Preventing Breast Cancer the Chinese Medicine Way

Breast cancer prevention was bought to the forefront of the news last week with Angelina Jolie's announcement of her decision to undergo preemptive surgery to minimize her risk of developing breast cancer. As I understand it, her choice was heavily influenced by her being a carrier of the BRCA1 genetic mutation, an inherited genetic condition that inhibits DNA replication and ultimately increases cancer risk notably. Obviously seeking a surgical solution before the disease manifests is a deeply personal choice, and many are asking themselves whether they would make the same decision. While the National Cancer Institute estimates that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, the prevalence of the BRCA1 mutation is only about 1 in 400-800. This means that for most women considering cancer prevention, BRCA1 will not be a factor, and preemptive surgery would be a rather extreme option. So what alternatives does Chinese medicine offer for breast cancer prevention?

Breast Cancer and Chinese Medicine

When we consider cancer in Chinese medicine, we characterize tumors as an accumulation of stagnant Qi and Blood, and usually phlegm and dampness, that has become very dense. This long-standing mass of static Blood builds up heat over time due to the lack of free flow - so much heat that it damages the surrounding tissue. We call this toxic heat or heat toxicity. This is typically allowed to happen against a backdrop of inherent Qi deficiency, meaning the immune function is too weak to break up these clumps of toxic heat and Blood, ie. cancer cells.

The breasts are governed by the Liver, with the Liver Meridian passing directly through the breast tissue. As you may know, the Liver is the organ responsible for ensuring free flow of Qi and Blood through the Meridians, and so dysfunction of the Liver leads to Qi stagnation. The Liver meridian itself is particularly susceptible to stagnation - that is why women experience breast tenderness or develop (temporary) breast lumps during their premenstrual period.

Prevention

Like everything else in Chinese medicine, cancer prevention is all about protecting the Qi. The most important thing is to maintain strong "upright" Qi. Having a strong immune system allows the body to constantly clean up pre-cancerous cells before they can get a foothold. A balanced diet is key; obviously you should avoid or limit processed foods, but be careful about making your diet too limiting, as well. A good rule of thumb is to eat a good variety of things to ensure that all of the 5 elements are represented by your food intake - the easiest way to do this is to enjoy very colorful meals (this means lots of different fruits and vegetables!).

It's also very important to limit stress and negative emotions. This seems like obvious advice that's not always easy to follow, but Chinese medicine places a lot of emphasis on emotional factors as causes of disease. Stress, frustration, anger, unfulfilled desire, and constrained bottled-up emotions all stagnate the Qi because they are emotions associated with the Liver. Experiencing these emotions in excess is very taxing to the Liver, so it's best not to repress them. For some people this means adopting a meditative practice, whether that's guided breathing or something more like Tai Ji or Qi Gong; for others it's physical exercise.

Moving the Qi is very important, as well. Exercise is a great way to move the Qi as the physical activity literally jostles the Qi loose and helps it move through the Meridians. Of course regular acupuncture and herbal treatments can supplement that, but it's very important to remain physically active. And walking doesn't count! I'm talking about something aerobic that gets the heart beating and the sweat flowing.



Lastly, be nice to your Liver. Try to avoid things that add heat to the Liver and the body. That means limit alcohol intake and avoid smoking. Because the Liver organ is associated with the Wood element, it is also related to the sour flavor. Citrus is great for Liver health, and even squeezing lemon juice into your water helps soothe the Liver. Mint, dandelion, kale, spinach, and beets are all great, too.

Later in the week I'll talk a bit about herbs that are used to move Qi and Blood in the breasts, as well as dissipate masses in the breast tissue. I'll also discuss how we care for patients who actually have breast cancer.