What are the advantages of TCM in treating advanced liver cancer? What is the cure rate of early liver cancer?

What are the advantages of TCM in treating advanced liver cancer?

What are the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in treating advanced liver cancer? Traditional Chinese medicine is suitable for patients with advanced liver cancer and those with severe liver decompensation who cannot tolerate other treatments. It can improve the body's overall condition and prolong life. It can also be used in conjunction with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy to reduce adverse reactions and improve efficacy.

In my country, most patients are treated with traditional Chinese medicine or a combination of traditional Chinese medicine. The efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine is not inferior to systemic chemotherapy. Other treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy are mostly combined with traditional Chinese medicine. The characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine treatment are more significant symptom improvement, fewer side effects, better overall condition, slower disease progression, and a small number of patients can reduce AFp, and the tumor can also shrink or live with the tumor for a longer period of time. More information sources.

Currently, there are roughly two ways to use traditional Chinese medicine to treat liver cancer. One is to use single prescriptions or ready-made medicines, and the other is to use syndrome differentiation and treatment. There is also a combination of the two.

Specific methods of TCM treatment of advanced liver cancer: ① Oral Chinese medicine to strengthen the body and eliminate evil, inhibit cancer; ② External drug fumigation

At present, when primary liver cancer is clinically diagnosed, more than 90% of cases are in the middle and late stages, of which more than 92% are treated with traditional Chinese medicine or a combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. Therefore, traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment has become one of the most basic treatment methods for liver cancer. According to a large amount of statistical analysis and the author's clinical practice, traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment of primary liver cancer does have a certain effect. In general, the 1-year survival rate is about 10%~20%. According to reports, for patients with stage II liver cancer, the 1-year survival rate of the untreated group (close to the natural survival period) is 20%; the traditional Chinese medicine treatment group is 36.5%, which is statistically significant. The efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine is better than that of chemotherapy alone. Traditional Chinese medicine is suitable for patients with liver cancer at all stages; in addition to traditional Chinese medicine treatment alone, it can also be combined with surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Liver cancer has complex symptoms and many complications. Different stages of the disease have different manifestations, so the syndrome types are not exactly the same. Now we only summarize the common syndrome types as follows:

1. Liver Qi Stagnation Type

Main symptoms: pain in both flanks, distending pain and heaviness in the right flank, chest tightness and discomfort, aggravated by anger, loss of appetite, enlarged liver, thin white tongue coating, stringy pulse.

Syndrome differentiation: Liver depression and qi stagnation.

Treatment principle: Soothe the liver and regulate qi.

Decoction: Bupleurum 12g, Angelica 12g, Paeonia lactiflora 15g, Atractylodes macrocephala 10g, Poria 10g, Curcuma 10g, Cyperus rotundus 10g, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae 30g, Licorice root 4g, Astragalus 15g, Citrus aurantium 10g.

Note: The liver is responsible for regulating qi. If the liver qi is not regulated, it will be blocked in the rib collaterals, so there will be swelling and pain in the ribs. If the regulated qi is not normal, the qi will not flow smoothly and the chest will feel uncomfortable. If the liver is depressed and the spleen is blocked, the spleen will not function properly, so the appetite will be poor. If the qi is stagnant, the blood will stagnate, so there will be lumps in the ribs. The treatment is to soothe the liver and regulate qi. Use Bupleurum, Curcuma, Cyperus, and Citrus aurantium to soothe the liver and regulate qi, relieve depression and relieve pain; use Angelica, Paeonia lactiflora, and Astragalus membranaceus to soften the liver and nourish blood; use August thorn to regulate qi and activate blood circulation; use Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria, and Licorice to strengthen the spleen and harmonize the middle.

2. Qi stagnation and blood stasis type

Main symptoms: stabbing pain in the ribs, pain in the waist and back, fixed and immovable, worse at night, huge mass under the ribs, dark tongue with petechiae and ecchymosis, deep and thin or astringent pulse.

Syndrome differentiation: Qi stagnation and blood stasis, internal accumulation of bad blood.

Treatment principle: Promote qi and blood circulation, resolve blood stasis and eliminate accumulation.

Prescription: Compound Curcuma Tumor-eliminating Capsules, 5 capsules each time, 4 times a day. Zhengxiaohuang (Zhengtongkang), 1g each time, 3 times a day. Fuzheng Guben Capsules, 5 capsules each time, 4 times a day.

Decoction: Dalbergia odorifera 10g, Rhizoma Corydalis 10g, Rhizoma Trigonosciae 10g, Rhizoma Curcumae 10g, Scolopendra subspinipes 10g, Raw Oyster 30g, Rhizoma Akebiae 20g, Red and White Peony Roots 10g each, Curcuma aromatica 10g, Roasted Squama pangolin 10g, Greater Celandine 15g, and Angelica sinensis 10g.

