Acupuncture and Breast Cancer
By Beverley de Valois, Acupuncturist, Uxbridge
October is international breast cancer awareness month. This is a time to raise awareness about how acupuncture can support people with breast cancer during and after cancer treatment.
This October, I am going to let breast cancer survivors tell their stories of how acupuncture helped them. Before that, let’s look at some facts about breast cancer.
Some facts about breast cancer
In 2022, breast cancer surpassed lung cancer at the most common cancer globally, with 2.3 million new cases diagnosed.[1] It is the number one cancer in women, and occurs in every country in the world. While men can also have breast cancer, this is rare and accounts for only 0.5-1% of all cases.[2] Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the UK, where approximately 1 in 7 women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives.[3]
While there are many risk factors, approximately half of breast cancers develop in women who have no identifiable breast cancer risk factor apart from gender (female) and age (over 40 years old).[2] Approximately one quarter of breast cancer cases are preventable. [3]
Over 76% of women diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK survive for over 10 years following diagnosis. [3] Early identification and early treatment improve prospects of survival. Treatment depends on the type and stage of cancer, and may include combinations of surgery, systemic anti-cancer therapies (SACT) such as chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapy) and radiotherapy. All of these may have immediate side effects as well as late and long-term consequences, which may cause great discomfort.
Given the prevalence of this cancer, the types of conventional cancer treatments, and the long-term survival rates, it is highly likely that breast cancer survivors will be seeking means to manage the side effects of cancer treatment, and to manage the long-term consequences of those treatments.
Acupuncture can support people with breast cancer at all stages of their cancer treatment, and in the recovery period afterwards. It can help with many physical problems, such as fatigue, menopausal symptoms, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, and pain. It can also help manage many emotional symptoms, including anxiety, depression, fear of recurrence. Most importantly, it can help people to cope, develop their resilience, and support them in their transition to the “new normal” of life after cancer diagnosis and treatment.
I will let three breast cancer survivors tell their story of how acupuncture helped them. These are women I have treated in my Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors Clinic. They have kindly offered to share their stories to raise awareness during breast cancer awareness month. All names are pseudonyms to protect their identity.
Testimonial: Claire and a fear of needles
Many breast cancer survivors are wary of having acupuncture. They say they have just had too many needles during their cancer treatment. Claire is a young woman who felt this way; it took time and much patience on both our parts to find a way to treat Claire. She says:
I started seeing Beverley six months ago, following treatment for stage 2 breast cancer which involved a full mastectomy, lymph node removal, radiotherapy and subsequent hormone and targeted therapy treatment. I was 40 and in good health when diagnosed, so the whole situation was very shocking and traumatic.
I was initially interested in how acupuncture could help me manage the hot flushes I was experiencing as part of my treatment - these had become quite crippling, impacting me at key times such as before work meetings and social events.
I was very nervous to start acupuncture; as any cancer patient would know, the amount of needles we have to suffer as part of our treatment is excessive. I’d had a few bad experiences with cannulas, and felt like acupuncture might be too much of a hurdle.
Beverley was very understanding and sympathetic to my concerns, and explained to me that these were not unique. We started very slowly, focussing on the key elements of what I wanted to achieve from treatment - this being management of the hot flushes. What I didn’t realise as my acupuncture journey continued, was that I was able to identify other issues, both pre and post cancer, that Beverley has been able to use acupuncture to help with.
My hot flushes have all but disappeared, and when they do emerge, I feel like I now have the tools to ‘nip them in the bud’ so to speak. Beverley has also focussed my treatment on issues around anxiety and gut health - things exasperated by my diagnosis and treatment, but that have always been running in the background. She is giving me tools to be able to manage these issues, and her tailored approach to my specific requirements means I am able to use these lessons outside of my sessions to manage my “new normal”.
I don’t think I will ever get over my dislike of needles, but I genuinely look forward to my sessions with Beverley, and intend on continuing them so as long as I can. Acupuncture has supported me in being able to trust my body again, and reminds me to love myself regardless of my experiences.
