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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 175 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. 176 APBN • Vol 1 • No. 7 • 1997