Lung Cancer
Complementary therapies and other approaches for lung cancer
Complementary therapies and some other approaches to dealing with cancer have not been tested using conventional scientific methods, so their effects have mostly not been measured or proven. Further, as the name 'complementary' suggests, these approaches are considered an addition to and not a substitute for conventional medical treatment.
Some of those interviewed here said that they would not consider using complementary therapies. Either they did not know that these therapies existed or they did not want to spend any more time having treatment or they did not believe in non-medical approaches - what one man called 'all that rubbish'.
Other people had tried one or more complementary therapies, which were sometimes offered at their local hospital or at their support group. Most had been able to have a number of treatments free, sometimes from therapists who volunteered their time, including acupuncture, aromatherapy, massage, homeopathy, reflexology, Reiki, and art therapy. Where treatment wasn't free the cost was sometimes a deterrent.
Some people spoke highly of reflexology. It made them feel better and gave one woman a sense of inner peace. Aromatherapy was recommended by a number of people because it made them feel relaxed. One woman said that the smell of the oils made her feel better and the massage involved in aromatherapy relieved her pain. However, another woman, who liked aromatherapy, sometimes found the massage a little painful. People's experience of these therapies also varied with the skills of the practitioner.
Describes reflexology and its beneficial effects.
Describes reflexology and its beneficial effects.
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Yes, yes these, at the local hospital I'm able to have five sessions of reflexology, Reiki, aromatherapy, healing. I've had one session of reflexology, absolutely extraordinary, extraordinary, you, it just sounds like so much hocus pocus and it's extraordinary, the impact. I was like walking on air for two or three days afterwards and I had relief in my neck, relief, I could feel relief at my, I've forgotten the word for it, diaphragm.
Diaphragm?
Diaphragm. That was the other word I couldn't remember in hospital diaphragm.
What do they do exactly?
It's just massaging your feet but the whole foot is treated as more than a symbol of your body but as a map of your body it's almost like a computer, numerically controlled operator, pushing buttons to impact on the various different organs of your body. It is extraordinary, extraordinary, and I'm booked in for my first healing session next, at the end of this month, quite what that is I'm not sure, I'm not sure.
Have you tired any of the other ones yet?
Not yet no, no.
That's all free under the National Health?
Yes it is yes, yes.
Describes how reflexology helped her.
Describes how reflexology helped her.
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And I went there and she just massaged my feet and I cried and I cried and I cried and I cried and I cried, just like a baby. And I don't know why I cried. But when, when she'd done it I just felt a whole lot lighter and she said she knew, she didn't exactly know that I'd had lung cancer, she didn't know I'd had an operation but she knew that my breathing, that my airways were badly congested by being able to, by the sense of my feet. And I'd never believed in anything like that before, but it was absolutely fantastic, it was so uplifting it was really good.
And I seemed to, I don't know, I mean I didn't believe in it, I thought well how can people play with your toes and cure your lung (laughs) or make you feel better? But it was so uplifting it really was, to go through that, and come out. And I went back three times after that when I began to get a bit low and each time it's worked, it's worked for me. I don't know it seems to give you an inner peace and lift you.
Describes aromatherapy - the smell itself made her feel better.
Describes aromatherapy - the smell itself made her feel better.
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Was helped by reflexology and aromatherapy at her support group and describes Reiki.
Was helped by reflexology and aromatherapy at her support group and describes Reiki.
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And I've also had aromatherapy, which is sort of full body massages and back massages. And I did find once or twice that quite painful on my shoulders, I mean it was lovely, you know once she got going but they seemed to knead a little bit hard on your back and it was quite a bit painful but it was wonderful and very, very relaxing and the oils are lovely that they use.
They do art therapy which I've not actually been to, and Reiki healing that's another one. That's where they just sort of have their hands just sort of, just raised about your body and you can sort of feel heat coming off them. And it does make you feel you know more relaxed and comfortable.
A man who had had a pneumonectomy said that acupuncture combined with massage had helped to relieve his pain and shortness of breath. Another person took homeopathic medicine to relieve the sickness that accompanied chemotherapy.
Describes acupuncture and how it helped.
Describes acupuncture and how it helped.
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Yeah, at the moment I have acupuncture, at the moment usually about once every fortnight. But that is the only complementary you know medicine that I've ever tried, acupuncture.
Can you explain about it and why you have it?
Yeah I go to, because I still get a certain amount of discomfort. Sometimes it can be related in pain, sometimes it can come through from shortness of breath and believe it or not acupuncture does help. The acupuncturist that I see also does massage. Now for some reason I don't know, I don't know whether it's just me but I find that she finds that my muscles are quite tense in my neck and my shoulders, whether that's down to the illness or not I don't know but she does help me tremendously, yeah.
And what's acupuncture like?
It's not too bad at all, it's not painful, nowhere, some, obviously some of the needles can be painful and it can make you jump and she just smiles at me and says "You wasn't expecting that one was you?" But it's quite, it's quite good. Most, I mean the most I've had, I think I counted seventeen needles in me at one stage that I didn't even know were there.
Where does she put those?
