About TCM
Yin-Yang
Five Elements
Acupuncture
Herbal Therapy
Qi-Gong
Expert Advice on Common Diseases
TCM News
Health Resources
Links
About Us
|
Expert Advice-Treatment of Breast Cancer in Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM):
Chinese Herbal Approach to Breast Cancer
According to current scientific theory, breast cancer is
believed to result from a series of alterations in the genes of breast cells. A
cancerous tumor may develop for several years before it can be detected. Signs
and symptoms of breast cancer include a lump, swelling, discharges from the
nipple, tenderness, indentation of the nipple, or a dimpled appearance of the
breast skin.
The most frequently-cited factors in developing breast cancer
are hormones, age, and family history. The risk of breast cancer increases with
age. Statistics on the relative risk of developing breast cancer with age show
that one woman in 19,608 at the age of twenty-five, one woman in 50 at the age
of fifty, and one woman in ten at the age of eighty develops breast cancer.
Women who began menstruation early (age 11 or younger) or who reach menopause
late (age 55 or older) are at higher risk for breast cancer. Some women inherit
genes that are more susceptible to the alterations that can lead to breast
cancer.
Today, the standard therapies for breast cancer include
surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and autologous bone
marrow transplants. These therapies are often used in combination, and they are
the best hope for breast cancer sufferers. But these powerful treatment
modalities also produce significant side effects, and coping with the side
effects can be as emotionally difficult as coping with the cancer itself. It is
precisely in this area of dealing with the side effects of cancer therapy that
traditional Chinese medicine is most useful and effective. The combination of
acupuncture, herbal medicine and dietary modifications can greatly improve the
overall health and well-being of the cancer patient. In China, this marriage of
modern Western therapies with ancient healing techniques is the normal approach
to treating cancer.
Breast Cancer in Chinese Medicine
In classical traditional Chinese medical literature, breast
cancer is called "Ru Yan," or "breast stone." Chinese
medicine believes that the fundamental cause of breast cancer is emotional
disturbances such as excessive thinking or anger, which lead to functional
disorders of the Liver and Spleen. A common causative pattern is that excessive
Heat from a deficient Liver, combined with Phlegm Dampness due to Spleen
dysfunction, results in the blockage of Chi and Blood, which then
"condenses" into breast cancer. Another common causative pattern is
when Liver Deficiency and Kidney Deficiency lead to Chi and Blood Deficiency.
Chronic Chi and Blood deficiency then leads to Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis,
which causes the formation of lumps in the breast. A third pattern is when Qi
Stagnation and Phlegm accumulation lead to excessive Heat toxins, which then
turn to hard breast lump masses.
Breast cancer was believed to be one of the "four fatal
diseases" in traditional Chinese medicine before the modern surgical
operations, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy were invented. The condition of
"breast stone" was diagnosed and treated, of course, with traditional
surgery, acupuncture, and herbal formulas, but the results were often
disappointing. However, the Chinese tradition of close observation and
painstaking collation of symptoms and cures provides us with extensive
information on the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Traditionally, four
patterns of breast cancer are differentiated and treated: Liver Qi Stagnation
(hard masses without pain and redness); Phlegm Heat Obstruction (hard masses
with sharp pain and redness and swelling); Liver Kidney Deficiency (hard lumps
with swelling and a dimpled appearance of the breast skin, discharges and
indentation of the nipple); Qi Blood Deficiency (hard lumps with swelling,
ruptured abscesses, spreading to the surrounding areas).
Herbal Approach to Breast Cancer
Modern research on herbal treatment for cancer-related health
issues has produced evidence that the following traditional Chinese medicine
herbs are very effective when used by experienced practitioners. They represent
four areas of treatment that are particularly important to breast cancer
patients.
- Herbs for Depressing Cancer Cells: The leading herb in this category is
Tulipa edulis (Shan Ci Gu). The active ingredient in T. edulis (Shan Ci Gu)
is colchicine.
- Herbs with Anticancer Properties: The herbs in this group include herbs
for cleansing the body of Heat toxins such as odlenlandia (Bai Hua She She
Cao), lobelia (Ban Zhi Lian), and rhizoma paridis (Qi Ye Yi Zhi Hua); and
herbs for eliminating Blood Stasis such as rhubarb (Da Huang), notoginseng
root (Tian Qi), bugleweed (Ze Lan), and pycnostelma (Xu Chang Qing).
- Herbs for Immunity: Immune system enhancing herbs include astragalus
(Huang Qi), ligustrum seed (Nu Zhen Zi), cordyceps sinensis (Dong Chong Xia
Cao), gynostemma pentapphyllum (Jiao Gu Lan), polyporus (Zhu Ling), and
reishi (Ling Zhi).
