Cancer Support
One of the most life-altering experiences for many is a diagnosis of cancer. One out of eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her life. And most of us currently cancer-free have relatives, friends or co-workers struggling with the disease. The screening for and treatment of breast cancer in particular have made tremendous strides in the past few years so that early intervention can now save or prolong many lives.
Conventional cancer therapy typically includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and/or hormone therapy. While these therapies provide amazing benefits, they also come at a great cost to many patients due to their side-effects such as nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, abdominal pain, indigestion, hair loss, low energy, reduced sex-drive, foggy-headedness, anxiety, depression, insomnia, etc.
An exciting recent study by Dr. Eleanor Walker (Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit) showed that acupuncture is as effective as Effexor® in reducing hot flashes and night sweats from hormone-suppression therapy in breast cancer survivors (e.g. Tamoxifen®, Arimidex®) but has none of the side-effects, improved the patients’ wellbeing and had a much longer-lasting effect than the antidepressant.