Clipping Board » Medical Myths ─ The truth about healthcare is often different from what you intuitively think.
April 24, 2006
As a treatment for cancer, the combination of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine in cancer treatment is not a new concept. In mainland China, more than two-thirds, or even the vast majority, of cancer patients are undergoing or attempting to treat cancer with a combination of Chinese and Western medicine.
In recent years, cancer treatment in mainland China has been continuously evolving in terms of treatment theories and methods, and new approaches have emerged, some of which differ from "conventional" treatment methods. Professor He Yumin, a Chinese cancer treatment expert from Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, advocates for a "benevolent" adjustment approach, abandoning the aggressive methods of Western medicine and even avoiding the "fighting poison with poison" approach of TCM. He promotes zero-toxicity (non-toxic) tumor suppression, focusing on protecting the patient's digestive and immune functions throughout the treatment process. This is combined with a variety of comprehensive internal and external methods, integrating Chinese and Western medicine, including addressing the patient's cognition, emotions, mental state, and social support, to holistically treat cancer. Professor He Yumin was invited by the Hong Kong Health Association and the Hong Kong Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioners Association to host a special lecture on cancer in Hong Kong. He is internationally recognized as the first to propose the concept of "zero-toxicity chemotherapy and holistic tumor suppression," and the lecture content revolved around this theme.
Encouraging Clinical Cases
In an interview with Ta Kung Pao, Professor He stated that since the 1970s, when he began treating cancer patients, numerous clinical cases over the years have demonstrated the significant role of TCM in modern cancer diagnosis and treatment. He pointed out, "Clinical cases collected from four aspects show the efficacy of benevolent adjustment and zero-toxicity tumor suppression: (1) Reducing the toxic side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and enhancing the efficacy of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. (2) Effective in the consolidation phase for patients, significantly reducing the metastasis and recurrence rates of malignant tumors. Our nearly 10,000 cases have a 5-year survival rate exceeding 70%, which is evidence. (3) For elderly cancer patients, TCM treatment reduces damage, improves quality of life, and extends lifespan. From our collection of 1,273 cases with an average age of over 70, purely using TCM benevolent adjustment and zero-toxicity chemotherapy, over 60% survived more than 2 years, and over 40% survived more than 3 to 4 years. (4) For advanced cancer patients, it can alleviate pain and prolong life."
During the lecture, Professor He presented systematic data on multiple cases of pancreatic cancer and breast cancer with lung metastasis, achieving clinical recovery purely with TCM, including over 40 cases of clinical recovery from pancreatic cancer (defined as surviving more than 3 years). The attending Hong Kong TCM practitioners responded enthusiastically.
Professor He revealed that he is currently organizing a group of doctoral students to systematically compile clinical data from 700 to 800 cases of cancer treated primarily with TCM since 1989, with plans to publish domestically and internationally. He said: TCM culture is not just traditional culture and a technique; it is a pioneer in the comprehensive revival of Chinese culture, its global outreach, and its integration with Chinese and Western cultures. He hopes to demonstrate this with the actual efficacy and objective evidence of TCM cases.
"Benevolent" vs. "Aggressive" Approaches
Historically, TCM treatment has been divided into "aggressive" and "benevolent" schools. The so-called "aggressive" approach uses potent agents to attack and eliminate tumors, while the "benevolent" approach does the opposite, using mild prescriptions and focusing on adjustment and reinforcement. In today's terms, "benevolent" can be translated as non-toxic or zero-toxicity, meaning the use of as few toxic or side-effect-inducing herbs as possible, or those that harm the spleen and stomach or cause discomfort after ingestion, instead favoring mild and stable agents that balance suppression and reinforcement.
He Yumin pointed out that his "benevolent adjustment" approach is distinct from the aggressive, poison-fighting, and destructive "aggressive" treatments of Western medicine.Prioritize "regal therapy" adjustments, first improving the patient's symptoms such as fever, cough, and weakened immune function, initially "treating the symptoms," such as improving sleep, increasing appetite, and enhancing physical condition, to give the patient the confidence to survive. This is paramount. Secondly, it is best to use non-toxic methods, avoiding the use of highly toxic drugs. Professor He believes that using poison to fight poison is not advisable, such as Western medicine's radiotherapy and chemotherapy; as well as some toxic traditional Chinese medicines, such as scorpions and centipedes. After a period of use, due to excessive attack, not only is the cancer not controlled, but the gastrointestinal tract is also damaged, the physical condition deteriorates, and the impact is significant.
Professor He particularly emphasizes the importance of protecting the stomach. He says that some cancer patients have been taking medication for years, even more than a decade, which has already caused "stomach damage." At this point, relying solely on oral medication can no longer be effective, especially for patients who have undergone chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as they no longer absorb oral medication. Professor He believes it is necessary to adopt multiple methods to participate in treatment, such as external application. Two-thirds of his cancer patients use external application medications.
Furthermore, Professor He points out that many cancer patients are affected by their emotions, which can influence the effectiveness of treatment or even lead to death. Therefore, addressing the patient's emotional issues and changing their attitude is also a necessary means of cancer treatment. Professor He organizes "roundtable therapy" for patients, arranging for new and old cancer patients to communicate in a large room, allowing patients who have survived after treatment to share their experiences of receiving treatment, thereby boosting the confidence of newly joined patients.
