Emphasis on the combination of Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment of brain tumors

  Brain tumors can occur at any age, but are most common between the ages of 20 and 50. In adults, gliomas in the cerebral hemisphere are the most common, such as astrocytoma, glioblastoma and ventricular meningioma, followed by meningioma, pituitary tumor, craniopharyngioma and neurofibroma. In children, tumors in the posterior cranial fossa and midline are more common, mainly medulloblastoma, craniopharyngioma and ventricular meningioma. Brain tumors often bring great physical, mental and economic pain to patients and their families because of their low cure rate, high disability rate, high mortality rate and high treatment cost.  The diagnosis of brain tumor is becoming more and more mature in modern medicine, and generally adopts the method of surgical resection of tumor for treatment, usually CT and MRI are performed for preoperative localization and preliminary qualitative diagnosis before surgery, intraoperative ultrasound, intraoperative electrophysiological monitoring, neuronavigation and other high-tech means are used during surgery to remove tumor as much as possible, and postoperative chemotherapy drugs can be combined with molecular pathology screening and combined with radiotherapy. Some tumors are effectively controlled, but some tumors, especially those with higher malignancy such as glioblastoma, are still ineffective. In addition, during radiotherapy and chemotherapy, patients often suffer from serious systemic adverse effects such as loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, low immunity, etc. Many patients cannot tolerate these adverse effects and are forced to terminate the treatment.  For these patients who are not effectively treated by western medicine or who have serious adverse reactions to western medicine, the advantages and strengths of TCM treatment are becoming increasingly evident. More and more scientific researches have found that TCM emphasizes on supporting the root of the disease and treating it with evidence to effectively treat surgical complications and improve postoperative neurological functions, and can be used in conjunction with radiotherapy to reduce toxicity and increase effectiveness, and can reduce recurrence or metastasis of brain tumors.  Many natural drugs have been tapped for their effective anti-cancer ingredients, which can enhance the body’s immune function and induce differentiation and apoptosis of cancer cells, so Chinese medicine is gradually shifting from the role of simple adjuvant treatment to the “main attacker” of the battle. “Miracles” happen from time to time. However, it is needless to say that there are few regular doctors who can treat brain tumors with TCM, and even fewer who have stable and reliable curative effects. With the continuous improvement of western medical treatment methods and examination methods, modern science can combine the evidence-based treatment, which is the strength of TCM, with the disease-based treatment, which is the strength of western medicine, and work together as a group to actively explore the experience and rules of successful cases, so as to provide the majority of patients with a comprehensive treatment plan that is both inexpensive and effective.