Some of the needles, funny enough are on the opposite side to where I have the operation believe it or not. Yeah, some of the needles are mainly on the left hand side and on the, she puts needles in my feet, in my hands. I've even had little needles put in the corners of my eyes.
And that seems to ease the discomfort in the chest?
Yeah, yeah it does, it does help yes.
Reiki was discussed by one woman, whom it did not help; but she said that other people in her support group had found it very relaxing. One man found Zhan Zhuang, also called Chi Gong (“standing like a tree”), a Chinese exercise, beneficial.
Reiki did not help her, but others in her group benefited.
Reiki did not help her, but others in her group benefited.
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I take quite a few vitamin and mineral supplements. I had a bit of, the place where we have our support group now, is part, it's in the grounds of the hospital it's not part of the hospital it's in the grounds of the hospital, and they put on different therapies, aromatherapy, Reiki, physiotherapy, all the other things where you can go. And we're lucky instead of having to pay '25-'30 a session, we can actually get that, we can have four treatments of each, whatever, they've got going on for nothing. They also have art therapy, make-up, that sort of thing.
Have you tried any of those?
I've tried the Reiki which did absolutely nothing for me whatsoever, but other people within the support group think it's absolutely marvellous. Very relaxing.
Can you explain what Reiki does?
Well it didn't do nothing for me, but it's like you have a massage, just a gentle massage, not a rough one and then there's sort of, there's music playing, very soothing music supposedly, and then they sort of run their hands. And a lot of people without touching you, you're supposed to get like the heat from the hands, I just, and a lot of people fall asleep while they're having it done, but me being so hyper it doesn't work for me. And I wouldn't have thought that any other things did like aromatherapy or, I've tried putting lavender on my pillow to make sleep because I don't sleep very well, probably three hours. I don't go to bed till about two in the morning and I'm usually wakened about five or half past.
Some people found other approaches helpful too. For example, many people were convinced that positive thinking had helped them (see 'Message to others with lung cancer'), and others believed in spiritual healing and the power of prayer.
Prayer together with a healer and other therapies have been very comforting.
Prayer together with a healer and other therapies have been very comforting.
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My friend is a healer, we are both Roman Catholic and our form of healing I suppose would be different because we sit and we pray together. And I find it very, very comforting, very, very relaxing and we've both seen, we hold hands and we pray with our eyes shut but we've both seen the same images and we've both felt the same things. We've both felt our hands lift or felt energy. I've felt energy, draining energy from her into me. But I've had reflexology, which is absolutely wonderful, aromatherapy again absolutely wonderful. Dismiss nothing because everything helps, everything helps.
Many people spoke of the benefits of relaxation and one man found self-hypnosis beneficial. A woman's daughter gave her a small crystal to wear round her neck, and explained that her daughter had faith in its healing power.
Describes how relaxation and self-hypnosis have helped him.
Describes how relaxation and self-hypnosis have helped him.
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Yes, sure, the relaxation is sort of a mental thing that's within myself it's, nobody has told me to do this but I just think it helps me that if I just, for example, I have a shower and I'm thinking about all this water on my body so now I sometimes, not often but sometimes I sit in the bottom of the shower cross legged, taking sort of a yoga position, I've never done yoga but, and I just sit there for whatever, how long. And I just can imagine and concentrate on all this water running over my body and then I try to concentrate on the water running in my body, to wash away all the dirt off me. Whether it works or not I don't know but it makes me feel better. I was taught many years ago how to do self hypnosis, I have done that on a couple of occasions when I've been out here on my own, drawn the curtains in the dark, that helps, that helps.
How do you do self hypnosis?
My GP taught me to do this and it's something, what you've got to do you've got to actually lie on the floor, a hard floor with a small cushion behind your back, and behind your neck, darkened room, nice and quiet. And he said to me I had to think of something that I used to enjoy to do, when I was young. Well we used to swim in the river, all the cow pats going by then, was no problem then you know, and he said to me, 'Get the picture of you swimming in the river when you was a child or a teenager', and the sound of the water and you just shut your head off and you just get this picture and see it, if you just shut your eyes you can see it and you can see the bend in the river where we all used to go and swim and you're laid there with your fingers outstretched and you're just totally completely relaxed, you can do it if you think hard enough about it.
And then you start thinking about all the things that you used to do in the river and all the time you're laid on the floor but your mind has got to completely take over. And then you've got at the same time when you know that you have completely relaxed you then you get this line, an imaginary line coming up either from your toes or down from the tip of your head, but I always come from toes for some reason. And I've got this imaginary line come up through my body, you can feel it, if you're totally and completely relaxed in your mind you can feel this line coming up through your body and you feel it come up through your torso, you can feel it go down through your arms and out through your finger tips. You can feel it come up through your neck, through your face and it comes out the top of your head. That helps you relax but you've got to really want to do it, to be able to do it, you've got to, really got to concentrate so hard. That's good.
A few people took additional vitamins because they had heard that certain vitamins benefited cancer patients. One man ate more fruit and vegetables, particularly red fruits and red vegetables, and ate less red meat. Another man recommended a drink made with root ginger and honey. He was convinced that it alleviated feelings of nausea.
Last reviewed May 2016.
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