"Regal Therapy Adjustment, Zero-Toxin Tumor Suppression" Report One
(Continued on April 26th in the Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy Section)
Source: http://www. takungpao. com/ news/ 06/ 04/ 24/ GY- 556517. htm
"King's Way" Adjustment Advocates Zero-Toxin Tumor Suppression
As a treatment for cancer, the combination of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine in cancer treatment is not a new concept. In mainland China, more than two-thirds, or even the vast majority, of cancer patients are undergoing or attempting to treat cancer with a combination of Chinese and Western medicine.
In recent years, cancer treatment in mainland China has been continuously evolving in terms of treatment theories and methods, and new approaches have emerged, some of which differ from "conventional" treatment methods. Professor He Yumin, a Chinese cancer treatment expert from Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, advocates for a "benevolent" adjustment approach, abandoning the aggressive methods of Western medicine and even avoiding the "fighting poison with poison" approach of TCM. He promotes zero-toxicity (non-toxic) tumor suppression, focusing on protecting the patient's digestive and immune functions throughout the treatment process. This is combined with a variety of comprehensive internal and external methods, integrating Chinese and Western medicine, including addressing the patient's cognition, emotions, mental state, and social support, to holistically treat cancer. Professor He Yumin was invited by the Hong Kong Health Association and the Hong Kong Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioners Association to host a special lecture on cancer in Hong Kong. He is internationally recognized as the first to propose the concept of "zero-toxicity chemotherapy and holistic tumor suppression," and the lecture content revolved around this theme.
Encouraging Clinical Cases
In an interview with Ta Kung Pao, Professor He stated that since the 1970s, when he began treating cancer patients, numerous clinical cases over the years have demonstrated the significant role of TCM in modern cancer diagnosis and treatment. He pointed out, "Clinical cases collected from four aspects show the efficacy of benevolent adjustment and zero-toxicity tumor suppression: (1) Reducing the toxic side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and enhancing the efficacy of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. (2) Effective in the consolidation phase for patients, significantly reducing the metastasis and recurrence rates of malignant tumors. Our nearly 10,000 cases have a 5-year survival rate exceeding 70%, which is evidence. (3) For elderly cancer patients, TCM treatment reduces damage, improves quality of life, and extends lifespan. From our collection of 1,273 cases with an average age of over 70, purely using TCM benevolent adjustment and zero-toxicity chemotherapy, over 60% survived more than 2 years, and over 40% survived more than 3 to 4 years. (4) For advanced cancer patients, it can alleviate pain and prolong life."
During the lecture, Professor He presented systematic data on multiple cases of pancreatic cancer and breast cancer with lung metastasis, achieving clinical recovery purely with TCM, including over 40 cases of clinical recovery from pancreatic cancer (defined as surviving more than 3 years). The attending Hong Kong TCM practitioners responded enthusiastically.
Professor He revealed that he is currently organizing a group of doctoral students to systematically compile clinical data from 700 to 800 cases of cancer treated primarily with TCM since 1989, with plans to publish domestically and internationally. He said: TCM culture is not just traditional culture and a technique; it is a pioneer in the comprehensive revival of Chinese culture, its global outreach, and its integration with Chinese and Western cultures. He hopes to demonstrate this with the actual efficacy and objective evidence of TCM cases.
"Benevolent" vs. "Aggressive" Approaches
Historically, TCM treatment has been divided into "aggressive" and "benevolent" schools. The so-called "aggressive" approach uses potent agents to attack and eliminate tumors, while the "benevolent" approach does the opposite, using mild prescriptions and focusing on adjustment and reinforcement. In today's terms, "benevolent" can be translated as non-toxic or zero-toxicity, meaning the use of as few toxic or side-effect-inducing herbs as possible, or those that harm the spleen and stomach or cause discomfort after ingestion, instead favoring mild and stable agents that balance suppression and reinforcement.
He Yumin pointed out that his "benevolent adjustment" approach is distinct from the aggressive, poison-fighting, and destructive "aggressive" treatments of Western medicine.Prioritize "regal therapy" adjustments, first improving the patient's symptoms such as fever, cough, and weakened immune function, initially "treating the symptoms," such as improving sleep, increasing appetite, and enhancing physical condition, to give the patient the confidence to survive. This is paramount. Secondly, it is best to use non-toxic methods, avoiding the use of highly toxic drugs. Professor He believes that using poison to fight poison is not advisable, such as Western medicine's radiotherapy and chemotherapy; as well as some toxic traditional Chinese medicines, such as scorpions and centipedes. After a period of use, due to excessive attack, not only is the cancer not controlled, but the gastrointestinal tract is also damaged, the physical condition deteriorates, and the impact is significant.
Professor He particularly emphasizes the importance of protecting the stomach. He says that some cancer patients have been taking medication for years, even more than a decade, which has already caused "stomach damage." At this point, relying solely on oral medication can no longer be effective, especially for patients who have undergone chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as they no longer absorb oral medication. Professor He believes it is necessary to adopt multiple methods to participate in treatment, such as external application. Two-thirds of his cancer patients use external application medications.
Furthermore, Professor He points out that many cancer patients are affected by their emotions, which can influence the effectiveness of treatment or even lead to death. Therefore, addressing the patient's emotional issues and changing their attitude is also a necessary means of cancer treatment. Professor He organizes "roundtable therapy" for patients, arranging for new and old cancer patients to communicate in a large room, allowing patients who have survived after treatment to share their experiences of receiving treatment, thereby boosting the confidence of newly joined patients.
"Regal Therapy Adjustment, Zero-Toxin Tumor Suppression" Report One
(Continued on April 26th in the Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy Section)
Source: http://www. takungpao. com/ news/ 06/ 04/ 24/ GY- 556517. htm