Download Chinese and Western Medicines Combined in Cancer Treatment

TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE
Chinese and Western
Medicines Combined
in Cancer Treatment
HK Cancer Center Combines New Techniques
Hong Kong is set to have the world’s first non-governmental Chinese-western Oncology
Rehabilitation Center in operation by the end of this year. The Center (so-called because in
Hong Kong, Chinese physicians are not recognized
as professionals and therefore not permitted to work in
How Does TCM Assist in Cancer
‘hospitals’) has been established by a civil organization,
and is staffed with specialists from China, and will
Treatment?
provide free medical services to cancer patients. It is
The suffering of chemotherapy patients has long been an issue
hoped that the Center’s success will lead the way for
among western doctors. Although the treatment is technically
a trend in combining the best of both Chinese and
sound and produces satisfactory results, the side-effects, particularly
western medical science.
among patients undergoing heavy treatment, can be agonizing.
The Center’s primary purpose is to fully attend to the
The basic principle of chemotherapy is to kill both the cancerous
needs of cancer patients, simultaneously adopting both
and non-cancerous cells, hence it is often accompanied by such
the western approach of ‘attacking’ the cancer and the
side-effects as vomiting, lipsotrichia, canker sores, and a decrease
Chinese approach of ‘supplementing’ the body’s natural
in both red and white blood cells.
resistance and strength. It is hoped that the use of
In addition, radio therapy is not suitable for all kinds of cancer.
Chinese herbs will minimize the often unpleasant sideSome cancer cells are not too sensitive to radio waves, and some
effects caused by chemotherapy and radiation treatment,
are even immune. Chinese herbs can actually perform two roles
thus providing the cancer patient with a treatment that
in the treatment of cancer. As well as minimizing the patient’s
is as effective and painless as possible.
pain, some herbs can actually increase the sensitivity of radio
Professor Jiang Runxiang
, of the chemistry
therapy, hence making the treatment more effective.
department of CUHK, explained that the western model
Theoretically speaking, if the cancerous region is in an area dense
of ‘attacking’ cancer cells is not always enough, and
in veins and oxygen, it will generally be more sensitive to radio
that combining this with the Chinese concept of
waves. Certain Chinese herbs can increase blood flow by enlarging
‘supplementing’ the body’s natural defenses could
the blood vessels, hence improving the patient's response to radio
result in a useful treatment. According to Prof. Jiang,
therapy. The most effective Chinese herbs for this purpose have
there are known cases in which patients undergoing
already been decocted into an effective composite, comprising
chemotherapy have had their projected lifespans
leech
, Eupolyphagaseu Steleophaga
, rhizoma
improved by months and even years through the use of
sparganii
, curcuma zedoary
, Ophiopogon japonicus
Chinese medical treatment.
, Ligusticum wallichii
, Salvia root
, notoThree years ago, a civil organization set out to promote
ginseng root
, tricgosanthes root
and gletisia thorn
a new form of cancer treatment, using Chinese medicine
. This decoction not only affects blood flow to enhance
to offset these unwanted side-effects of western
radio therapy, but also kills some cancer cells at the same time.
chemotherapy. It drew support from the medical
Most cancer patients lose their vitality during treatment, and there
schools of HKU and CUHK to form a committee to
are Chinese herbs that can help them to combat such feelings of
look into the establishment of a Chinese-western
lethargy. Such herbs include Astragalus mongholicus, Adenophora
Oncology Rehabilitation Center. This committee com, Ovate Atractylodes
, Cordyceps sinensis
prised Prof. Li Chuanjun
, Dean of Medi, Cornus
, tricgosanthes root, Asparagi Tuber
cine at CUHK; Prof. Zhou Zaoping
, Dean
, tortoise plastron
, Polygonum multiflorum
of Medicine at HKU; and Mr. Chen Yingjie
,
, Asini Corii Gelatinum
, raw rhizome of
President of Taishan Gongde Hui, who is the comrehmannia
, Sculellaria barbata
, hedyotis herba
mittee’s Chairman. Mr. Chen has stated that they are
, Lilii bulbus
, and radix peucedani
.
APBN • Vol 1 • No. 7 • 1997
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TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE
now looking for an ideal location within Hong Kong, and plan to have at least
two clinically experienced doctors, along with a professorship and several assistant
posts. Operational costs of the Center will be paid for by charity donations.
Doctors from mainland China are preferred, since the application of western and
Chinese medicine to cancer patients is fairly well
established in China already, especially in Beijing and
Guangzhou. The doctors should therefore have a degree
How the Specific Treatments Work
of experience in this area. There will be no consultation
fees, although patients will of course have to purchase
According to the view of Chinese medical science, the main
their own Chinese herbs from Chinese medical halls.
side-effects of radiotherapy will be dryness and a lack of energy.
Different patients react to the treatment in different ways, and
It is hoped that the Center might signify a milestone in
indeed not all forms of radiotherapy treatment are the same.
the coming together of Chinese and western medicines,
However, most patients’ symptoms can be grouped into fairly
but not everyone is convinced. Dr. Shao Zude
,
distinct groups. Listed below are the standard treatments for
President of the Hong Kong Society of Chemotherapy for
some of the more common side-effects:
Oncology, agreed that Chinese herbs are able to improve
patients’ appetites and reduce vomiting. Nevertheless, he
1. For radiotherapy treatment around the neck area, patients
raised the issue that the status of Chinese physicians, still
often suffer such complaints as hyperemia, hydroncus,
a matter of debate in Hong Kong, remained a handicap.
ulcers or excessive thirst. For the less seriously affected, a
The Hong Kong Medical Society seemed equally reserved
mixture of herbs such as ophiopogon
, sterculia
about the Center, citing the reason that it has not yet been
scaphigerum
, Lonicerae Flos
and liquorice
clearly established which herbs are effective in treating
can relieve the uneasiness. Patients affected more seriouscancer and which are not.
ly may need to try a mixture of herbs such as subprostrate
Despite all this, it would appear that TCM’s credibility
can only improve from the establishment of the Center. In
the wake of many other positive changes to have taken
place in Hong Kong recently in relation to TCM, such as
the announcement by three universities that they would be
implementing degrees in TCM, advocates of Chinese
medical science must surely be encouraged.
sophora
, Radix Trichosanthis
Linicerae Flos
, Asparagi Tuber
and Arctii Fructus
.
, Coptis
,
, ophiopogon
2. Depending on the dosage of the radiotherapy being undertaken, patients generally feel to be run down, experiencing
such symptoms as dry skin, thirst, constipation and lack of
strength. Herbs such as dried rhizome of rehmannia
,
radix scrophularia
, ophiopogon
, Adenophora
stricta
, rhizoma phragmitis
, Dendrobium nobile
, tortoise plastron
and tricgosanthes root
.
can promote the secretion of bodily fluids and saliva, and
replenish the body’s vital essence. In treating patients, doctors
should prescribe herbs in accordance with specific conditions.
3. Radio waves can destroy both white and red blood cells and
blood platelets. As a result, patients may demonstrate symptoms
such as anemia, lack of strength, drowsiness, weakening of the
pulse, etc. Clinical trials have shown that two decoctions,
known colloquially as the ‘Chinese Four Agent’
and
‘Perfect Major Supplementation’
decoctions, can
help to combat the lowering of the white blood cell
level. A mixture of codonopsis root
, astralagus
,
Angelicae sinesis
, Polygonum multiflorum
,
cooked rehmannia root, milletia root
and stem, lycium
fruit, jujube and Asini Corii Gelatinum, can help to nourish
patients whose blood cells have been reduced.
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APBN • Vol 1 • No. 7 • 1997