"Went in for a biopsy and they definitely determined it was malignant," said Donna Hughes.

Hughes had breast cancer. She had a lumpectomy and 35 treatments of radiation while she was taking the drug Arimidex. The pain in her joints, especially her back, was really unbearable.

"Weight gain, hot flashes and tired, lethargic," she said.

She wanted relief.

Hughes said, "I talked it over with my oncologist. He said anything that he could do for me that would offer me any kind of relief would put me at risk."

She opted for alternative medicine, acupuncture. Acupuncturist Clarence Lu has worked on all types of cancer patients.

He said, "Relief from nausea and vomiting, from chemotherapy and radiation. It is also studied for dry mouth, for hot flashes."

The painless needles are strategically placed in her leg and arm for pain relief and in her ankle and stomach to increase the flow of energy.

Lu said, "It helps regulate the endocrine system, the hormones in our bodies. It also releases neuropeptides, a lot of pain relief."

Chi Ching, or acupuncture, is used on cancer patients to give them relief during treatment but it is frequently being used on patients before treatment is even started.

Lu said, "Pre-surgical use, to try to help with the person's immune system before they undergo the rigors of cancer treatments."

Does this Chinese practice cure cancer? There is no proof, but Lu said yes.

"In the West perspective, they talk about a five year survival rate as beating cancer. For me, what I have seen in China, often it really helps people reach that five year survival rate or much further," he said.

Hughes has had four treatments. Her appetite and hot flashes have both decreased.

"I had pains in my hands, my feet and my knees and all of those have been relieved," she said.