Cancer treatment is over! Now you can go back to your normal life! Or can it? And why should acupuncturists be interested?
Early diagnosis and improved treatment allow more people to live longer after a cancer diagnosis. The American Cancer Society reports that in 2022, 69% of survivors will have survived more than 5 years from diagnosis. 47% survived more than 10 years from diagnosis. and 18% survived more than 20 years from diagnosis.1 Cancer is now considered a chronic disease rather than a terminal disease. This is good news.
However, ending cancer treatment does not necessarily mean returning to a healthy state. Cancer survivors report poorer health and well-being than people without cancer. Many people suffer from the chronic effects of cancer and its treatment. Some people may develop new symptoms years after treatment ends.
The consequences of such long-term treatment can be physical and/or emotional and can affect quality of life. Survival is described as “the absence of disease, but not the absence of disease.”2
cancer survival rate
There are many definitions of cancer survival. The National Cancer Institute defines it as: cancer survival rate It focuses on “the health and well-being of cancer patients from the time of diagnosis to the end of life” and includes “the physical, mental, emotional, social and economic impact of cancer starting from the time of diagnosis”. will appear. Please continue during treatment and after… [including] Issues related to follow-up: late effects of treatment, cancer recurrence, secondary cancers, quality of life, etc. ”3
This definition also includes family, friends, and caregivers, who are also considered part of the survival experience. This is wide-ranging, with many definitions focusing on the period after active or primary treatment, which deals with the aftermath and consequences of cancer treatment.
Examples of the many effects include chronic pain (such as chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, joint and muscle pain associated with aromatase inhibitors), physical problems such as hot flashes and night sweats, lymphedema, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. It is included.
Emotional effects include fear of relapse, anxiety, depression, and even isolation and loss of self-confidence. Social and occupational roles may be affected, and cancer survivors experience more financial hardship than the general population.1
Late effects of cancer treatment include the possibility of developing a new primary cancer, heart disease, and other serious conditions. These consequences can have a significant negative impact on quality of life.
the missing part
In 1985, Dr. Fitzhugh Mullan described three stages or seasons of survival in his seminal book, Seasons of Survival: Thoughts from a Physician with Cancer.Four He defined “prolonged survival” as the time when treatment ends and the individual focuses on the outcome of the treatment. The following year, he brought even more attention to cancer survivorship with his formation of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (https://canceradvocacy.org/).
Nevertheless, it is estimated that only 1–2% of cancer survivors still receive rehabilitation for cancer-related disability.Five
Furthermore, although research has shown that psychological interventions may improve cancer survival rates, among cancer survivors receiving specialized care, only those who are suffering Less than half of these people receive professional care.1
What does this have to do with acupuncture?
In nearly 25 years of research supporting people after cancer treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy), I have found that acupuncture can help them restore and rebuild their lives and adapt to the “new normal.” I’ve seen how it helps.6
Acupuncture can and should be considered as part of the multidisciplinary care of cancer survivors. It has the ability to address the complex symptoms commonly seen in this patient group. It has been reported that up to 25% of cancer survivors experience long-term effects from cancer and its treatment, with many suffering from multiple effects in addition to pre-existing symptoms. and newly developed comorbidities.7
Acupuncture provides a safe, evidence-based, non-pharmacological option for managing both the physical and emotional states that occur in cancer survivors, often within the same treatment . This is important because many of the effects of cancer treatment have limited biomedical treatment options.
Additionally, many cancer survivors do not desire further drug therapy, and non-pharmacological options to manage pain are especially welcome in the era of the opioid crisis. Furthermore, randomized controlled trials have shown that acupuncture is as effective as pharmacological interventions, yet has fewer side effects, fewer rebound effects at the end of treatment, lasts longer, and has broader benefits. It has been shown that it can be obtained.8-9
Improving approaches to the care of cancer survivors
Acupuncturists need to be aware of the impact of cancer treatment and how it affects patients who come for acupuncture treatment with a history of cancer. Understanding the broader context of cancer survivors allows for a deeper approach to treatment.
For example, nearly 50% of survivors experience fear of recurrence more than 5 years after treatment. Recognizing this and its impact on physical and emotional symptoms is an important aspect of supporting cancer survivors.6
An increasing number of clinical practice guidelines are being published, such as the SIO/ASCO (Society for Integrative Oncology / American Society of Clinical Oncology) pain management guidelines.Ten These support the use of acupuncture in integrative oncology and benefit acupuncturists, policy makers, and cancer survivors.
With an estimated 18 million cancer survivors in the United States and 53.5 million worldwide, there is a critical need for treatment options to address the effects of cancer treatment.11 Acupuncture can make a valuable contribution to the multidisciplinary care of people living with cancer and those who have survived cancer. In over 20 years of research and practice, I have heard many cancer survivors say that acupuncture gave them their lives back.
Author’s note: June is National Cancer Survivor Month, and it’s a good time to learn more about the challenges cancer survivors face and how acupuncture can help them. For more information about acupuncture and cancer survivors, visit Beverleydevelois.com.
References
- Cancer facts and figures for 2022. American Cancer Society, 2022.
- Looking forward: Life after cancer treatment. National Cancer Institute, March 2018.
- Definition of cancer survival rate. National Cancer Institute.
- Moulin R. Seasons of Survival: Thoughts from a Physician with Cancer. New Eng J Med1985;313:270-273.
- Cheville AL, Mustian K, Winters-Stone K, et al. Cancer rehabilitation: An overview of current needs, delivery models, and levels of care. Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Clinic N Am2017;28(1):1-17.
- de Valois B. Acupuncture and Cancer Survivors: Recovery, Regeneration, and Transformation. London: Singing Dragon. 2023.
- ‘I’m cured, but at what cost: the long-term effects of cancer and its treatment’ MacmillanCancerSupport.org.
- Mao JJ, Bowman MA, Xie SX et al. Comparison of electroacupuncture and gabapentin for hot flashes in breast cancer survivors: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. J Clin Oncor2015;33(31):3615-20.
- Walker EM, Rodriguez AI, Cohn B, Acupuncture versus venlafaxine for the management of vasomotor symptoms in patients with other hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Oncor2010;28(4):634-40.
- Mao JJ, Nofisat I, Ting B, et al. Integrative medicine for pain management in oncology: Society of Integrative Oncology – ASCO guidelines. J Clin Oncol; 2022;40(34):3998-4024.
- “Global cancer burden is growing as need for services increases.” World Health Organization, February 1, 2024.