Note: If Qi is stagnant for a long time, it will cause blood stasis, which will block the liver meridian. If it is blocked, it will cause pain, so the lump will grow bigger day by day, the pain in the ribs will be like a stab, and the pain will not move away; liver blood is yin, and night is the time of yin, so the pain will be more severe at night when blood stasis comes. The treatment is to promote Qi and blood circulation, and resolve blood stasis and eliminate accumulation. Trillium, Curcuma, Red Peony Root, and Eupolyphaga Sinensis promote blood circulation and attack blood stasis; Dalbergia odorifera, Corydalis, Curcuma, Rhizoma Aristolochiae, and Celandineia officinalis regulate blood circulation, promote Qi circulation, and relieve pain; Angelica sinensis and White Peony Root nourish blood and soften the liver; Paoshania pangolin and raw oyster nourish yin, soften hard masses, and eliminate accumulation.

3. Damp-heat toxicity type

Main symptoms: worsening of the disease, fever and sweating, irritability, dry and bitter mouth, yellow body and eyes, stabbing pain in the ribs, abdominal distension and fullness, nausea and poor appetite, dry stool and dark urine, dark red tongue, yellow and greasy tongue coating, and stringy or slippery and rapid pulse.

Syndrome differentiation: damp-heat in the liver and gallbladder, internal stasis of toxins.

Treatment principle: Clear away heat and promote bile secretion, purge fire and detoxify.

Prescription: Cidan Capsules, 5 capsules each time, 4 times a day. Zhengxiaohuang (Zhengtongkang), 1g each time, 3 times a day.

Decoction: 30g of small-leafed moneywort, 30g of knotweed, 15g of turmeric, 10g of gardenia, 15g of moutan bark, 20g of capillaris, 30g of dandelion, 30g of white peony root, 30g of nightshade, 30g of snakeberry, 30g of bark scutellaria, 10g of magnolia bark, 10g of tangerine peel, 20g of sheep's foot root, and 15g of radish seed.

Note: When the liver is depressed and qi is stagnant for a long time, excess qi will become fire, so the qi depression will turn into heat and fire, and the heat will accumulate in the liver and gallbladder, causing irritability, dry mouth and bitter taste; damp heat blocks the bile duct and causes yellow eyes and body. The tongue and pulse show symptoms of stasis and heat. Centella asiatica and Artemisia capillaris clear damp heat and reduce jaundice, while turmeric soothes the liver and gallbladder and promotes blood circulation; Polygonum cuspidatum, Gardenia jasminoides, Cortex moutan, Taraxacum officinale, Solanum nigrum, Duchesnea sinensis, and Rhizoma alba cool blood and detoxify, clear heat and purge fire; Magnolia officinalis, Cortex oxyphyllae, and Radish Seed promote qi circulation and relieve stagnation.

4. Liver Yin Deficiency

Main symptoms: dull pain in the ribs, which lasts for a long time, poor appetite and weight loss, low-grade fever and night sweats, hot flashes in the five parts of the body, dizziness, jaundice and dark urine, or abdominal distension like a drum, exposed blue veins, vomiting blood, bloody stool, subcutaneous hemorrhage, red tongue with little coating, and weak, thready and rapid pulse.

Syndrome differentiation: liver blood deficiency, yin deficiency and internal heat.

Treatment principle: Nourish blood and soften the liver, nourish yin and blood, cool blood and stop bleeding for those with bleeding.

Prescription: Cidan Capsules, 5 capsules each time, 4 times a day. Zhengxiaohuang (Zhengtongkang), 1g each time, 3 times a day. Fuzheng Guben Capsules, 5 capsules each time, 4 times a day.

Decoction: 20g of raw rehmannia, 15g of white peony root, 10g of angelica, 15g of glossy privet fruit, 30g of eclipta prostrata, 20g of raw tortoise shell, 20g of raw turtle shell, 15g of moutan bark, 10g of young artemisia annua, 15g of cornus fruit, 10g of raw yam, 30g of adenophora, 20g of raw astragalus, 30g of poria peel, and 30g of lobelia. Note: Toxic heat is yang, which blocks the liver and gallbladder and easily damages liver yin. Over time, liver blood is depleted, qi and yin are both deficient, so there is dull pain in the ribs; yin deficiency and internal heat, combined with internal evil toxins, so there are symptoms of irritability, low fever, jaundice and bleeding; liver qi is rebellious, spleen deficiency and inability to move, water and dampness cannot be transformed, and water retention in the abdomen causes abdominal distension like a drum and limb swelling. Treatment is to nourish yin and soften the liver, replenish qi and nourish blood. Raw rehmannia, Ligustrum lucidum, Eclipta prostrata, raw soap board, raw turtle shell, and cornus fruit nourish yin and clear heat; white peony root and angelica nourish blood and soften liver; moutan bark and young artemisia clear deficiency heat; raw astragalus, Poria peel, and raw yam strengthen the spleen and replenish qi; Adenophora invigorates qi and nourishes yin; Lobelia clears heat and removes dampness.

