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Fighting cancer is a complex and challenging process. Having all the available knowledge and support on your side, is crucial for success.

The Center for Acupuncture and Natural Medicine specializes in complementary and integrative cancer care. We are here to support YOU as your oncologists work hard to fight the cancer.

Your body, mind, and spirit is a complex system with many complex parts. Yet all of these parts work together to form an integrated whole. Because of this, we treat our patients with a multi-systems approach.

Supporting your underlying health is crucial during conventional treatment.

Reducing Side Effects: Supporting Underlying Health

Unfortunately, conventional cancer treatments can produce a range of serious side effects. From preveting nausea and constipation to leucopenia (low white blood cells) and neuropathy, we utilize a variety of treatments to improve your quality of life during conventional treatments.

Reducing these unwanted effects not only makes treatments more tolerable, they help to lift your spirits so that you can focus on becoming healthy.

Acupuncture has been proven effective and is recommended by the American Cancer Society for the treatment of symptoms related to cancer and the side effects of conventional treatments.

Leading institutions including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Moffitt Cancer Center, and UCSF Osher Center all use acupuncture to support their patients’ well-being.

Dietary Changes: Improving Your Body Chemistry

Dietary changes are one of the most under-utilized aspects of cancer treatment. Your body is a complex ecology of biochemical and energetic reactions supported by the foods that you eat. Because of this, dietary changes are a critical component of Integrative Cancer Therapy.

The arena of anti-cancer diet is full of question and debate. What kinds of fats and oils should I eat or avoid? Should I avoid sugar? Should I avoid refined carbohydrates or carbohydrates in general? How about meats and proteins? Should I eat a vegetarian or vegan diet? We work hard to guide our patients though the labyrinth of information, and help them implement the optimal dietary changes into their everyday lives.

Nutraceutical and Herbal Supplementation: Enhancing Conventional Treatments and Supporting The Body

Supplementation is another important aspect of Integrative Cancer therapy. Which supplements should I take? How much do I take? Does supplement quality matter? Can I take them during conventional treatments? Whether supporting the underlying health of the body, or increasing the effectiveness of conventional treatments, Herbal and Nutraceutical supplements can be very powerful adjunctive therapies. From the latest in chemotherapy compatible Nutraceuticals, to Traditional Chinese Herbs that support proper immune function, we work with you to create and implement the best plan for your individual case.

Lifestyle Changes: Balancing Your Neuro-Endocrine-Immune System

Lifestyle changes lay the foundations to success when fighting cancer. The way you use your mind and body has direct effects on your nervous, endocrine (hormone), and immune systems. From lack of sleep and electro-smog exposure, to irregular eating and overworking, lifestyle imbalances can put immense stress our bodies. Working harmoniously with your body is crucial in the fight against cancer. We help our patients determine the necessary changes, and help them incorporate these into their everyday lives.

Mind and Spirit: Supporting Your Emotional Wellbeing

Mind and spirit are an integral part of your being. Your psychological health is crucial during the course of your treatment. Studies have shown that depressed patients are less likely to succeed in their fight against cancer. We utilize a number of effective treatments to support mental and emotional health throughout the process.

Acupuncture has been proven to be effective in the treatment of stress, depression and anxiety.

Each case is treated with this multi-system approach depending on where you are in relation to conventional treatments.

We see patients in all stages of cancer treatment and cancer prevention

Family history of cancer / Prevention

41% of Americans will get cancer in their lifetimes. Those with a family history are at an even higher risk.

Yet, researchers are now finding that our environment greatly affects our gene expressions, and these can also be passed down to our children. Poor diet, environmental toxins, chronic stress, lack of exercise... all of these things can affect the way your genes express.

Whether dietary, behavioral, environmental, or metabolic, we work with our patients to identify and eliminate factors that contribute to a pro-cancer environment.

Benign tumor

From a metabolic standpoint, many benign tumors are low-grade cancers or pre-cancers. Having a benign tumor, or history of benign tumors, means that your body ecology is in more of a pro-cancer state and may be at greater risk of forming cancer.

Whether dietary, behavioral, environmental, or metabolic, we work with our patients to identify and eliminate factors that contribute to a pro-cancer environment.

Slow moving, non-aggressive, and cancers in situ

Patients with these types of cancer are in a unique position. When considering conventional cancer treatments, the potential benefits must always be weighed with the short and long-term risks.

The many risks of conventional cancer therapies are justified when aggressive treatments are immediately necessary. However, non-aggressive cancers present patients with a unique opportunity.

With permission from an oncologist, you have the option of “watchful waiting” as we promote optimal metabolic and immune function in the body. If your body responds well to these natural therapies (based on lab tests and imaging) you may be able to avoid more aggressive treatments.

Pre/ Post Surgery

Though necessary in many cases, surgery is highly invasive, stressful to the body, and can suppress proper immune system function. In addition, there is growing evidence that cancer surgery can increase the risk of metastasis and promote angiogenesis (pro-cancer blood vessel formation).

We work with our patients both before and after cancer surgery to reduce the risk of complications, promote a more rapid recovery, and decrease the risk of surgery-induced metastasis.

Actively undergoing radiation/ chemotherapy/ surgery

Patients who are undergoing conventional treatments can rest assured that they are being supported in every way. From side effect reduction and anti-cancer Nutraceuticals, to the optimization of body chemistry and immune function, we support our patients and guide them through the process.

Post radiation/ chemotherapy recovery

Treatments like radiation and chemotherapy can result in a wide range of long-term side effects. This can include cardiac complications, long -term fatigue, “chemobrain” (cognitive impairment), infertility, peripheral neuropathy, hearing loss, osteoporosis, pulmonary fibrosis (scarring of the lungs), increased risk of secondary cancers, and damage to the liver, bladder, and kidneys.

Many of the complementary therapies we employ during conventional treatments can help to reduce the severity and/or occurrence of these side effects.

Yet, if you underwent conventional therapies alone, and/or are experiencing any of these long-term side effects, we have many treatments that can benefit your case.

Long-term cancer prevention after conventional treatment

For those you have won the battle against cancer, our goal is to help you win the battle and the war.

Conventional treatments are stressful to the body’s physiology. Because of this, when conventional treatments are successful, they can unfortunately raise the risk of reoccurrence in the future. Many clinicians have also noted that these cancers can return in a more severe, widespread, and aggressive manner.

For patients who have successfully undergone conventional cancer treatments, we employ a modified version of our cancer prevention protocol at full intensity. Our treatments work to reverse the collateral damage that may have occurred during conventional therapy, optimize immune function, restore optimal cellular metabolism, and create an anti-cancer ecology in your body.

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