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This document was provided by:
The Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation.
Visit their web site at www.breastcancer.com

Q: IN YOUR BOOK, YOU DISCUSS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOW TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE, OR TCM, UNDERSTANDS BREAST CANCER AND HOW WESTERN MEDICINE VIEWS IT. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS?

A: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TCM AND WESTERN MEDICINE IS THAT TCM CAN UNDERSTAND, DIAGNOSE AND TREAT QI, OR ENERGY, DYSFUNCTIONS BEFORE THEY BECOME PHYSICAL PROBLEMS. FOR EXAMPLE, IF A WOMAN HAS BREAST TENDERNESS BEFORE OR DURING HER MENSTRUAL CYCLE, OR SHE HAS BREAST TENDERNESS ALL THE TIME, THEN ACCORDING TO TCM THEORY SHE HAS LIVER ENERGY STAGNATION. IF THIS ENERGY STAGNATION IS NOT ADDRESSED OR TREATED IMMEDIATELY — SOONER OR LATER THIS CONDITION OF BREAST TENDERNESS CAN PROGRESS TO FIBROID CYSTS.

Q: IN YOUR BOOK, YOU TALK ABOUT QI AND QIGONG FOR SELF-HEALING. WHAT ARE THESE THINGS AND HOW DO THEY RELATE TO HEALING CONDITIONS LIKE BREAST CANCER?

A: ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BELIEFS OF AUTHENTIC TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE IS THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL IS BORN THE ABILITY TO HEAL HER- OR HIMSELF. QI IS VITAL ENERGY OR LIFE FORCE. IT IS THE FOUNDATION OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE. QI HAS TWO ASPECTS OR COMPONENTS. ONE IS POWER. THE OTHER IS A MESSAGE, OR INFORMATION, THAT TELLS THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE THAT IT ANIMATES HOW TO FUNCTION AND WHEN TO FUNCTION. FOR THE HUMAN BODY TO REMAIN IN A STATE OF HEALTH, QI MUST BE STRONG AND FLOW FREELY THROUGH THE BODY'S MERIDIANS OR ENERGY CHANNELS OR PATHWAYS, AND THE FIVE MAJOR ORGAN SYSTEMS MUST FUNCTION IN HARMONY.

HERE'S AN EXAMPLE THAT WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND QI. TAKE A LOOK AT COMPUTERS. IN ORDER FOR A COMPUTER TO FUNCTION WELL, WE NEED POWER AND A PROGRAM. WITHOUT POWER, THE COMPUTER CANNOT FUNCTION. AND WITHOUT PROGRAMS, THE COMPUTER ALSO CANNOT FUNCTION.

LET'S TALK ABOUT QIGONG. IN CHINA, IT HAS BEEN PRACTICED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. QIGONG IS ONE SPECIAL ENERGY EXERCISE THAT CAN HELP QI FLOW SMOOTHLY IN THE BODY. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THE BODY IS STRONG AND HEALTHY. TODAY MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE PRACTICE QIGONG.

TCM STATES AS LONG AS YOUR ORGANS FUNCTION IN HARMONY AND YOUR QI FLOWS FREELY OR SMOOTHLY, DISEASE CANNOT ENTER YOUR BODY…EVEN BREAST CANCER. QIGONG PRACTICE CAN HELP ANYONE REACH THIS STAGE.

Q: WHAT IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF BREAST CANCER ACCORDING TO TCM? HOW LONG HAS TCM BEEN TREATING THE ROOT CAUSE?

A: THE ROOT CAUSE OF BREAST CANCER IS LIVER FUNCTION DISORDER CAUSED BY INTERNAL FACTORS OF EXCESS EMOTIONS LIKE CHRONIC ANGER AND OUTSIDE FACTORS LIKE STRESS. TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE UNDERSTANDS THE LIVER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ORGAN FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH. ACCORDING TO TCM, ALL WOMEN'S DISEASE IS DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY RELATED TO LIVER FUNCTION DISORDER.

TCM HAS UNDERSTOOD AND HAS BEEN TREATING THE ROOT CAUSE OF BREAST CANCER FOR MORE THAN 500 YEARS. TCM HAS TALKED ABOUT CANCER IN ITS MEDICAL TEXTS FOR MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND YEARS.

IN TCM, THERE ARE THREE CRITICAL FACTORS THAT CREATE THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT TO ALLOW CANCER TO TAKE HOLD AND GROW. THEY ARE: QI OR ENERGY DEFICIENCY, COLD WITHIN THE BODY, AND BLOOD STAGNATION. WHEN THESE THREE CONDITIONS ARE PRESENT, THE TRIGGER MOST OFTEN IS CHRONIC OR EXCESS EMOTIONS, ESPECIALLY ANGER, FRUSTRATION, WORRY, OR OVERTHINKING.

Q: WHAT ROLE DO UNBALANCED OR EXCESSIVE EMOTIONS AND STRESS PLAY IN BREAST CANCER FROM THE TCM PERSPECTIVE?

