most useful and effective. The combination of acupuncture,
herbal medicine and dietary modifications can greatly improve the overall
health and well-being of the cancer patient. In
Breast Cancer in
Chinese Medicine
In classical traditional
Chinese medical literature, breast cancer is called "Ru
Yan," or "breast stone." Chinese medicine
believes that the fundamental cause of breast cancer is emotional disturbances
such as excessive thinking or anger, which lead to functional disorders of the
Liver and Spleen. A common causative pattern is that excessive Heat from a
deficient Liver, combined with Phlegm Dampness due to
Spleen dysfunction, results in the blockage of Chi and Blood, which then
"condenses" into breast cancer. Another common causative pattern is
when Liver Deficiency and Kidney Deficiency lead to Chi and Blood Deficiency.
Chronic Chi and Blood deficiency then leads to Qi
Stagnation and Blood Stasis, which causes the formation of lumps in the breast.
A third pattern is when Qi Stagnation and Phlegm
accumulation lead to excessive Heat toxins, which then turn to hard breast lump
masses.
Breast cancer was believed to be one of the "four fatal diseases" in
traditional Chinese medicine before the modern surgical operations,
chemotherapy, and radiation therapy were invented. The condition of
"breast stone" was diagnosed and treated, of course, with traditional
surgery, acupuncture, and herbal formulas, but the results were often
disappointing. However, the Chinese tradition of close observation and
painstaking collation of symptoms and cures provides us with extensive information
on the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Traditionally, four patterns
of breast cancer are differentiated and treated: Liver Qi
Stagnation (hard masses without pain and redness); Phlegm Heat Obstruction
(hard masses with sharp pain and redness and swelling); Liver Kidney Deficiency
(hard lumps with swelling and a dimpled appearance of the breast skin,
discharges and indentation of the nipple); Qi Blood
Deficiency (hard lumps with swelling, ruptured abscesses, spreading to the
surrounding areas).
Herbal Approach
to Breast Cancer
Modern research on
herbal treatment for cancer-related health issues has produced evidence that
the following traditional Chinese medicine herbs are very effective when used
by experienced practitioners. They represent four areas of treatment that are
particularly important to breast cancer patients.
TCM Patterns Seen After
Conventional Therapies
Once a woman has been diagnosed with breast
cancer, and depending on what stage the cancer is in, the following standard
treatments are recommended: Surgery (lumpectomy, simple mastectomy, modified
radical mastectomy) removes the cancer and some or all of the surrounding
tissue. Radiation therapy uses high-powered X-rays to kill cancer cells and
shrink tumors. It helps to prevent the recurrence of cancer. Chemotherapy uses
powerful anticancer drugs to destroy cancer cells that invade other parts of
the body. Hormone therapy uses estrogen-blocking drugs such as tamoxifen to prevent estrogen from binding to cancer cells
and stimulating the cancer cells to grow. Autologous
bone marrow transplant (for extremely aggressive breast cancers) removes the
bone marrow, makes sure it is free of cancer, and then injects it back into the
body after the high-dose chemotherapy regimen is complete. Statistics indicate
that the overall mortality rate from breast cancer has not changed appreciably
in forty years, despite new drugs and surgical techniques, according to Dr. Christianne Northrup. For
patients who choose conventional therapies, the side effects of these therapies
must always be addressed. Patients are best served by having a speedy recovery
from cancer therapy, and by having a strong health maintenance program after
recovery. In