Two Remarkable Stories in My Speech on Cancer

Two Remarkable Stories in My Speech on Cancer

I am honored that I have been invited to speak on this occasion. I am not a cancer doctor. I am not even a medical doctor. But I am deeply committed to expanding peoples’ awareness of traditional Chinese medicine as an effective system of medicine.

I could spend hours explaining TCM theory and diagnostic principles to you, so you could see how comprehensive and elegant the Chinese medicine approach to treating cancer is, but I only have 30 minutes. So first, I will mention a few success stories I am personally familiar with. Then I will give you an overview of the Chinese medicine approach to cancer, and to disease in general. Finally, I will share with you some recent research studies which clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of acupuncture and Chinese medicine in treating cancer symptoms and the side effects of cancer treatment, and which point the way to exciting new developments in the field of oncology. 

I have seen so many cancer patients come to our acupuncture clinics and benefit from the treatment we give them. One of them is a remarkable woman who came to the United States as a refugee from Europe. She dedicated her life to helping international students and new immigrants to this country. Every year on her birthday, her family and dozens of friends would gather to celebrate. At age eighty, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Last year, before her eighty-fifth birthday, she told her friends and relatives not to plan a party for her. Everyone was shocked. They thought she was telling them that she was going to die soon.  But she said “No, I’m not dying – I’m going to Bombay, India for two weeks. I will go there to work for a charity organization. Now I plan to live to be 100, and you are all invited to my 100^th birthday.” This woman is a long-time patient of one of our TCM practitioners. She gets regular acupuncture treatments, and practices Tai Chi every day. Please note – I am not claiming that acupuncture and tai chi cured her cancer – I am saying that acupuncture and tai chi have helped her to live successfully with cancer.

Another case I am very familiar with is a woman who graduated from my Chinese medicine school. She was a nurse before she came to study Chinese medicine, and her son is an MD. Ten years ago, in the middle of her Chinese medicine studies, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. She went to Mayo clinic. They told her it was terminal, and there was not much they could do. So she turned to the Chinese medicine she was learning about in school and became dedicated to improving her health. She used acupuncture and Chinese herbs. She practiced Qigong and meditation. She organized her diet and her lifestyle according to the principles of Chinese medicine. Today, ten years after her Stage 4 cancer diagnosis, she is a licensed acupuncturist with a busy practice. She is an energetic woman with an enthusiastic attitude to life. And she continues to rely on Chinese medicine to maintain her health. When I spoke to her a few weeks ago, she told me that if she could pass along advice based on her experience, it would be to get past the fear, actively search for solutions, and never give up.

From Dr. Changzhen Gong's keynote speech to the Intercultural Collegiate Cancer Conference: Understanding Health Disparities and Making Connections on March 21, 2014.