Cancer Support
In China and many parts of the U.S. today, people with cancer seek out Chinese traditional medicine in addition — or as an alternative — to Western medical treatment. In China, women undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment always have the choice to use Chinese herbal medicine and other therapies, such as Qi Gong exercise, as adjunctive therapies to reduce side effects and increase the efficacy of the Western treatment.
For example, herbal formulas based on the Chinese herb Ji Xue Teng (Spantholobus) are given to reduce bone marrow suppression and enable continuation of chemotherapy treatments at a normal schedule.
In our clinic, we use formulas from various manufacturers that adhere to strict Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). One specific formula that has been successfully used in our clinic and many around the world for more than fifteen years to support our clients undergoing cancer treatment is Marrow Plus®. Marrow Plus® is a formula designed by our Clinic Director Misha Ruth Cohen, OMD, L.Ac., for the highly regarded herb company Health Concerns.
We also use acupuncture, dietary recommendations and evidence-based supplementation with our clients diagnosed with cancer. We recognize that there are conflicting opinions and sometimes conflicting evidence on the use of herbs and supplements in conjunction with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Oncologists and cancer researchers vary in their opinions regarding this issue.
Therefore, we pay very close attention to drug/herb/supplement interactions and use the most up-to-date Web-based interaction programs, materials and courses to ensure maximum safety and efficacy. And, of course, we will provide your Western physician, oncologist, pharmacist or other provider with the treatment plan that has been individualized for you. We will also disclose all herbs and supplementation that we are proposing for your treatment to your oncology team so they can review them prior to adding them to your treatment plan.
Our Clinic Director Misha Ruth Cohen, OMD, L.Ac. is a well-known Chinese herbal researcher and is currently the principal investigator in a two-year funded controlled clinical trial of topical Chinese herbs for the prevention of HPV-related anal cancer. She is broadly respected as a teacher of practitioners in the area of viral-related cancers such as HPV (cervical, anal, oral, vulvar), HCV (liver cancer), HBV (liver cancer) and HIV-related cancers.
We also believe that Chinese medicine studies which center on alleviating side-effects as well as enhancing Western treatment might be the most efficacious to pursue at this time along with cancer prevention studies.