Cervical Cancer - Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment
Information provided/updated by:
Professor Miao Jiangxia,
Director of Continuing and Professional Education, School of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Jiang Yufen
Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner
Introduction:
In this article, Professor Miao Jiangxia and Chinese Medicine Practitioner Jiang Yufen introduce us to how traditional Chinese medicine treats cervical cancer from a TCM perspective.
A. Overview (including organs, systems, and the use and differences of terms in traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine)
B. Etiology/Symptoms/Diagnosis
C. Treatment
A. Overview (including organs, systems, and the use and differences of terms in traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine)
Cervical cancer is one of the common malignant tumors of the female reproductive organs. In recent years, with the popularization of cervical vaccines and cancer screening, the incidence rate is showing a downward trend. According to the figures from the Hong Kong Department of Health in 2018, cervical cancer ranks seventh among the most common cancers in Hong Kong women, and eighth among the deadliest cancers in local women.
In ancient Chinese medical books, it is classified as "aggregation-accumulation", "flooding and spotting", "leukorrhea disease", etc.
B. Etiology/Symptoms/Diagnosis
Etiology
It is known that most cervical cancers are caused by persistent infection with human papillomavirus (HPV). Other factors such as frequent or disordered sexual activity, early marriage and early pregnancy, poor living conditions, smoking, low immunity, and use of oral contraceptives for more than five years are also high-risk factors for the disease.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the occurrence of cervical cancer is related to deficiency of healthy qi and infection of external pathogens. The deficiency of healthy qi mainly refers to the dysfunction of the liver, spleen, and kidney, and damage to the Chong and Ren meridians. If the emotional disorder leads to liver qi depression; if the diet is not regulated, it will damage the spleen and stomach; if sexual life is not regulated, it will damage the kidney qi. Under the premise of deficiency of healthy qi and weakened defense, dampness-toxin and heat-toxin pathogens take advantage of the deficiency, phlegm and stasis intertwine, and qi stagnation and blood stasis lead to the occurrence of local cancer.
Symptoms
The early symptoms of cervical cancer are not obvious and are easily overlooked, but as the disease progresses, the following symptoms may appear, which should raise awareness.
1. Vaginal bleeding, especially after sexual intercourse, non-menstrual period, and postmenopausal bleeding;
2. Abnormally increased vaginal discharge, especially bloody and abnormal odor; and
3. Pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis, or pain during sexual intercourse.
C. Treatment
The treatment methods for cervical cancer mainly include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and traditional Chinese medicine treatment.
The application of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer mainly focuses on the following four aspects:
1. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) conditioning and prevention of recurrence after early cervical cancer surgery.
2. Chinese medicine can alleviate the toxic side effects after radiotherapy and chemotherapy for mid-late stage cervical cancer, such as relieving dizziness, leukopenia, vomiting after chemotherapy, and symptoms of cystitis and proctitis after radiotherapy.
3. For late-stage cervical cancer that cannot be operated on, Chinese medicine can fight cancer and inhibit tumors, improving the quality of life.
4. For precancerous lesions of cervical cancer, such as atypical hyperplasia of cells, TCM treatment may be reversible.
Reinforcing the healthy qi and eliminating the pathogenic factors are the two magic weapons of TCM in fighting cancer.
Tonifying deficiency drugs can improve the overall immune function of patients and reduce the complications of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. According to clinical symptoms, TCM categorizes the deficiency pattern of cervical cancer into liver-kidney yin deficiency pattern, spleen-kidney yang deficiency pattern, and sunken middle qi pattern, respectively using Liuwei Dihuang Pills, Fuzi Lizhong Soup, and Buzhong Yiqi Soup. Commonly used are Shudi, Nu Zhen Zi, Shan Zhu Yu and other liver and kidney tonics, Dangshen, Yunzhi, Baizhu, Huangqi and other spleen and stomach tonics.
The so-called elimination of pathogenic factors is to remove pathological factors such as dampness-toxin, phlegm-stasis, which can prevent the recurrence and metastasis of cervical cancer. The excess pattern is divided into dampness-heat stasis-toxin pattern, syndrome of depressed liver qi transforming into fire, and phlegm-dampness coagulation pattern, respectively treated with Huanglian Jiedu Decoction, Danzhi Xiaoyao Powder, and Cangfu Daotan Pill. Commonly used heat-clearing and detoxifying drugs are Bai Hua She She Cao, Ban Zhi Lian, Bai Jiang Cao, etc. Dampness-dispelling drugs include Yi Yi Ren, Tu Fu Ling, Cang Zhu. Blood-activating and stasis-resolving drugs include E Zhu, Chi Shao, Dan Pi, Tao Ren, etc. Phlegm-resolving and mass-dissipating drugs include Ju Hong, Hai Zao, Zhe Bei Mu, Shan Ci Gu, etc.
In addition, TCM also emphasizes emotional treatment and dietary therapy. It advocates a cheerful mood, and a laugh can cure a hundred diseases.
Dietary recommendations include eating more vegetables, fruits, especially carrots, avoiding high-temperature fried, grilled, moldy food, limiting red meat and shrimp and crab, choosing fish or soy protein, and those with a damp-heat constitution can often take Gui Ling Gao, raw and cooked Yi Mi soup, which can reduce the risk of cervical cancer.
(November 2021)