Chemotherapy

The doses and schedules of chemotherapy drugs are designed so that the drugs will kill the rapidly dividing cancer cells and expel them from the patient’s body before they can damage most healthy cells (which divide more slowly). However, there are three types of normal cells that also divide rapidly: the cells that make up the interior lining of the intestinal tract, hair producing cells and the bone-marrow cells. These three normal cells are also affected by the chemotherapy drugs causing the three most common side effects: nausea and vomiting, hair loss, and bone-marrow depression. Other side effects include, dry flaky skin, blood clotting, fatigue, infections, depressed immune systems and possible sterility.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has developed an integrated model of treatment using conventional medicine’s powerful drugs and instruments to kill cancer cells with a holistic approach to addressing the side effects. TCM is a pattern differentiation-based functional medicine. We understand the of pathological mechanisms and the organ systems involved (such as the liver, lungs, heart and spleen) and the patterns that are created as a result.

For example: Skin-mucous reactions such as dry skin, ulceration, hair loss, local pain, discoloration are caused by toxic heat and exhaustion of body fluids. By grouping the key and general symptoms of a patient’s reactions to chemotherapy, we make a diagnosis of the pattern such as toxic heat or dampness and treat the pattern accordingly.

The most important treatment tools we use are Chinese herbs and acupuncture. Some herbs that are often prescribed include Astragalus (Huang Qi), Peony (Bai Shao), and Honeysuckle (Jin Yin Hua) that are some of the leading Chines herbs for tonifying qi (or energy), nourishing blood and clearing toxic heat, respectively. However, as professional Chinese medicine practitioners we usually prescribe a personalized herbal formula (that is more potent and specific) based on a patient’s unique pattern differentiation. We use acupuncture points such as Neiguan (Pericadium 6), located two inches above wrist, that is very effective for cancer chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

Dr. Yang, Xiu Juan (Sue) and Dr. Liu, Hong Wei are licensed master practitioners of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine and are PhDs, MDs from China. Both trained 11 years in a full-time MD and PhD Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine program. They are currently teaching professors and chief physicians in the field of gynecology and internal medicine. They maintain a private clinical practice in New York City and Jericho Long Island and are training prospective acupuncturists in the USA. They bring to you a combination of 42 years of clinical experience in the USA, Norway, Sweden, South Korea, Brazil, Greece and China Hospitals. They have published 25 books and 175 research articles in the past 23 years in Acupuncture, Herbal and Integrated Medicine