Moxibustion and Cancer Care

Cancer weakens our immune system. Conventional treatments like surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy can cause additional harm to our bodies. This is precisely when moxibustion could provide invaluable assistance.

Moxibustion, an ancient practice with a rich history in tumor treatment, has gained recognition in modern clinical studies for its positive effects.

Research has confirmed that moxibustion holds numerous benefits for cancer patients. It has been found to improve immune function, inhibit inflammation, relieve fatigue, and even increase drug concentration in tumors. By influencing the tumor microenvironment, moxibustion could enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Patients who combine moxibustion with chemotherapy also reported a reduction in various adverse reactions.

For cancer patients, moxibustion offers a simple, safe, and effective supplementary treatment option to improve overall health as well as quality of life.

癌症會削弱我們的免疫系統，常規的癌症治療方法，如手術、放療和化療，也會對我們的身體造成額外的傷害，而這、正是艾灸發揮作用的關鍵時刻。

艾灸在治療腫瘤方面擁有悠久的歷史, 現代臨床研究也已證實、艾灸具有以下的功效：

首先，艾灸有助於增強癌症患者身體的防禦力，提升免疫系統功能，緩解疲勞感。

其次，艾灸的熱力可以滲透到身體深層，軟化和疏通體内結節，加速瘀血的消散，刺激身體代謝功能，增強毒素的代謝和排泄。

此外，艾灸還具有強力止痛功效，能緩解胃腸不適，減輕癌症治療常見的副作用，如惡心、嘔吐、食慾不振、失眠和心理負擔，提高患者的生活質量。

作為一個簡單、安全而有效的輔助治療選擇，艾灸能滿足癌症患者的特殊需求，為廣大癌症患者帶來健康和生活質量的改善。

References:

Lee MS, Choi TY, Park JE, Lee SS, Ernst E. Moxibustion for cancer care: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cancer. 2010 Apr 7;10:130. doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-10-130. PMID: 20374659; PMCID: PMC2873382.

Li Y, Hong E, Ye W, You J. Moxibustion as an Adjuvant Therapy for Cancer Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Pain Res. 2023 Feb 17;16:515-525. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S396696. PMID: 36824500; PMCID: PMC9942498.

Lee J, Yoon SW. Efficacy and Safety of Moxibustion for Relieving Pain in Patients With Metastatic Cancer: A Pilot, Randomized, Single-Blind, Sham-Controlled Trial. Integr Cancer Ther. 2014 May;13(3):211-6. doi: 10.1177/1534735413510025. Epub 2013 Nov 25. PMID: 24282101.

Zhang HW, Lin ZX, Cheung F, Cho WC, Tang JL. Moxibustion for alleviating side effects of chemotherapy or radiotherapy in people with cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Nov 13;11(11):CD010559. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010559.pub2. PMID: 30480754; PMCID: PMC6517257.

Yao Z, Xu Z, Xu T, Liu X, Xu S, Wan C, Zhou X. Moxibustion for alleviating chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal adverse effects: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2022 Feb;46:101527. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101527. Epub 2022 Jan 5. PMID: 34999499.

Huang Z, Qin Z, Yao Q, Wang Y, Liu Z. Moxibustion for Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:9854893. doi: 10.1155/2017/9854893. Epub 2017 Oct 12. PMID: 29234451; PMCID: PMC5660813.

Han K, Kim M, Kim EJ, Park YC, Kwon O, Kim AR, Park HJ, Park YC, Cho JH, Kim JH, Lee JH. Moxibustion for treating cancer-related fatigue: A multicenter, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial. Cancer Med. 2021 Jul;10(14):4721-4733. doi: 10.1002/cam4.4020. Epub 2021 Jun 29. PMID: 34189864; PMCID: PMC8290232.

Ge L, Wang Q, He Y, Wu D, Zhou Q, Xu N, Yang K, Chen Y, Zhang AL, Hua H, Huang J, Hui KK, Liang F, Wang L, Xu B, Yang Y, Zhang W, Zhao B, Zhu B, Guo X, Xue CC, Zhang H; International Trustworthy traditional Chinese Medicine Recommendations (TCM Recs) Working Group. Acupuncture for cancer pain: an evidence-based clinical practice guideline. Chin Med. 2022 Jan 5;17(1):8. doi: 10.1186/s13020-021-00558-4. PMID: 34983587; PMCID: PMC8728906.