In the treatment of advanced liver cancer, TCM will conduct clinical syndrome differentiation and add or subtract medications: for low fever, add Artemisia annua, Rehmannia root bark, Polygonum multiflorum, Bupleurum chinense, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Cortex Moutan, Rehmannia glutinosa, Carapace of Turtle Shell, etc.; for high fever, add Hanshui stone, Gypsum, Talcum, or add buffalo horn, antelope horn powder; or add Qingkailing, Niuhuang Qingresan, etc. For jaundice, add Artemisia capillaris, Curcuma longa, Polygonum cuspidatum, Houttuynia cordata, and Gallbladder grass. For bleeding, add Platycladus orientalis charcoal, Agrimoniae scabra, Blood-seeking sage, Beehive, Radix Rehmanniae, Cortex Moutan, Buffalo horn, Panax notoginseng powder (infusion), Yunnan Baiyao (infusion), and so on. For pain, add Dalbergia odorifera, Rhizoma Corydalis, Curcuma aromatica, Greater celandine, Yunnan Baiyao, Myrrh, Frankincense, Toosendan fruit, Sappan wood, Cynanchum chinense, and Zanthoxylum bungeana. For abdominal distension, add Aucklandia lappa, Magnolia officinalis, Green Tangerine Peel, Citrus grandis peel, Radish seed, Scorched Areca catechu, Citrus aurantium, and so on. For ascites, add Alisma orientalis, Aconitum carmichaelii, Polyporus umbellatus, Poria cocos, Plantago seed, Phytolacca, Lobelia chinensis, and Erchou. For nausea and vomiting, add Pinellia ternata, Rhizoma Anemarrhenae, Fulonggan, Inula flower, Ochre, and Yushudan. For cold limbs and fear of cold, add Aconitum and Cinnamon bark. For diarrhea and loose stools, add Rhizoma Zingiberis, Cardamom, Catechu, Atractylodes lancea, and stir-fried lentils, and so on.

What is the cure rate for early liver cancer?

Liver cancer is a common disease in my country. It affects more men than women, with an incidence rate of about 28.7/100,000. The number of cases accounts for more than half of the global total, ranking fourth in the incidence of malignant tumors in my country. Most patients are already in the middle and late stages when diagnosed. In my country, the incidence of liver cancer is closely related to the infection rate of hepatitis B virus. Clinically, 85%-90% of liver cancers are related to hepatitis B. my country is a high-incidence area for hepatitis B, with an average of 1 in 10 people being a carrier of the hepatitis B virus. Some patients still do not pay attention to healthy diet after becoming ill, and coupled with various factors such as environmental pollution, hepatitis slowly develops into liver cancer.

Early liver cancer is often called small liver cancer because the cure rate of early liver cancer is very high, with a five-year survival rate of nearly 80%. At the same time, for patients with recurrent liver cancer, the effect of secondary treatment is also very good. Many people think that there is no hope after liver cancer relapses, but this idea is wrong.

Experts say: Common treatments for liver cancer include surgery, liver transplantation, local ablation, radiofrequency therapy, hepatic artery intervention, and radiotherapy. Early-stage liver cancer has better surgical treatment and liver transplantation, but surgery is often not possible in the middle and late stages.

Liver cancer is very special. It is the same patient, at the same time, with the same organ having two diseases, namely liver cancer and hepatitis, cirrhosis. Many liver cancer patients eventually die, not because of the tumor itself, but because of bleeding and failure caused by liver dysfunction. Therefore, treatment should not only target the tumor, but also consider the protection of residual liver function. Therefore, systemic treatment is needed, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, traditional Chinese medicine and antiviral therapy. Molecular targeted therapy for liver cancer has made epoch-making breakthroughs, but it is expensive and burdensome for patients. Only a few patients in China use it. At present, the systemic treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma is mainly based on new chemotherapy regimens containing oxaliplatin. Because this chemotherapy drug is included in the national medical insurance reimbursement scope, it can reduce the treatment costs of patients.

Liver cancer is related to eating and drinking

In addition, there are two main reasons for the high incidence of liver cancer in our country: food and drinking water.

The culprit of liver cancer in food is aflatoxin. Peanuts, corn, rice, etc. will produce aflatoxin when they are damp and moldy. Then there is the problem of drinking. Alcohol is very harmful to the liver. Although ethanol cannot directly cause cancer, it is an important factor in inducing liver cell cancer. In addition, if the technology is not standardized during the winemaking process, or the raw materials such as corn and sorghum are moldy, it will also affect the quality of the wine and increase the risk of cancer. The second is the problem of drinking water. The source of drinking water in some areas in the south is ditch water, which may contain algae, which is also one of the factors for liver cancer. At the same time, these eating habits are not only the main factors for liver cancer, but also gastric cancer.