Optimal model for comprehensive oncology treatment

In fact, comprehensive treatment has always been a part of our medical practice, but in the past, our understanding of it was vague or even neglected, so there was a situation of “separate treatment”. If a patient sees a surgeon first, the surgeon will often say that it is better to cut it off directly; if a patient sees a medical oncologist first, the doctor will say that it is better to do chemotherapy first; if a patient sees a radiotherapy first, the doctor may suggest radiotherapy, which is extremely unfavorable to the disease. In addition, some of our doctors do not have enough understanding of the concept of comprehensive treatment, and often cannot fully apply the means of comprehensive treatment in the clinic to improve the efficacy. In fact, various methods have their own strengths and weaknesses, and complementing each other’s strengths is an important way to improve the efficacy of treatment. I am a Chinese medicine practitioner, and in my long-term medical practice, my view is that Chinese medicine, as an important tool in the comprehensive treatment of tumors in China, should be given more attention and focus. In the comprehensive treatment of tumor, surgery and radiotherapy in western medicine are the most commonly used local treatment means, but surgery is often limited by tumor stage and patient’s physical condition, and radiotherapy is limited by the amount of radiation tolerated locally, so the time period of its use is relatively short. Chemotherapy and biological therapy developed in recent years can be called systemic treatment, which lasts longer than the former, but due to the limitation of the number of applications and the degree of damage to the patient’s organs, the duration of treatment is generally only about half a year. In contrast, Chinese medicine has the longest treatment time due to its wide range of tumor adaptations and the fact that it can be prescribed and used regardless of the severity of the disease. For example, Chinese medicine is not only used to reduce toxicity and increase effectiveness before and after surgery and during radiotherapy and chemotherapy, or as long-term consolidation treatment after other western medical treatments, but also, Chinese medicine is the main treatment for some advanced patients who have lost the opportunity of surgery and radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Therefore, in my long-term medical practice, I put forward the view that “TCM should and can be used throughout the whole process of tumor prevention and treatment”, and I would like to briefly discuss it in relation to my main research on liver cancer: Many people think that TCM only has the function of conditioning and cannot really treat tumors. However, the fact is just the opposite, Chinese medicine can play an active role in the whole process of tumor prevention and treatment. In China, 80% of liver cancer patients originate from post-hepatitis cirrhosis, and many Chinese medicines are natural products for both food and medicine, which have the effect of strengthening spleen and benefiting qi, etc. Long-term use in high-risk groups (cirrhosis patients) is expected to prevent the occurrence of liver cancer at source to varying degrees (animal experiments have confirmed this, and clinical trials are in progress); when taking Chinese medicines during radiotherapy, it can reduce toxic side effects and improve clinical efficacy (which has been proved by numerous clinical practices); when taking Chinese medicines during radiotherapy, it can reduce toxic side effects and improve clinical efficacy. For patients who cannot tolerate radiotherapy, taking traditional Chinese medicine can play a certain role in cancer suppression and also have certain curative effects on some complications such as jaundice, ascites, pain, etc., especially in improving patients’ survival quality and prolonging survival period; recurrence of liver cancer after surgery is an important reason affecting the treatment effect of liver cancer and is one of the most difficult problems faced by liver cancer prevention and treatment workers all over the world. It is also one of the most difficult problems faced by liver cancer prevention and treatment workers all over the world. The current preventive measures of postoperative low-dose chemotherapy are not only the scientific theoretical basis is still debatable, but also their actual effects are subject to double-blind controlled multicenter clinical validation. By making use of the characteristics of Chinese medicine to regulate the balance, support the righteousness and dispel the evil, the small amount of cancer cells in the body can be removed while strengthening the righteousness of the body, thus achieving the purpose of preventing recurrence and metastasis. This has been confirmed in a randomized, double-blind, controlled, multi-center clinical trial on the prevention of small liver cancer recurrence after surgery with Chinese medicine, a major support program project undertaken by the Ministry of Science and Technology. In the combined treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, the different advantages of Chinese and Western medicine are fully utilized and effectively integrated, so that the strengths and weaknesses can be exploited and the efficacy can be optimized. In the treatment of precancerous lesions and prevention of tumors, TCM has the same important role and status as Western medicine; in the early stage of tumor development, those who can undergo radical surgery should be operated as soon as possible, and after the operation, TCM should be used to help the body recover its vital energy in time, and at this stage, TCM plays a regulating role on one hand, and has the function of preventing metastasis and recurrence on the other hand; for patients with advanced tumors, TCM-based comprehensive treatment should be the most effective treatment. As far as advanced tumor patients are concerned, comprehensive treatment based on Chinese medicine should be the first choice and play the leading role, while the supportive therapy of modern medicine is in a cooperative position. In conclusion, the prevention and treatment of tumor can be summarized into one sentence, that is: tumor can be prevented and treated, healthy life depends on oneself; the wisdom of Chinese and western medicine can be pooled together to subdue the cancer.