A: TCM UNDERSTANDS THAT DIFFERENT EMOTIONS ARE RELATED TO DIFFERENT ORGANS. WHEN THESE EMOTIONS ARE EXCESSIVE, CHRONIC, OR OUT OF BALANCE, YOU CAN GET SICK.

FOR EXAMPLE, JOY AND HAPPINESS ARE RELATED TO THE HEART. WORRY AND OVER-THINKING ARE RELATED TO THE SPLEEN. SADNESS AND GRIEF ARE RELATED TO THE LUNG. FEAR AND PANIC, AND SHOCK ARE RELATED TO THE KIDNEY. AND ANGER IS RELATED TO THE LIVER. STRESS IS THE NUMBER ONE EXTERNAL FACTOR THAT CAN CAUSE A LIVER FUNCTION DISORDER.

IF THE BODY CANNOT PROCESS OR 'DIGEST' THESE EMOTIONS SMOOTHLY OR IF THE BODY HOLDS THESE EMOTIONS FOR A LONG TIME, THEN STAGNATING EMOTIONAL ENERGY CAN CAUSE YOUR ORGANS TO STOP FUNCTIONING PROPERLY.

Q: MOST OF US ARE UNDER A LOT OF STRESS A LOT OF THE TIME. WHY IS STRESS SO DEADLY FOR WOMEN IN PARTICULAR AND HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO THE ROOT CAUSE OF BREAST CANCER?

A: TCM UNDERSTAND THAT THE ROOT CAUSE OF BREAST CANCER IS RELATED TO THREE THINGS: ONE IS A QI DEFICIENCY THAT CAN CAUSE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION.

THE SECOND FACTOR IS QI STAGNATION IN THE MERIDIANS WHICH RUN THROUGH THE BREAST AREA.

AND THE THIRD FACTOR IS THAT ENERGY IN THE MERIDIANS IS TOO COLD.

STRESS CAN CAUSE LIVER FUNCTION DISORDER. WHEN THIS CONDITION HAPPENS A WOMAN CAN EXPERIENCE QI STAGNATION SYMPTOMS SUCH AS MENSTRUAL CYCLE DISORDER, PMS, BREAST TENDERNESS, HEADACHES DURING THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE, STOMACH DISTENTION, AND MORE.

IF THESE SYMPTOMS GO ON LONG ENOUGH, THE BODY THEN OFFERS THE IDEAL PLACE FOR BREAST CANCER TO INCUBATE AND GROW. IN WESTERN CULTURE, WOMEN DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW SERIOUS THESE MENSTRUAL DISORDER SYMPTOMS REALLY ARE.

Q: YOU HAVE SIX DIFFERENT LIFESTYLE CHECKLISTS THAT A WOMAN CAN REVIEW TO SEE IF HER DAILY HABITS ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROOT CAUSE OF BREAST CANCER. ARE THERE SOME BASIC THINGS WOMEN CAN DO TO PREVENT DISEASE OR ILLNESS?

A: YES. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS WOMEN CAN DO TO CHANGE THEIR LIFESTYLES FOR THE BETTER AND PREVENT THE ROOT CAUSE OF BREAST CANCER. BUT, THEY MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN HEALTH AND THEY MUST ACTUALLY MAKE HEALING LIFESTYLE CHANGES.

IN MY BOOK, I HAVE SIX CHECKLISTS THAT CAN HELP WOMEN UNDERSTAND HOW THEIR LIFESTYLE RELATES TO THE ROOT CAUSE OF BREAST CANCER.

WE COVER: EATING, SLEEPING, WORK HABITS, EMOTIONS, PLEASURE, AND FREQUENT DISCOMFORTS.

FROM AN ENERGY STANDPOINT, THERE ARE SOME EASY THINGS WOMEN CAN DO. FOR EXAMPLE, THEY CAN AVOID COLD FOODS, COLD DRINKS AND FOODS WITH A COLD ESSENCE. THE CAN ADD FOOD WITH WARM ESSENCE TO THEIR DIET. LIKE GINGER, CINNAMON, SCALLIONS, AND FENNEL.

THEY CAN PUT A GREEN PLANT IN THEIR WORK AREA. THIS LIVE ENERGY CAN HELP THEM MANY TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY. WOMEN SHOULD ALSO TRY AND TAKE TWO MINUTES (AND I MEAN TWO MINUTES ONLY — JUST 120 SECONDS EACH TIME…) TO MEDITATE AS MANY TIMES AS THEY CAN. THIS CAN HELP THE BODY RELIEVE STRESS. IF YOU CAN DO THIS TEN TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY, YOU'VE ALREADY FOUND TWENTY MINUTES OF MEDITATION TIME. THIS CAN DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE YOUR STATE OF WELL BEING BY REDUCING STRESS.

WOMEN CAN MAKE AN EFFORT TO GO TO BED BEFORE MIDNIGHT EVERY NIGHT BECAUSE THE BODY SPENDS TWICE AS MUCH ENERGY TO STAY AWAKE AFTER THIS HOUR. JUST THINK, IF YOU NEED QI OR HEALING ENERGY TO FIGHT WITH BREAST CANCER, WHY WOULD YOU WASTE IT BY STAYING UP LATE AT NIGHT, OR EXPENDING EXTRA ENERGY OR QI TO GO TO A SHOPPING MALL.

