Shrinkage of Ductal Carcinoma Tumor Prior to Operation

Author: Brenda Potter PT

Abstract: This case study focuses on a patient who is a 55 year old female, with a history of hypertension. The woman was taking many medications. She had been recently diagnosed with a ductal carcinoma in the right lateral breast region. She came to therapy to prepare for tumor removal surgery. The patient received four days of treatment with Integrative Manual Therapy. A month later, at the time of surgery, the tumor shrank by .5cm. In addition to this significant change, the woman also presented with significant increases in her right upper quadrant range of motion after therapy was completed.

Key Words: Cancer, Tumor, Shoulder

History

This case study focuses on a patient who is a 55 year old female, with a history of hypertension. She had been taking Anapril to reduce her blood pressure since September of 1993. The patient had been taking Premarin since 1995. No other medications were being taken. Other than the hypertension, the patient was considered in good health.

Family history includes heart disease-- the patient’s mother suffered and eventually died of heart disease after numerous bypass operations. The patient’s father died of Cancer at an early age. As a result, the patient was very conscientious about her eating program, had a regular exercise and walking routine, and received regular medical checkups.

The patient’s past medical history consisted of an appendectomy in her early 20’s, and a gall bladder removal in her 30’s. She has had two live births; one son is normal, and the other with some minor cognitive development and speech dysfunction. She had experienced some low back pain on occasion, as well as recurrent right tennis elbow on and off for years.

The patient was diagnosed with a rapidly advancing ductal carcinoma 30 days prior to the operation. Since the medical specialists were alarmed at the speed and aggressiveness of the tumor, a radical approach of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy was decided upon as an approach to treatment. Her medical treatment program was to consist of: Removal of the tumor. This was done 30 days after diagnosis. Chemotherapy was to be started 19 days after the operation, and to be carried out in four sessions, one session every 21 days. Radiation would be started 21 days later and carried out daily for 38 days.

The tumor was located in the right lateral breast area, and was very tender to palpation and even at rest. The tumor was measured with ultrasound three weeks before the operation and found to be 2 cm. in diameter. The patient was very frightened and depressed, but had a large group of friends and relatives for support.

Evaluation

Right shoulder ROM was limited by pain to approximately 110 degrees flexion and 80 degrees abduction.

Treatment

Integrative Manual Therapy (1) was started 14 days before the operation. Treatment was limited, due to accessibility, to four days, with four hours of treatment per day. The patient was given many more hours of homework to do each day after treatment. It was not possible to start postoperative Integrative Manual Therapy again until the third day after chemotherapy was started, so the patient was left with a home program to carry out until therapy was re-instituted.

The aims of the preoperative treatment were:

• To reduce the amount of toxicity in the whole body and specifically to the tumor area
• To initiate the body’s own healing mechanisms
• To protect some of the more vulnerable immune system tissue against the chemotherapy and radiation
• To build up the immune system, so that the patient’s body would be able to handle the coming traumas and be able to initiate and maintain self healing as quickly and powerfully as possible after the traumas
• To give the patient a sense of control over her condition.

Treatment consisted of the following techniques:

• Resistance Therapy to Immune Deficiency Motility (2) to the trunk, neck, head and right arm with emphasis on the areas close to the appendectomy and gall bladder surgical areas, the liver and spleen areas, the abdomen, both sides of the neck , right breast and chest, right axilla and arm, and posterior chest.
• Part of the Healing Protocol (3) which included the brainstem, limbic and cortical motility piece-- this was done on the second and third sessions for approximately 30 minutes each session
• Thoracic duct and mediastinal lymph node Compression Syndrome (4) release of the Stellate Ganglion Compression Syndrome (5) and release of the Thoracic Duct on the left side only (6), followed by Resistance Therapy to Immune Deficiency Motility to adjacent areas in neck and thorax
• Neurofascial Process (NFP) (7) in the form of The Detoxification Process (8) and Immune Process (9) was done as well as given for daily homework. The Detoxification Process NFP7, (8) was done once completely by the therapist and assisted by the patient and husband. The therapist, patient and patient’s husband held the appropriate positions for a minimum of five minutes each. Emphasis was given to the main Detoxification Process Center which was to be held at all times when the patient was resting, watching TV, talking to others, etc. For the final eight days before surgery the patient and husband were to do the Detoxification NFP exclusively for the first four days, for as many hours as possible, with emphasis on the neck and the centers above the umbilicus. The Immune Process NFP (7, 9) was taught to the patient and husband as above (4a). The same instructions were given but the patient and husband were to do this routine on the final four days before the surgery. Emphasis was placed on the neck, organs and bones being done twice as long as the other centers.

The patient was also encouraged in beginning a more organic approach to food and liquid consumption with the possibility of supplemental nutrients to be added. A homework program was added to allow for the processing and integration of old memories and issues from the past and present.

 

Outcome

The patient reported a reduced pain level within 2 days of the start of treatment.

There was less guarding of the upper right quadrant, and Range of Motion increased by approximately 30 degrees of flexion and 10 degrees of abduction, within the 4 days of treatment. The tumor was measured at the time of the operation to be 1.5 cm. It had shrunk 0.5 cm

The patient appeared more hopeful…planning a new, more organic diet routine to be implemented in coordination with some naturopathic advice. The patient was also implementing her Neurofascial Process routine as a means of positively affecting her present and future medical problems.

References

¹ Copyright, Weiselfish-Giammatteo, Sharon

² Weiselfish-Giammatteo, Sharon. Treatment of dysbiosis, Diaphragm Compression Syndrome course by Dialogues in Contemporary Rehabilitation, 1999; P. 41 of 41

³ Lowen, Frank and Sharon Weiselfish-Giammatteo. The Pelvis, Neuro-Reflexogenic Autonomic Associations, presented by Frank Lowen as Energetic Motility: Cortical, Limbic and Brainstem. A Therapeutic Horizons, Biologic Analogs Course.

⁴ Weiselfish-Giammatteo, Sharon. The Lymphatic system, Level One, Congestion Therapy course by Dialogues in Contemporary Rehabilitation , 1999; p. 43 of 87

⁵ Weiselfish-Giammatteo, Sharon. The Lymphatic System, Level one, Congestion Therapy course by Dialogues in contemporary Rehabilitation, 1999; p. 43 of 87

⁶ Weiselfish-Giammatteo, Sharon. The Lymphatic System, Level one, Congestion Therapy course by Dialogues in Contemporary Rehabilitation, 1999; p. 44 of 87

⁷Weiselfish-Giammatteo, Sharon. Integrative diagnostics Series Part 2, Neurofascial Process course by Dialogues in Contemporary Rehabilitation, 1999; p. 6

⁸ Weiselfish-Giammatteo, Sharon. Integrative Diagnostics series Part 2, Neurofascial Process course by Dialogues in Contemporary Rehabilitation, 1999; p.13