Cancer patients are often treated with surgery first or combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and only when the treatment finally fails will they think of TCM treatment, hoping that TCM can delay their life span. However, if TCM treatment is applied in the whole process of cancer treatment, it can receive unexpected effects.
I. When is TCM most useful for cancer treatment
1.Post-operative cancer treatment
The use of TCM auxiliary treatment for cancer patients after surgery can help patients’ body to recover more rapidly. In the opinion of Lin Hongsheng, the damage to the body caused by surgery, taking some TCM medicines that nourish qi and blood can reduce the adverse reactions and complications after surgery, improve the symptoms and make the body recover faster.
2.During cancer radiotherapy
In fact, Chinese herbal medicine is more often used during radiotherapy, because the side effects of radiotherapy are great. Taking Chinese herbal medicine during radiotherapy can reduce the local damage of radiation, such as inflammation and radiation fibrosis, etc. The gastrointestinal reactions and blood picture drop brought by chemotherapy can be improved by Chinese medicine. For example, Yangzheng Hefei, which is easy to take, can benefit qi and strengthen spleen, nourish liver and kidney, which can improve the toxic side effects such as weakness and anorexia after chemotherapy, improve the immunity of the body and promote the recovery of blood picture. Patients can choose corresponding food for self-conditioning under the guidance of doctors according to their own system and physical condition, so as to improve the immunity of the body and inhibit the recurrence and metastasis of tumor.
3.Tumor patients who cannot be treated surgically
Patients with advanced tumor and old and frail patients cannot be treated by surgery. Traditional Chinese medicine is mainly for controlling tumor growth and improving patients’ quality of life, while prolonging survival time than not using traditional Chinese medicine. TCM can also assist the organism to enhance immune function. It is just that TCM without extraction is not as strong in killing as chemical drugs.
II. Several misconceptions of TCM for cancer treatment
1. Immortal herbs are the panacea against cancer?
Many people think that the most effective means of tonic for cancer patients is to use all kinds of precious herbs, but this is actually wrong. There is absolutely no miracle herb in the world. But occasionally, the special medicine may not be able to give you a guarantee. Rationally face the methods about exaggerated treatment effect in the tumor market, face cancer with a calm mind and treat cancer scientifically. At present, the effect of combining Chinese and Western medicine in treating cancer is more ideal.
The essence of everything is concentrated in food, and the traditional TCM food therapy concept and method can effectively improve the weakness of cancer patients after radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, it is necessary to discriminate food and understand the physical condition of the patient so that the tonic can be targeted.
2. Giving up treatment and is not the right choice
At present, the psychology of “fear of cancer” is quite common among the public. Some patients think that having malignant tumor is a death sentence, so they give up treatment. In fact, malignant tumors are not incurable, at least 1310 kinds of malignant tumors can survive for a long time after treatment. Therefore, patients and their family members should first understand the relevant knowledge and current treatment methods and levels, have the confidence to overcome cancer and not to give up treatment easily.
3. Harmful effects of over-treatment
Cancer is not a terminal disease, and it can be cured in early stage. Many cancer patients can get long-term survival after treatment. There are many misconceptions in the treatment of cancer. Such misconceptions not only delay the best treatment time, but also cause great harm to patients’ heart.
4.The harm of indiscriminate supplementation
In addition, tonic should be taken according to the specific conditions of different patients, and there are different principles of tonic for different deficiency diseases. Tumor patients need adequate nutritional intake during and after treatment, but they should not take “all the tonic”. For tumor patients, usually after radiotherapy, their spleen and stomach function will be very poor, so it is difficult to take large doses of tonic products. If the patient’s body condition is very weak after radiotherapy, medicine to nourish yin and support the righteousness should be used, and after the body recovers, medicine to expel evil can be applied. It does not mean that everything is a tonic.
For many patients, the effect of improper use of tonic can be fatal. Light tonic can be saved, but heavy tonic will rush the life. For example, for constipation patients, the use of ginseng, mushrooms and wormwood as a tonic will not do any good except aggravate the disease.
For cancer patients, it is not necessary to use heavy tonic to renew life until they are dying or in need of emergency treatment. In ancient times, medical doctors believed that ginseng and mushrooms were the food and grass to promote the growth of tumors, and tumors grew like crazy after taking them. After taking this kind of tonic, the patient will be difficult to save again. Xu Lingtai, a famous doctor in Qing Dynasty, once said that it is the most difficult to cure the disease out of tonic.
How to arrange the diet of cancer patients?
1.Change the variety of dishes often and pay attention to the color and aroma of dishes to increase the appetite of patients.
2.Ensure that patients have enough protein intake and often eat pork, beef, rabbit or chicken, duck and poultry, etc.
3.Avoid food that is not suitable for digestion, eat more boiled, stewed, steamed and other easily digestible food, and eat less fried food.
4.Take more vegetables and fruits containing vitamin C and other foods that help to fight cancer, such as asparagus, kelp, seaweed, onion, garlic, mushroom, etc.
5. Reasonable use of TCM medication.
Don’t fall into the misunderstanding easily when using Chinese medicine to treat tumor, you need to find a specialist who has experience in treating tumor. Don’t find the so-called “doctor” who can cure everything and delay your condition. As a matter of fact, there are many patients who have aggravated their disease due to indiscriminate treatment and abuse of Chinese medicine.