Q&A: Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors

At ECHN’s John A. DeQuattro Cancer Center, healing goes beyond conventional medicine thanks to practitioners like Dr. Diana Zitserman. A board-certified and CT-licensed Acupuncturist and Naturopath, Dr. Zitserman brings a unique blend of science and energy medicine to cancer survivorship care. With a background in cancer research and over a decade of experience in acupuncture, she now dedicates her practice to supporting cancer survivors through holistic, evidence-based methods. In this interview, Dr. Zitserman shares her journey into Traditional Chinese Medicine, the role of acupuncture in cancer care, and how this ancient practice can bring relief, balance, and renewed wellbeing to those navigating life after a cancer diagnosis. 

Q: Tell me a little about yourself and what service you provide for our cancer survivors: 

A: I have been practicing as an Acupuncturist and Naturopath for over ten years; this is actually my second career. I was previously in Cancer research.  

Cancer biology has been with me for more than 20 years of my life. I got into the field of energy medicine because I was exploring it through naturopathic medicine and when I learned of the ways that we can heal ourselves through the use of acupuncture and energy work, it was game changing, changed my life.  

Now I am a board-certified and CT licensed Acupuncturist, and I provide Acupuncture here at ECHN’s John A DeQuattro’s Cancer Center. Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This involves the insertion and stimulation of very fine sterile needles into acupuncture points to help treat specific symptoms or health conditions. According to traditional Chinese medicine, vital energy or Qi flows throughout the body along channels called meridian pathways. Interruption or obstruction of Qi is believed to make one vulnerable to disharmony and illness.  

It is my job as a skilled acupuncturist to identify these patterns of disharmony and select specific points to influence energetic balance and harmony. Once Qi flow is optimized, a person can feel therapeutic benefits such as reduction or eradication of pain or symptoms, a deeper state of relaxation, and a restored sense of wellbeing.  

Q: In what ways does this benefit the cancer survivor? 

A: It is known that a cancer survivor can experience a range of symptoms related to cancer treatment side effects and changes to quality of life and emotional wellbeing. Acupuncture can have the ability to calm the mind and treat physical symptoms, which is a significant benefit for a cancer survivor.  

Q: What are Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment strategies for cancer?

A:

• Strengthen the body’s resistance and eliminate pathogenic factors. 
• Reduces adverse reactions to chemotherapy treatment or radiation therapy. 
• Prevents and treats postoperative complications 
• Prevents tumor development or disease progression 
• Relieves symptoms, regulates emotions, and calms the spirit. 
• Improves QOL and extends overall survival. 

 Q: What symptoms may acupuncture help? 

A: Advances in clinical research have shown significant benefits of Acupuncture when treating symptoms of nausea and vomiting, post operative pain, cancer related pain, chemotherapy-induced leukopenia, neuropathy, fatigue, xerostomia or dry mouth, insomnia and anxiety. Key acupoints designated to treat pattern disharmonies, whether physical or mental/emotional, can significantly improve one’s quality of life. Special precautions are taken when treating cancer patients due to the risk of infection, immunosuppression, and bleeding. 

Very common to have particular side effects, for example nausea, vomiting, digestive changes as well as cancer related fatigue. It is possible for some pain post-surgical, or patients may experience neuropathy. These are all common side effects that chemotherapy has on an individual.  

So, in essence, if you place the needles into appropriate areas, the affected areas or the channels that relate to digestion, for example, the movement of energy to bring you back to balance starts the process. And when you get in that flow, you start to feel relief.  

Q: How does acupuncture actually work? 

A: The overall theme about moving energy is the acceptance that we are energy bodies. Acupuncture and its theories have described this universal flow of energy throughout these meridians called our channels. And every organ actually has a Meridian pathway or channels that energy flows through. So, if there's energy that's stuck in a particular part of the body. Let's say you have a pain in your wrist. The acupuncturist knows what channels are related to that pain. The idea is to put the pins or the very fine needles that are sterile into the body to coerce the energy to move that stuck energy throughout the channel flow. This is why people start to experience improvement in pain because you're moving stuck energy along the channel where it's located.  

Q: When do you expect to get relief from acupuncture treatments? 

A: It depends on the individual; most of the time they will feel subtle changes. It can grow with the frequency of acupuncture. What we are trying to do is rebalance how the energy flows. When a person is experiencing pain or discomfort, it is the body's energy in disharmony. With a skilled acupuncturist, we can place those needles to be able to allow the body to move the energy. 

Q: What am I going to expect during my treatments? 

A: Whether in a group setting or individual setting It is very important to take a good medical note and discuss the history of the individual and be sure there is enough nutrients and blood to sustain energy flow.  

Every individual gets a full assessment, it's important that, I as the doctor and the acupuncturist to know who I am working with so if I need to refer out I have the right tools and the right individuals who are part of their cancer care to be able to refer back to. 

Most important and usually felt positive affect of acupuncture is the ability to connect you mind and body and feel that instantaneous sense of calm.  When our bodies are less stressed, with the fight or flight response, our bodies are able to heal better. So, with that sense of calm and peace our bodies are able to readjust itself; calming the mind and getting better sleep. 

Adding this to a patients overall comprehensive treatment plan will be very beneficial.   

Q: Are there any reasons that one could not get acupuncture? 

A: The typical contraindications for getting acupuncture for individuals that may have malnourishment or that are sustaining white blood cell or red blood cell counts that are too low. If we are trying to stimulate the body's ability to move energy or build blood on a very deficient system, you can actually disrupt and have a healing crisis towards the body.  

Q: Where do you provide this practice, and do I need a referral? 

A: Community acupuncture is done at the John A Dequattro Cancer center, which is a shared space with an energy field where everybody comes as themselves, there are these zero gravity chairs where you can fully relaxed and elevated off the ground where you not only participate in your own healing but also the collective healing that everyone is sharing into the energy space.  

Individuals can also go to the Women’s Center for Wellness in South Windsor, it’s a more private setting where it is a comfortable one on one room, where it’s myself and the person being guided through the treatment setting. 

You do not necessarily need a doctor's order to come see me. If there is any letter writing that is needed, I can help facilitate this. 

An individual can make an appointment by calling the Women’s Center for Wellness and make an appointment for a personal 1:1 acupuncture session or drop in on Tuesdays at the DeQuattro Cancer Center from 10am-1pm.