We in TCM should also unite and collaborate to fully recognize and correct the status and role of TCM in tumor treatment, and establish the standard of TCM treatment, so that the standardized treatment can be effectively popularized.
I. Adjuvant surgery with Chinese medicine
Surgery is one of the main means of treatment for most solid tumors. Surgery removes most of or completely removes the tumor load and lays the foundation for patient’s recovery. However, surgery, as an invasive treatment, also brings adverse effects to patients. By combining with the treatment of Chinese medicine, the following objectives can be achieved.
1.Reducing surgical damage, promoting body recovery, improving the “weak” state and weakness and other symptoms, and accelerating physical recovery. For example, ten whole tonic soup.
2.Restore gastrointestinal function. If there is loss of appetite, abdominal distention and fullness, or even gastroparesis after surgery, Chinese herbal medicines can be used to benefit the qi, strengthen the spleen, harmonize the stomach and eliminate appetite, such as tonics, shang sha yang gastric pill, ginseng and white atractylodes, etc. to stimulate gastrointestinal movement, promote the secretion of digestive juices and promote the recovery of gastrointestinal function.
Second, Chinese medicine adjuvant chemotherapy
1, improve the efficacy of chemotherapy (synergistic effect): Chinese medicine with chemotherapy, there are many studies in this area, and most clinical reports have confirmed the synergistic effect of Chinese medicine with chemotherapy. For example, Sengyi capsule and Kanglaite injection can increase the remission rate of chemotherapy for lung cancer and reduce recurrence and metastasis; the Chinese medicine to support and remove stasis can improve the efficacy of FAM program for advanced gastric cancer and prolong the survival period.
The potentiating effect of blood-activating and stasis-transforming drugs has been more clinically reported, and the latter is likely to have more new findings in future studies.
2.Reducing the side effects of chemotherapy (toxicity-reducing effect)
The side effects of chemotherapy are mainly gastrointestinal reactions, bone marrow suppression, liver function damage and neurotoxicity. According to different situations, the corresponding treatment can be applied.
Gastrointestinal reactions: manifested as nausea and vomiting, poor appetite, etc. The treatment is to strengthen the spleen and stomach, lower the rebellion and stop vomiting. Medicine such as Chen Pi, Jiang Han Xia, Bai Zhu, Shan Yao, Dang Ginseng, Mu Xiang, Sha Ren, Cardamom, Fried San Xian, Qing Pi, Citrus Aurantium, Buddha’s Hand, Fried Lycopodium, Betel nut, etc., representative formulas such as Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang, Xiang Sha Yang Gastric Pill and so on.
Bone marrow suppression: Repeated chemotherapy can lead to bone marrow suppression, resulting in a decrease in white blood cells, severe cases may be accompanied by a decrease in platelets and anemia. Chinese medicine believes that this is a deficiency of the spleen and kidney, the loss of marrow caused by the treatment when the spleen and kidney, nourishing the blood, warming the Yang and benefit the essence, commonly used drugs such as astragalus, atractylodes, ginseng, princeton, yellow essence, wolfberry, chasteberry, chicken blood vine, raw earth, gum, cuscuta, bone marrow, gum, deer horn gum, turtle board gum. Formulas such as ten whole tonic soup, ginseng nourishing rong soup, spleen and kidney punch, etc.
Liver function damage: chemotherapy drugs can lead to drug-related hepatitis, manifesting as abnormal liver function, elevated ghrelin and glutamic oxalacetic transaminases, and sometimes also direct bilirubin elevation due to biliary sludge.
(4) Numbness of hands and feet: it belongs to the deficiency of both qi and blood and the loss of nourishment of tendons and veins. Treatment should be to benefit the qi and nourish the blood and regulate the veins. Medicines such as Astragalus, Radix Codonopsis, Cinnamomum, Radix Rehmanniae, Radix Paeoniae Alba, Papaya, Radix Glycyrrhiza Uralensis, Morus Bidentatae, Wang Bu Li Xing, etc.
Third, the synergistic effect on radiation therapy
1, reduce radiation damage without affecting the efficacy is the content of radiobiology concern in recent years, radiation dose is too high will increase the incidence of radiation damage, resulting in reduced quality of patient survival. Chinese medicine can increase tumor radiosensitivity and improve the efficacy.
2. The combination of blood-vitalizing and blood-stasis-eliminating Chinese medicine with radiation therapy can make the local lesion regression rate of lung cancer patients better than the control group.
n Fu Zheng and Blood invigorating herbs plus radiation treatment for lung cancer, compared with radiation alone group, both symptom remission rate and lesion remission are better than the control group.
3.Reducing side effects of radiotherapy
The higher the radiation dose, the heavier the adverse effects. According to Chinese medicine, this is because heat toxicity injures yin and qi.
Drugs for clearing heat and detoxifying and nourishing yin, such as Salvia, Medlar, Yinhua and XuanShen, can reduce the dry mouth, radioactive esophagitis and sore throat caused by radiotherapy;
Wild Chrysanthemum, Radix et Rhizoma, Double Flower, Medlar, Prince’s Ginseng, etc. can relieve the symptoms of cough and suffocation caused by acute radiation pneumonia;
Yunnan Baiyao and Liu Wei Dihuang Wan can relieve the pain of eating caused by radioactive esophagitis.
Fourth, the main treatment of tumor by Chinese medicine
At present, there is no sufficient evidence to prove that simple Chinese medicine treatment can replace the comprehensive treatment mode of modern medicine. The treatment of tumor by TCM focuses on participation in the whole treatment process rather than emphasizing its dominant position. In the following cases, TCM can be considered as the main application.
One of them is advanced advanced age patients with weak body and liver and kidney function
V. Chinese medicine treatment at the end of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and other treatments
The patients are poor and cannot be treated with radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery;
The main treatment purpose of the above patients is to improve the quality of life, reduce symptoms, improve appetite, and control pain, etc. The treatment emphasizes the importance of supporting the righteousness, while it is not advisable to excessively resist the evil to avoid adverse reactions that the organism can hardly bear and reduce the quality of life.
For advanced stage III and IV tumor patients, Chinese medicine treatment should also be continued after chemotherapy and radiotherapy are finished. According to the patient’s condition, pathological stage and risk factors, treatment based on supporting the righteousness and treatment based on eliminating the evil should be applied alternately to consolidate the efficacy, reduce metastasis and recurrence, and improve the five-year survival rate.