Prostate Cancer - Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment

Information provided/updated by:
Professor Pang Yi, Clinical Professor of Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University

Introduction:

In this article, Professor Pang Yi introduces us to how traditional Chinese medicine treats prostate cancer.

A. Overview (including organs, systems, and the use and differences of terms in traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine)
B. Causes/Symptoms/Diagnosis
C. Treatment

A. Overview (including organs, systems, and the use and differences of terms in traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine)

Prostate cancer is a tumor caused by malignant proliferation of epithelial cells in the prostate, accounting for more than 95% of malignant tumors in the prostate. It is a common malignant tumor of the urinary and reproductive system, ranking third among common cancers in Hong Kong men. 80% of patients are men over 65 years old, and the incidence rate has been rising in recent years. Most prostate cancers grow slowly, and there may be no symptoms in the early stage. When first diagnosed, it is already in the middle and late stages, and cancer cells can metastasize to bones and lymph nodes.

There is no disease name "prostate cancer" in the ancient Chinese medicine books. According to the symptoms, it belongs to the categories of "aggregation-accumulation", "difficult urination", "aggregation-accumulation", "syndrome", "blood in urine", etc.

B. Causes/Symptoms/Diagnosis

Kidney deficiency is the basis of the onset of prostate cancer, and phlegm-dampness and stasis-toxin are the most common pathologies and causes. The basic pathogenesis is deficiency in origin and excess in superficiality. The cause of prostate cancer is unknown. Its risk factors mainly include old age, family history, race, etc.; others include smoking, obesity, high consumption of dairy and meat, environmental factors.

C. Treatment

The Western medicine treatment plan mainly includes active monitoring, surgery, radiotherapy, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy, etc. Regular rectal examination and prostate-specific antigen blood test (PSA) for patients are only suitable for low-risk early prostate cancer.

Radical prostatectomy is suitable for early-stage prostate cancer patients who are under 75 years old, have no serious illnesses, and are expected to live for ten years or more. Radiation therapy, commonly known as "radiotherapy", comes in two forms: external and internal. External radiotherapy is suitable for patients of various risk categories. Internal radiotherapy is only suitable for low and medium-risk prostate cancer. Hormone therapy can assist radiation therapy to cure tumors with higher risk; it can also be used to alleviate late-stage prostate cancer that has spread to other parts; it is suitable for patients who are too old and weak to undergo surgery or radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is the only option for late-stage prostate cancer patients (CRPC) who are resistant to hormone therapy, and even palliative therapy may be used. New therapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors and personalized vaccines have therapeutic potential.

Traditional Chinese medicine treatment plan: This disease is mostly a deficiency-excess complex syndrome, kidney deficiency, phlegm-dampness and blood stasis toxin syndrome are common syndrome types. The principle of syndrome differentiation treatment is to reinforce the healthy qi and eliminate the pathogenic factors, to treat the symptoms urgently, to treat the root cause slowly, to prioritize the root cause, and to consider both the symptoms and the root cause. In addition to Chinese medicine, acupuncture, plastering, and enema also have certain effects.

The integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine can play a synergistic role, providing new ideas and choices for the research and development of anti-prostate cancer drugs. Research has found that traditional Chinese medicine has unique advantages such as multi-target, multi-pathway, multi-link, and small side effects. It can exert anti-cancer effects through various mechanisms such as regulating the immune system, anti-tumor angiogenesis, regulating tumor cell death, and cell autophagy dysfunction. Traditional Chinese medicine treatment can also improve immunity, alleviate the side effects of Western medicine treatment, improve symptoms, improve quality of life, and prolong survival. It also has some achievements for the easy transition to CRPC after hormone therapy.

Prognostic conditioning is an important aspect of prostate cancer. The growth of cancer cells in patients is slow and not easy to metastasize. If detected early and treated according to standards, the prognosis is generally good. Elderly males with a family history need to monitor prostate-specific antigen. In addition, maintaining an optimistic attitude, quitting smoking and alcohol, controlling weight, and exercising moderately can help enhance immunity and reduce the chance of disease.

Mediterranean dietary habits (fruits, vegetables, fish, beans, and olive oil) can reduce the risk of malignant prostate cancer.

(February 2022)