Poor appetite in late stage ovarian cancer

Wang, female, 76 years old. She had advanced ovarian cancer, and was thirsty. She could only eat ice cubes, but could not eat. She vomited after eating. She had little and difficult bowel movements. Her tongue was bright red and without coating. Her tongue was thin and dry. Her pulse was deep and thin. She was given Shashen Maimendong Decoction, Yiwei Decoction, Zengye Decoction, etc., but her condition remained the same, and she vomited immediately after taking the medicine. Later, she was changed to Baihu Decoction combined with Xuanfu Daizhe Decoction with additions and subtractions: 30g of raw gypsum, 10g of Anemarrhena, 6g of raw licorice, 15g of Daizheshi, 10g of Xuanfuhua, 10g of Maimendong, and 10g of Taizishen. She was advised to take it frequently instead of tea. After taking 3 doses of the medicine, her thirst was relieved, she no longer looked for ice cubes, and her vomiting stopped. She could eat a small amount of food. After taking another 3 doses, her thirst stopped and her appetite increased.

Note: In the late stage of malignant tumor, the evil qi is extremely strong and the righteous qi is weak. The spleen and stomach are the foundation of the acquired constitution. The stomach is an organ with much qi and blood. The intense heat and toxicity will inevitably damage the body fluid of the stomach, resulting in impaired stomach function and upward gastric qi. Why is it that in this case, the drugs such as Shashen Maimendong Decoction and Yiwei Decoction that nourish yin and produce body fluid are ineffective, while Baihu Decoction combined with Xuanfu Daizhe Decoction are very effective? According to the "Inner Canon of Medicine", "a little fire generates qi, and a strong fire consumes qi." Although the patient has a weak constitution, the essence of his disease is the internal burning of evil heat, which causes a strong fire to consume qi. Seizing the symptom of "great thirst", we boldly use Baihu Decoction, which can clear heat, purge fire and produce body fluid, and Xuanfu Daizhe Decoction, which can calm the stomach and reduce adverse reactions, to stop the thirst and increase appetite. As the saying goes, "it is better to remove the firewood from under the cauldron than to stop the boiling by stirring."