How to recognize liver cancer in Chinese medicine In Chinese medical literature, there is no name for primary liver cancer. According to the clinical manifestations, it belongs to “Y obstruction”, “pang qi”, “dysmenorrhea”, “fetish yellowing”, “swelling”, “jaundice” and “accumulation”. Generally speaking, the disease may not have any symptoms in the early stage, or may only manifest itself as “pang qi” or “accumulation”, and in the middle stage, it is mostly “dysmenorrhea” or “Y obstruction”. The middle stage of the disease is mostly “pain in the abdomen” and “Y”. If “jaundice” and “dropsy” appear on top of the above symptoms, it usually belongs to the later stage. Chinese medicine believes that dampness and turbidity, inappropriate diet, and emotional disorders are the main common causes of this disease. The understanding of the pathological mechanism is focused on the two major aspects of “stagnation” and “blood stasis”. According to the general clinical rules, primary liver cancer is often the end result of a slow pathological development process with liver stagnation and qi stagnation as the core. In the early stage of the disease, it is common to have dysesthesia or depression, and it may also be accompanied by damp heat in liver and gallbladder or middle jiao. After prolonged for several years, when liver stagnation and qi stagnation are prolonged, phlegm and stagnation may appear, manifesting as puffiness and accumulation, which are sometimes light and sometimes heavy. After years of lingering, the patient will develop into phlegm and stagnant stagnation and become an obstruction. At this time, the dysesthesia can be more severe, and once jaundice and dropsy appear, it is the result of stasis blocking the meridians, stasis blocking the liver and gallbladder, causing the bile to leak out without favoring the normal channels, often manifesting as jaundice, as well as the lack of smooth flow of qi and water in the middle jiao and stagnation of abdominal water. At this time, most of the symptoms are accompanied by “dropsy”, which means that the vital energy is greatly depleted and the flesh is completely removed, and the disease is at an extremely advanced stage. Can Chinese medicine treat liver cancer? Surgery is the first choice for liver cancer treatment. For patients who cannot be operated, transarterial embolization chemotherapy and local ablation therapy can be used, while systemic chemotherapy for liver cancer is not sensitive. Chinese medicine has its unique advantages in the treatment of liver cancer. Under the guidance of holistic concept, TCM can adjust the dysfunction of internal organs, correct the imbalance of qi, blood, yin and yang, enhance the anti-disease ability, reduce and eliminate clinical symptoms, fight against cancer and eliminate tumor as well as treat liver cancer complications, and play the role of reducing toxicity and increasing sensitivity with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, rather than just directly killing cancer cells. The basic rule of TCM in treating liver cancer is to take into account both the symptoms and the root cause, to support the positive and eliminate the evil, and to focus on supporting and regulating the positive. Of course, it is also valuable to extract effective anti-cancer ingredients from Chinese medicine and develop new anti-cancer drugs with high efficiency and low toxicity. In conclusion, in the whole process of treating liver cancer, taking TCM theory as the guide, organically combining TCM diagnosis and treatment with modern medical technology, systematically and rationally applying various existing treatments, and giving full play to the advantages of TCM holistic treatment, can improve the sensitivity of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, minimize their toxic side effects, and reduce liver cancer metastasis and recurrence. The organic combination of Chinese and Western medicine, which complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses, should be respected in the clinical treatment of liver cancer. When to see TCM for liver cancer patients Liver cancer patients can see TCM after the diagnosis is clear. It can be combined with western medical treatment that can directly kill cancer cells to complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses. How to treat liver cancer in TCM The basic principle of TCM treatment for liver cancer is to take into account both the symptoms and the root cause, to support the positive and eliminate the evil, and to focus on supporting the positive and regulating the evil. According to different clinical symptoms, the treatment is based on evidence. For those with dizziness and little food, abdomen as large as a drum, with exposed tendons, the treatment is to nourish Yin and disperse nodules, cool the blood and detoxify the toxin.