- Herbs for Preventing Alterations: Three herbal seeds have the
function of preventing the alterations in breast cell genes that can lead to
cancer: ligustrum seed (Nu Zhen Zi), cuscuta seed (Tu Si Zi), and lycii
fruit (Gou Qi Zi).
TCM Patterns Seen After Conventional Therapies
Once a woman has been diagnosed with breast cancer, and
depending on what stage the cancer is in, the following standard treatments are
recommended: Surgery (lumpectomy, simple mastectomy, modified radical
mastectomy) removes the cancer and some or all of the surrounding tissue.
Radiation therapy uses high-powered X-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink
tumors. It helps to prevent the recurrence of cancer. Chemotherapy uses powerful
anticancer drugs to destroy cancer cells that invade other parts of the body.
Hormone therapy uses estrogen-blocking drugs such as tamoxifen to prevent
estrogen from binding to cancer cells and stimulating the cancer cells to grow.
Autologous bone marrow transplant (for extremely aggressive breast cancers)
removes the bone marrow, makes sure it is free of cancer, and then injects it
back into the body after the high-dose chemotherapy regimen is complete.
Statistics indicate that the overall mortality rate from breast cancer has not
changed appreciably in forty years, despite new drugs and surgical techniques,
according to Dr. Christianne Northrup. For patients who choose conventional
therapies, the side effects of these therapies must always be addressed.
Patients are best served by having a speedy recovery from cancer therapy, and by
having a strong health maintenance program after recovery. In China, the vast
majority of cancer patients use traditional Chinese medicine along with
conventional therapies during and after cancer treatment. In this country, more
and more cancer patients are discovering the benefits of complementary care.
Traditional Chinese medicine differentiates and addresses
three common patterns in post- conventional-therapy patients.
Chi Blood Deficiency: Research
shows that patients with the pattern of Chi Blood Deficiency have a lower cell
immunity response than normal people. Symptoms of Chi Blood Deficiency include:
hair loss; dizziness; fatigue; a thin body; shortness of breath; poor appetite;
insomnia; palpitations; abdominal pain with menstruation; a pale complexion;
loose stools; scanty urine; a pale tongue with a white tongue coating; and a
deep-thin-weak pulse. The herbal formulas Chi Blood Tonic (Ba Zhen Tang),
and Immunenergy (Shi Quan Da Bu Wan) are used with this pattern.
Immunenergy (Shi Quan Da Bu Wan)
Astragalus (Huang Qi) |
Cinnamon (Rou Gui) |
Ginseng (Ren Shen) |
Atratylodes (Bai Zhu) |
Poria (Fu Ling) |
Angelica (Dang Gui) |
Cnidium (Chuan Qiong) |
Peony (Bai Shao) |
Rehmannia (Shu Di Huang) |
Licorice (Gan Cao) |
Chi Yin Deficiency: Studies show that patients with Lung
Chi Deficiency have a lower lymphocyte transformation rate and lower levels of
seroimmunity globulins such as IgM and IgG. Symptoms for the Chi Yin Deficiency
pattern include: sweating; palpitations; shortness of breath; insomnia; chest
congestion; cough without phlegm; lassitude; dry mouth; a thin tongue coating;
and a thin pulse. Chi Yin Tonic (Sheng Mai Yin) is a leading formula to
enhance the immune system in the Chi Yin Deficiency pattern.
Chi Yin Tonic (Sheng Mai Yin)
Ginseng (Ren Shen) |
Lilyturf Root (Mai Men Dong) |
Schizandra Fruit (Wu Wei Zi) |
Dryness with Heat Toxins:
A serious concern of cancer
patients is the toxins that are generated in the body by conventional therapies.
Symptoms of the Dryness with Heat Toxin pattern include: swelling and pain after
conventional treatments; nausea; vomiting; constipation; dark yellow urine; a
red tongue with a yellow coating; and a rapid pulse. Toxin-Relieving Formula
(Fu Zheng Jie Du Chong Ji) is a good herbal formula to address these side
effects.
Toxin-Relieving Formula (Fu Zheng Jie Du Chong Ji)
Honeysuckle (Jin Yin Hua) |
Forsythia (Lian Qiao) |
Snakegourd Root (Tian Hua Fen) |
Dendrobium Stem (Shi Hu) |
Astragalus (Huang Qi) |
Millettia Stem (Ji Xue Teng) |
Atractylodes (Bai Zhu) |
Poria (Fu Ling) |
Tangerine Peel (Chen Pi) |
Chicken-Gizzard Skin (Ji Nei Jin) |
Lycii Fruit (Gou Qi Zi) |
Ligustrum Seed (Nu Zhen Zi) |
|
|