Using Herbs in Conjunction with Cancer Treatment
Can you use Chinese herbs in conjunction with conventional cancer treatment?
As TCM gains its recognition in cancer care, the usage of Chinese herbal formula is still being overlooked in most cancer cases. When working with cancer patients and oncologists, I encountered many hesitations in using Chinese herbs as adjunct therapies in cancer care.
Understandably, doctors and patients need to focus on the safety of the herbs first. Thus in many cases, they question the herbs-drug interactions, efficacy, toxicity in herbs, and lack of evidence-based research.
However, Chinese herbal medicine has been widely used for cancer care in many countries in Asia, and a growing number of medical settings in the USA. It’s worthwhile to take a look at the available datas on hand, and answer some questions for patients who may want to seek out alternative treatment for cancer care.
The focus of cancer treatment in TCM is not on the cancer itself, but on the patient. Conventional cancer treatment has already shown its efficacy of eliminating cancer by chemotherapy, radiation, and targeting therapy, as the strategy of conventional cancer treatment is eradication of cancer cells. However, when it comes to the patient, what we look at through the TCM perspective, is the quality of life, the vitality, the intact function of the immune system, and the balanced relationship between all the systems of the whole body. So in order to care for cancer patients, it’s necessary to start treatment with thorough observation of the patient.
In some cases, the patient needs solely the herbal formulas in the early stage of cancer/precancerous growth, as the patient’s vitality or Zheng Qi is still fully functioning without signs of deficiency. In other cases, we might want to wait until after the patient finishes the conventional treatment to restore the functions of the whole system, or fortify their own defense mechanism. During the conventional treatment, we might also consider using Chinese herbs to mitigate the side effects of chemo or radiation to improve the quality of life during the treatment and increase the success.
The benefits of incorporating Chinese herbs into cancer care has been studied in many researches. In the case of radiation therapy, the focus of TCM herbs is to eliminate free radicals and protect DNA, reduce inflammation, decrease viscosity of the blood, and improve circulation, reduce the bone marrow suppression, and fortify the immune system from radiation damage (Research Article).
In the case of herb drug interactions, there are increasing numbers of research done by scientists and practitioners where we see the effectiveness of classic herbs San Qi (Panax notoginseng) used in breast cancer treatment in conjunction with conventional therapy Tamoxifen. The finding in the research shows saponin in San Qi enhances cellular necrosis activity of Tamoxifen safely (Research Article).
There are many researches showing the benefits of Chinese herbs for cancer treatment. However, to use herbal treatments safely and effectively, it is essential to consult a professional licensed TCM practitioner for a full and holistic evaluation of each case.
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