Oriental Healing
TCM Approach to Cancer
Article contributed by:
Raffles Medical Group
The use of Traditional
Chinese Medicine (TCM)
as a complementary
therapy to conventional
treatments such as
chemotherapy and
radiotherapy is
increasingly prevalent.
Ms Miao Meng, a TCM
Physician from Raffles
Chinese Medicine Centre,
shares with us the TCM
approach to cancer
treatment in a holistic
and non-invasive manner.
TCM treatments seek to
prevent or slow down
cancer development,
manage symptoms and side
effects, improve
patient’s quality of
life and prevent cancer
recurrence.
According to the TCM
perspective, cancer is
basically due to a
weakened constitution
that makes one
susceptible to different
carcinogens. The
prolonged internal
disharmony and organ
dysfunction cause an
accumulation of
pathological waste
products that then
induces growth in
certain places.
Depending on the
patient’s constitution
and the type and stage
of cancer, TCM
physicians will design a
comprehensive programme
that is carefully
balanced between
preserving health and
correcting imbalances
brought about by the
abnormal growth.
Common Treatment
Principles:
1.
Building-up physical
resilience
Taking suitable tonics
can improve the body’s
ability to fight cancer,
relieve complex symptoms
and control cancer
progression.
Some common herbs used
include astragalus (huang
qi), ginseng (ren sheng),
rehmannia (di huang),
liqorice (gan cao) and
angelica sinensis (dang
gui).
2.
Purging ‘toxic’ heat
In the study of TCM,
toxic heat is a major
cause for cancer
progression especially
in middle and late stage
patients. Herbs
like hedyotis diffusa (bai
hua sh she cao), herba
scuttellariae barbatae
(ban zhi lian) and
rhizoma paridis (qi ye
yi zhi hua) are often
used to purge the
‘toxic’ heat within the
body.
3.
Dissipating blood stasis
Blood stasis can promote
growth of tumour and
surrounding connective
tissues. It is
thus important to
dissipate blood stasis
and ensure good blood
circulation within the
body.
Common herbs include
rhizome curcumae (e shu),
radix salviae
miltiorrhizae (dan shen)
and flos campsis (ling
xiao hua).
4.
Dissolving phlegm
Accumulation of phlegm
in the body presents a
series of complex
problems such as
abdominal distention,
nausea, vomiting and
water retention.
Some common herbs used
include rhizoma
pinelliae (ban xia),
fructus trichosanthis (gua
lou), pleione
bulbocadioides (shan ci
gu) and spica prunellae
(xia ku cao).
Widely known as a
powerful tool for
general pain control,
acupuncture can also be
used to reduce
cancer-related pain.
Studies have been done
on the effect of
acupuncture on
chemotherapy-induced
nausea and vomiting, dry
mouth, weight loss,
cough, night sweats,
poor appetite,
dizziness, fatigue,
anxiety and depression.
The positive results of
the studies on
chemotherapy-induced
nausea and vomiting are
the most convincing.
There is preliminary
evidence that combined
use of conventional
medicine and TCM may
extend the life of
patients. However,
patients who wish to
adopt an integrated
approach should always
communicate with their
doctors to ensure that
they receive safe and
coordinated care.
Return
to Top
Article contributed by:
Raffles Medical Group
Dated: June 2011
|
Raffles
Medical
Group is
a leading
medical
group and
the largest
private
group
practice in
Singapore.
As a fully
integrated
healthcare
organisation,
the Group
owns and
operates a
network of
family
medicine
clinics, a
tertiary
care private
hospital,
insurance
services and
a consumer
healthcare
division.
Patients of
the Group
enjoy a
continuum of
care, from
having their
most basic
healthcare
needs met
through the
Group’s
islandwide
network of
Raffles
Medical
clinics, to
specialist
and tertiary
care at
Raffles
Hospital. |
Back to
Table of Contents