Q: HOW CAN QIGONG HELP WOMEN PREVENT BREAST CANCER OR A RECURRENCE OF THIS SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITION?

A: QIGONG CAN HELP WOMEN PREVENT BREAST CANCER OR ITS RECURRENCE BY INCREASING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND HELPING QI FLOW FREELY THROUGH THE MERIDIANS. WHEN QI BECOMES STRONGER THEN THE BODY CAN HEAL ITSELF.

Q: FROM THE TCM PERSPECTIVE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EARLY WARNING SIGNS THAT WOMEN SHOULD TAKE SERIOUSLY IF THEY WANT TO PREVENT BREAST CANCER OR A RECURRENCE?

A: AS A TCM PRACTIONER, I'M VERY CONCERNED WHEN I SEE A WOMAN WITH CONDITIONS LIKE PMS, HEADACHES DURING THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE, BREAST TENDERNESS, FIBROIDS, A POOR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM, OR I SEE THEM SUFFERING FROM A LOT OF STRESS AND GETTING ANGRY EASILY, OR HOLDING ON TO ANGER FOR A LONG TIME. IN TCM MEDICAL THEORY, THESE ARE SIGNS OF A LIVER FUNCTION DISORDER WHICH HAS LONG BEEN CONSIDERED BY TCM DOCTORS ONE OF THE ROOT CAUSES OF BREAST CANCER.

Q: YOU HAVE SEVERAL CHAPTERS THAT DISCUSS HOW TCM CAN HELP COMPLEMENT WESTERN MEDICAL TREATMENT LIKE CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIATION SO THAT WOMEN CAN HELP THEMSELVES REMAIN STRONG ENOUGH TO COMPLETE TREATMENT. TELL US SOME OF THE THINGS WOMEN CAN DO.

A: IN CHINA, USING TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE TO COMPLEMENT CANCER TREATMENT IS A COMMON PRACTICE. AFTER RADIATION OR CHEMOTHERAPY, OFTEN PATIENTS ARE SENT TO THE TCM HERBAL PHARMACY TO OBTAIN HERBAL FORMULAS THAT CAN HELP THEM INCREASE T CELL COUNTS BETWEEN TREATMENTS. THIS WAY THEIR BODY CAN REMAIN STRONG ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY COMPLETE THE CANCER TREATMENTS.

THE SIDE EFFECTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIATION ARE THE RESULT OF A SERIOUS DEFICIENCY OF THE LUNG, STOMACH, AND KIDNEY FUNCTION. AS WE KNOW, CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIATION CAN DESTROY THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP THIS BODILY OPERATING SYSTEM STRONG SO THAT A WOMAN CAN COMPLETE TREATMENT. MY BOOK HAS SEVERAL CHAPTERS ON HOW TO USE TCM TECHNIQUES TO DO THIS.

FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE SEVEN ANCIENT QIGONG MOVEMENTS THAT A WOMAN CAN PRACTICE BEFORE CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIATION. THERE ARE CERTAIN FOODS LIKE PEARS AND KIWI THAT A WOMAN CAN EAT DURING RADIATION TO RELIEVE HEAT IN THE LUNG.

THERE IS A LIST OF MORE THAN 60 FOODS AND HERBS THAT CAN HELP SUPPORT THE HEALTH OF VARIOUS ORGANS AND ORGAN SYSTEMS AFFECTED BY CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIATION. I ALSO HAVE SOME SPECIAL MEDITATION TECHNIQUES THAT CAN HELP WOMEN DURING THESE TREATMENTS.

Q: YOU SAY THAT TCM BELIEVES THAT EVERYONE IS BORN WITH SELF-HEALING ABILITY. HOW DOES THIS PHILOSOPHY RELATE TO BREAST CANCER?

A: TCM BELIEVES THAT EVERY ONE IS BORN WITH SELF-HEALING ABILITY. NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF DISEASE A PERSON HAS OR WHAT KIND OF CONDITION, FROM AN ENERGY POINT OF VIEW, TCM BELIEVES THAT THE BODY HAS THE ABILITY TO STOP THE INTERNAL PROCESSING OF A DISEASE OR ILLNESS.

A GOOD TCM DOCTOR CAN HELP PATIENTS RECALL THEIR HEALING POWER THROUGH ACUPUNCTURE, ACUPRESSURE, HERBAL THERAPY, EATING FOR HEALING, QIGONG PRACTICE, AND PSYCHOLOGY.

Q: WHERE CAN I FIND TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE: A WOMAN'S GUIDE TO HEALING FROM BREAST CANCER?

A: YOU CAN FIND DR. LU'S BOOK AT BOOKSTORES NATIONWIDE, ON AMAZON.COM OR B&N.COM …OR YOU CAN GO DIRECTLY TO THE FOUNDATION'S WEB SITE AT WWW.BREASTCANCER.COM.

(This material is copyrighted. It is reprinted with the permission of the Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation. Copy must be used in total and no copy alterations may be made without the express written permission of the Foundation.)