Traditional Chinese Medicine
Last month I accompanied a group of Australian breast cancer clinicians and practitioners from the University of Western Sydney’s National Institute of Complementary Medicine to Beijing. This was part of a 'think tank' project which aims to establish what TCM can offer in the management of breast cancer.
TCM is an ancient and holistic system that includes acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, diet, massage and exercise. The trip included site visits to three public cancer hospitals to see how it is integrated with conventional Western medicine.
Our hosts were highly-qualified medical oncologists and surgeons who are committed to using TCM to improve the health and wellbeing of their patients. We also met a number of Chinese women who have been, or are being, treated with TCM in addition to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery.
We were invited to lie in massage chairs, listen to therapeutic music and taste the various porridges that make up a tailored nutritional program. We also saw the treatments being applied in ways ranging from poultices and ear acupressure to decoctions and intravenous drips.
On 18th of November I shall be attending a debriefing session where the rest of the group reflect on the trip and discuss opportunities for collaborative research.
Comments
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Hi Domini,
Congratulations on being selected to go on this trip, what a great opportunity. I have asked at think tanks if TCM and other advertised "Alternative" or Complementary therapies could be examined, either to debug the myths, save people money and ensure they do no harm OR to PERHAPS find something that does have value. A friend of mine who was diagnosed before me saw a complementaty therapist and she believes he helped her in many ways to cope better with treatments and fears.
I am really pleased to hear that scientists and medical specialists are now looking into some of thepossibilities.
I am sure you enjoyed the experience too.
Best wishes
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