TCM classification and treatment of ovarian cancer based on syndrome differentiation

TCM has different names for ovarian cancer. According to the ancient literature, based on the characteristics and clinical manifestations of ovarian cancer, it belongs to the category of gynecological diseases such as "intestinal polyps", "accumulation", "stone masses", and "masses". It is mostly caused by cold stagnation, qi stagnation, and blood stasis. It is divided into the following four types for syndrome differentiation and treatment.

1. Qi and blood stasis type

Symptoms: hard, fixed mass in the abdomen, pain in the lower abdomen, heaviness and discomfort, dull complexion, emaciation, rough skin, fatigue, decreased appetite, difficulty in defecation and urination, dark purple tongue with ecchymosis, thin or stringy pulse; Treatment: promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, regulate qi and relieve pain, and strengthen the body; Classic medication: self-made prescription, mainly containing Codonopsis pilosula, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Trillium, Curcuma, Paeonia lactiflora, Toosendan fruit, Paridis chinensis, Astragalus, Lithospermum officinale, Corydalis yanhusuo, Linderae sibiricum, Costus root, and Chicken's gizzard lining.

2. Damp-heat and blood stasis type

Symptoms: abdominal mass, bloating, poor appetite, constipation, or irregular vaginal bleeding, dark red or crimson tongue, yellow greasy tongue coating, slippery or rapid pulse; Treatment: clearing away heat and dampness, detoxifying and dispersing stagnation; Classic medication: modified Wuling Powder, mainly containing cinnamon twig, white atractylodes, zedoaria, astragalus, plantain seed, oriental water plantain, oldenlandia diffusa, umbellate polypore, solanum nigrum, bark scutellaria, tangerine peel, smilax glabra, superbus, and coix seed.

3. Qi and Yin deficiency type

Symptoms: Abdominal mass for a long time, gradual weight loss, fatigue, pale complexion, occasional low fever or distended abdomen, loss of appetite, red tongue with little coating, stringy or weak pulse; Treatment: nourishing the liver and kidney, softening and eliminating symptoms; Classic medicine: Liuwei Dihuang Pills with added ingredients, mainly containing cooked rehmannia, poria, yam, oriental water plantain, cornus fruit, moutan bark, psoralea corylifolia, turtle shell, Morinda officinalis, Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, Solanum nigrum, Ligustrum lucidum, Trillium, Oldenlandia diffusa, and chicken's gizzard lining.

4. Phlegm-dampness condensation type

Symptoms: abdominal mass, obvious ascites, epigastric distension and pain, fatigue, poor appetite, pale tongue with white greasy coating, slippery pulse; Treatment: invigorate the spleen and eliminate dampness, resolve blood stasis and soften hard masses; Classic medication: modified Cangfu Daotan Decoction, mainly containing Atractylodes, Aconitum, Cyperus, Poria, Pinellia, Astragalus, Codonopsis, Arisaema, Citrus aurantium, Trillium, Curcuma, Fructus Aurantii Immaturus, Coix Seed, and Gynostemma pentaphyllum.