Breast Cancer Treatment

Treating Breast Cancer

Treatment for Breast cancer is dependent on the stage of cancer, tumour size and the likelihood of spreading. Once your doctor has determined all of these factors the right treatment method will be decided. There are many ways to go about treating breast cancer with surgery being the most common. Here are a few examples of different surgeries that are used to treat breast cancer (one or a combination of):

  • Lumpectomy – This surgery is done to remove the tumour within the breast and whatever other tissue is necessary without removing the whole breast
  • Mastectomy – this surgical procedure is to remove the entire breast. A double mastectomy removes both breasts. 
  • Sentinel Node Biopsy – Sentinel lymph nodes are the first lymph nodes that receive drainage from a tumour. This procedure is to remove the lymph nodes and test them for cancer cells to see if the cancer is likely to spread or not. 
  • Axillary Lymph Node Dissection – the lymphatic system is the most common route for cancer to spread through the body. If cancer cells are found after a sentinel node biopsy, your doctor will recommend removing further nodes to prevent spreading. 
  • Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy – Often people might only have cancer in one breast although the removal of both might occur to prevent chances of getting breast cancer again. This is called a contralateral prophylactic mastectomy, the removal of a healthy breast. 

Besides surgery other methods of treatment include:

  • Radiation Therapy – this treatment can be done internally or externally. External radiation therapy is targeting the cancer cells and killing them with highly powered radiation beams. When this treatment is done internally it is called brachytherapy. This uses radioactive seeds or pellets which are placed inside the body, close to the cancer cells, to kill them. 
  • Chemotherapy – Chemotherapy is a drug therapy. Drugs are aimed to stop the division and growth of the cancer cells. The drugs are most commonly taken through a needle into the veins, called intravenous chemotherapy. It can also be done through pill/capsules, liquid as an injection or into the mouth or as a cream on the skin. 
  • Hormone therapy – some breast cancer types can be sensitive to therapy. Estrogen and progesterone can sometimes stimulate the growth of cancer cells. This treatment will stop your body’s production of these hormones all together or block the cancer cells receptors to the hormones. 
  • Medications –  different medications can be used to do different things depending on the factors of your cancer. Your doctor may prescribe you with medication to slow cancer growth, reduce symptoms or prolong life expectancy. 
Acupuncture is an effective treatment for many ailments.

Alternative Treatments

Cancer treatments in Western Medicine can have many nasty and unwanted side effects. To manage these side effects some people choose Chinese medicine, which is a holistic approach to health. It focuses on restoring harmony and balance between the organs to optimize bodily function. Research is being done on the benefits that Chinese medicine, specifically acupuncture, provides for cancer patients. Acupuncture has been shown to help patients withstand chemotherapy and radiation. It has also been shown to ease some of the secondary effects that come with this. This includes nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, fatigue, anxiety, depression and immune suppression. This helps patients to tolerate the full effect of cancer treatments and allow the best possible medical outcome. 

If you’re interested in seeking Chinese medicinal treatment, contact us at Centre of Balance to learn about how we can help you today. 

Our Offer to You:

Fill in our online questionnaire for free – and save the $135 it would cost you to do this detailed medical history in person with a practitioner.  You can request a phone call from a practitioner after they have read your online form, or just book your initial exam for $40.  Call us on 07 846 7956 to book, or fill in the questionnaire now.

References 

https://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/how-cancer-treated/chemotherapy/understanding-chemotherapy

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/integrative_medicine_digestive_center/services/cancer_supportive/cancer_supportive_acupuncture.html

​​https://www.healthline.com/health/breast-cancer#treatment 

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Monica

I am originally from Hebei province in China. I hold a NZ bachelor’s degree of health and science with a major in acupuncture. I am honoured to be an acupuncturist at Centre of Balance. Helping patients to alleviate their pain brings me the greatest joy. Chinese medicine emphasises the unity of human beings and nature. During the treatment, I hope to not only relieve your pain but also help you to understand the principles behind acupuncture’s effectiveness, as well as the significant impact of diet, emotions, lifestyle habits, and living environments on disease recovery. Self-healing is an ability that our bodies are naturally endowed with.

I studied acupuncture in New Zealand and completed one and a half years of supervised clinical internship before graduating. In the early stage of my training, I mainly worked with patients experiencing neck, shoulder, and lower back pain. Under the guidance of senior clinical tutors, I gradually developed hands-on experience and confidence in treating musculoskeletal pain conditions.
As my clinical exposure expanded, I began treating a wider range of internal conditions. Alongside traditional acupuncture, I was introduced to Umbilical Acupuncture and Tungs-acupuncture Points. What interested me most about these approaches is that they often do not require needling directly at the painful area, yet can still achieve very effective results.
I was especially inspired by observing my supervisor use Umbilical Acupuncture to treat common conditions such as insomnia, menstrual irregularities, and even rheumatoid arthritis, with very positive outcomes. Another supervisor was highly skilled in Tungs-acupuncture Points and achieved excellent results in treating pain, infertility, menstrual disorders, and a variety of women’s health conditions. After completing my studies and entering clinical practice, once I observed Dr. Szenan Phua using Tungs-acupuncture points to help cancer patients relieve pain, which further strengthened my trust in this treatment method.
I later completed training in Dr. Tan Balance Acupuncture, which had a strong influence on the way I approach treatment. One of the most noticeable features of this method is how quickly patients often feel improvement, especially with pain conditions. Dr. Szenan Phua’s New Balance Acupuncture combines meridian regulation with structural adjustment and internal organ balancing, including techniques such as pulse balancing and spinal adjustment.
From my clinical experience, pain is rarely just a local issue. It often involves underlying organ weakness or structural imbalance. When these aspects are addressed together, treatment can be more thorough and longer-lasting. I also apply this approach to internal conditions, particularly in fertility and women’s health. This includes supporting natural conception, IVF preparation and embryo transfer, pregnancy support, early-pregnancy nausea, and late-pregnancy labour induction. I combine these treatments with concepts learned from a few additional fertility training, which has given me a broader and more flexible clinical perspective. This has reinforced my belief that acupuncture should be adapted to each individual rather than applied through fixed formulas.
Two other areas of study that have been very helpful in my clinical work are Tongue Diagnosis and Dr. Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture. Although tongue diagnosis is taught in my standard Chinese medicine training, further study allowed me to deepen and refine my diagnostic skills.
My first formal training was in Li’s Tongue Diagnosis, which looks not only at organ patterns, but also at how different areas of the tongue reflect the body’s structure. This system also explores personality traits and changes during pregnancy, making it both clinically useful and engaging. I later attended online lectures on Yin’s Tongue Diagnosis and studied the related materials independently. this learning has helped me make clearer and more accurate pattern differentiation, allowing my acupuncture treatments to be more targeted. It covers a wide range of conditions, including skin disorders, oncology-related presentations, mental health patterns, and joint or limb problems. In practice, tongue observation often provides valuable insight even before a patient begins describing their symptoms.
In addition to the methods above, I regularly use local bloodletting techniques, which can be very effective for improving circulation, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. I also incorporate auricular (ear) acupressure and stimulation, which I commonly use for allergies, insomnia, headaches, stress management, and various internal conditions.
In my clinical work, I value taking the time to listen carefully to each patient and to understand their overall health, lifestyle, and concerns. Based on each individual’s condition, I also provide personalised dietary guidance and lifestyle or wellness advice to support overall health and long-term wellbeing. I commonly support patients with musculoskeletal pain, such as neck, shoulder, knee, and back pain, as well as stress-related conditions, sleep issues, migraines, digestive concerns, and women’s health and fertility-related conditions.