Testimonial: Lorraine and breast cancer as a second primary cancer
I am seeing more people who are survivors of not just one, but two or more primary cancers. Living with the treatment and its consequences for one cancer is challenging and burdensome enough for an individual. Imagine this multiplied by two or three times. And, in most cases, these multiple primary cancers affect older people, who also have the challenges of aging to contend with.
Acupuncture can be helpful and supportive in such complex cases. "Lorraine" tells her story of cancer diagnoses and how acupuncture helps her. Lorraine writes:
"I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Ovarian Cancer three years ago. At the same time a non-related breast carcinoma was discovered. Chemo and surgery for ovarian cancer have been followed by a targeted PARP inhibitor, and the breast cancer is being treated by endocrine therapy.
After chemo and surgery, my integrative medical doctor suggested TCM Acupuncture with Beverley de Valois.
How Acupuncture works is beyond me, but I have come to believe that it frees blocked energy and keeps it moving through body channels. Acupuncture has made a measurable improvement to my chemo-induced neuropathy and to hot flushes produced by endocrine therapy.
Acupuncture can also be a form of emotional support and relaxation, as it is not in the remit of surgeons and oncologists to discuss patients’ personal worries and problems. Electing to have Acupuncture is a positive and proactive step on the part of the patient.
Testimonial: Daena demonstrates how acupuncture transforms lives
I often say that acupuncture has the potential to transform lives. Daena’s story shows how profoundly acupuncture treatment is transforming her life. She writes:
In early 2023, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My treatment included chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy. I was fortunate that it was successful, but the process left me with a drained body and an exhausted mind. One worrying side effect was a drop in my heart’s function, which felt overwhelming at a time when I was already fragile.
I had read in NHS (National Health Service) guidance that acupuncture could help with the side effects of cancer treatment. From my very first session, Beverley made me feel safe. She listened deeply, asked the right questions, and was fully present. I went in with zero expectations. At the time, I was anxious, exhausted, and constantly unwell with a weakened immune system. Because it was my first acupuncture session, she kept the treatment very simple – just a few needles, perhaps three.
What happened next surprised me. Despite such a minimal treatment, I felt an immediate shift: lighter, more alive, energised. Over the next few months, I continued weekly sessions, and the benefits multiplied. My strength, energy, and sense of wellbeing improved so much that I became genuinely curious about how this method worked.
After such an intensive medical journey filled with chemicals and radiation, I was struck by acupuncture’s gentleness. It was non-invasive, non-toxic, and helped my body find its own balance. Over time, my heart function recovered back to normal. There is no way of proving that acupuncture was the reason, but my consultants were amazed by the results of my echo-cardiogram.
This experience moved me so deeply that I decided to study acupuncture myself. It showed me that my body had the power to heal, given the right support. I am now in the second year of my training, and it has transformed not only my health but also the way I look at the world.
My hope is that one day I will have the skills – and the privilege – to help others facing what I once went through.
In Summary
Claire, Lorraine, and Daena have generously shared their stories of how acupuncture helped them in their experience of breast cancer. I share them here with the intention of increasing awareness of the numerous ways that acupuncture can support breast cancer survivors.
My mission is to increase awareness of the challenges cancer survivors face after completing treatments for cancer (surgery, systemic anti-cancer treatments, radiotherapy) and to promote awareness of how acupuncture can help. It's important to spread the word that acupuncture is a safe, effective, evidence-informed, non-pharmacological option that can be offered to cancer survivors experiencing the consequences of cancer treatment.
Further information and to book an appointment
Find out more about Beverley’s work with cancer survivors at https://beverleydevalois.com/
Find out more about the Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors clinic at Bridge to Health Uxbridge https://www.bridgetohealth.co.uk/beverley-devalois
To book an appointment online: https://www.bridgetohealth.co.uk/booking
OR
Call 01895 200050 and speak to Kate
References
[1] World Health Organisation, Cancer. <https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer>, 2025 (accessed 18 September 2025).
[2] World Health Organisation, Breast cancer. <https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/breast-cancer>, 2025 (accessed 18 September 2025).
[3] Cancer Research UK, Breast cancer statistics. <https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/breast-cancer#heading-Six>, no date (accessed 29 July 2021 2021).
