Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment Methods for Esophageal Cancer

The esophagus is a life passage for humans, and esophageal cancer is a common clinical malignant tumor. The most effective treatment for esophageal cancer is surgical removal of the cancerous part, but this is limited to the early stage. For some patients with advanced or mid-late stage esophageal cancer, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and traditional Chinese medicine treatment may be pragmatic options. Today, let's do some popular science on the TCM treatment of esophageal cancer, and talk about the timing of TCM treatment of esophageal cancer and the TCM treatment methods of esophageal cancer:

Under what circumstances should TCM be chosen for esophageal cancer treatment? After esophageal cancer surgery, after radiotherapy and chemotherapy, or elderly esophageal cancer patients who cannot undergo surgery in the late stage can all consider TCM treatment. After esophageal cancer surgery, the vitality is severely damaged, and the qi and blood are deficient. Giving Chinese medicine to nourish qi and blood and tonic the five internal organs is helpful for recovery; radiotherapy is one of the effective and important treatments for esophageal cancer. While radiotherapy effectively alleviates the cancer condition, the side effects caused should not be underestimated, such as radiation esophagitis and radiation lung injury. TCM can take interventions such as clearing away heat and detoxification, lowering adverse reactions and stopping vomiting through syndrome differentiation, which helps to alleviate these negative effects. In addition, for some elderly people who cannot undergo surgery in the late stage and are unwilling to undergo radiotherapy and chemotherapy, TCM treatment can partially improve symptoms and play a role in palliative treatment.

How does TCM treat esophageal cancer? Syndrome differentiation and treatment are fundamental! First: Liver depression and qi stagnation type. It manifests as dysphagia, distension and pain in the flanks, emotional instability, shortness of breath, and vomiting with clear saliva. Commonly used prescriptions include Qi Ge San, Yue Ju Wan, etc., and drugs that can be added or subtracted include Su Geng, Qing Mu Xiang, Yu Zhi Zi, and Xuan Fu Hua; Second: Phlegm coagulation and blood stasis type. Symptoms include choking when eating, chest and back pain, skin and nail disorder, dark red tongue, purple tongue, and petechiae. Commonly used prescriptions include Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang, Er Chen Tang, Qi Ge San, etc., and drugs that can be added or subtracted include White Chelidon, Clematis, Panax Notoginseng, and Yuan Hu; Third: Yin deficiency and internal heat type. Symptoms include dysphagia, low-grade fever in the afternoon, weight loss, dry cough, dry mouth and throat, red tongue, and less coating. Common prescriptions include Yiwei Decoction, Yi Guan Jian, Qinghao Biejia Decoction, etc., and according to the condition, you can choose to add or subtract Pinellia, Anemarrhena, Trichosanthes, Picrorhizon, Morus alba, etc.; Fourth: Qi deficiency and Yang micro. It is more common in advanced esophageal cancer, unable to eat, weight loss, low voice, less breath and lazy to speak, pale tongue, weak pulse, and the prescriptions that can be selected include Shiquan Dabu Decoction, Guizhi Renshen Decoction, Shudi Pills, etc. The drugs that can be added or subtracted include Jijizi, Jiaosanxian, Bletilla striata powder, ginseng, aconite, Evodia rutaecarpa, etc.