Advances in cancer care are often the result of yearslong research into new medications and innovative technologies. But more and more, cancer researchers are complementing this approach by taking a scientific lens to health and wellness practices, such as traditional Chinese medicine and other traditional Eastern medicine approaches.
Bringing these millennia-old therapies into the research lab to determine how they may benefit cancer patients is a central goal of the Cherng Family Center for Integrative Oncology at City of Hope®.
“The way we bridge traditional Eastern approaches and Western medicine is through science and research,” says Richard T. Lee, M.D., director of the Cherng Family Center. “We need to identify those components of Eastern medicine for which there is strong clinical benefit and a good safety profile and then we can bring them into practice.”
This article covers the basics on how traditional Chinese and Eastern medicine could play a role in an integrative approach to cancer care, including:
- What is Eastern medicine?
- Eastern medicine and cancer
- Combining Chinese medicine with traditional cancer treatments
- Limitations of Eastern medicine for cancer
- Other types of supportive care
If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer and would like to get an initial appointment or a second opinion of your diagnosis or treatment options, call us 24/7 at (877) 834-8941.
What Is Eastern Medicine?
Eastern medicine is a term that is sometimes used interchangeably with the term traditional Chinese medicine. However, Eastern medicine refers more broadly to health- or wellness-related practices developed in the Global East, while traditional Chinese medicine stems from China.
“One way to think about traditional Chinese medicine and other traditional approaches is that they were developed thousands of years ago, when we didn’t have all the bells and whistles of modern medicine technology,” says Dr. Lee. “That’s why they focus more on the fundamentals of health, such as nutrition, exercise, stress and lifestyle management.”
Traditional Chinese medicine often includes:
- The use of herbs and plants to treat or manage a wide range of medical conditions.
- Mind-body exercise practices like tai chi and qigong.
- Acupuncture, which is the use of thin needles to stimulate certain points in the body, often for pain relief.
Other common aspects of traditional Eastern approaches to wellness include certain kinds of massage therapy, nutrition, exercise and meditation techniques.
Eastern Medicine and Cancer
Eastern medicine has played a role in treating illnesses, including early concepts of cancer, for thousands of years. The word “tumor,” for example, has been found inscribed on 3,500-year-old Chinese oracle bones—the oldest surviving examples of the written Chinese language.
Other sources from more than 2,000 years ago discuss ideas that sound remarkably modern, from focusing on strengthening a patient’s overall health to using multiple therapies to treat cancer more effectively.
“That’s one area of strength in traditional Chinese medicine: It incorporates a whole-person approach and utilizes a variety of therapies, which is one of the philosophies of the Chinese,” adds Dr. Lee, who stresses that bridging Eastern medicine and Western science can only serve to help patients worldwide.
“By bringing the two worlds together, we provide a synergy and a more comprehensive and holistic approach that really benefits patients.”
Combining Chinese Medicine with Traditional Cancer Treatments
Multiple studies have focused on how to integrate traditional Chinese medicine into Western medicine’s approach to cancer care. The strongest evidence has shown the benefits of acupuncture for pain and nausea, meditation and yoga for mood, and tai chi and qigong for fatigue.
“It really helps fill in the gaps of modern medicine,” Dr. Lee says. One example is the use of certain types of herbal medicine. Ginseng, for example, has been shown to help with cancer-related fatigue, while ginger may help alleviate nausea symptoms during treatment.
“In today's world, when we think about natural herbs, we think about a lot of supplements and pills, but traditional Chinese medicine is about using the natural plants in their in their native form, utilizing them as food or a tea as a way to help with wellbeing,” adds Dr, Lee.
There is promising research on the use of Chinese medicine herbs in combination with standard cancer treatments, although most of these are still preliminary and require additional rigorous clinical trials to ensure safety and efficacy.
Researchers at the Cherng Family Center are already investigating a wide range of potential integrative cancer therapies that originated in Eastern medicine, including:
- Meditation techniques to alleviate anxiety among cancer survivors
- Cannabis as a treatment for neuropathy caused by chemotherapy
- The use of lavender aromatherapy to reduce anxiety and discomfort for patients receiving bone marrow biopsies
- Massage techniques to help manage the physical and emotional side effects of chemotherapy infusion
- The use of acupuncture to provide pain relief
- Basic science research into mushrooms and mistletoe extracts
“We use scientifically rigorous ways to ensure a strong evidence base,” Dr. Lee says, “and if these prove beneficial, we can merely make them part of the standard of care moving forward.”
Limitations of Eastern Medicine for Cancer
While scientists have found some evidence that certain kinds of Eastern medicine approaches may be beneficial for people with cancer, more research is needed to understand all the implications of using these traditional approaches. Applying scientific rigor to the use of traditional Chinese and Eastern medicine for cancer is the impetus behind the research being conducted at the Cherng Family Center.
“For years, City of Hope has been a pioneer in whole-person care, from our established Department of Supportive Care Medicine to the campus’ healing gardens,” says Dr. Lee. “Everything we do as a leading National Comprehensive Cancer Center is really focused on the patient, and so this is helping us execute on our mission.”
Other Types of Supportive Care
Traditional Chinese medicine is not the only area that is being scientifically studied for its potential benefits to cancer patients.
About 40% of cancer patients use other complementary and alternative medicine approaches to help support their cancer care. Some approaches that have been studied for their medicinal or healing qualities include:
- Mind-body therapies, which may include yoga, tai chi and meditation, but also art and music therapy
- Dietary and nutritional practices, such as specialized diets, the use of supplements or vitamins or the use of cannabis-based products
- Massage and body-based techniques including reflexology and chiropractic care
- Acupuncture and acupressure to help manage the side effects of treatment
However, it is worth noting that many of these complementary therapies might be of no benefit—or even be harmful—for cancer patients, depending on their unique diagnosis and how they are used. Patients considering incorporating any of these approaches should always discuss them with their medical doctor first, and they should not stop any existing medical therapy or treatment their doctor has recommended.
If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer and would like to get an initial appointment or a second opinion of your diagnosis or treatment options, call us 24/7 at (877) 834-8941.