What medicines are good for Chinese medicine brain tumors, and is there any hope? This is the doubt in the minds of many brain tumor patients and their family members seeking treatment. As traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese medicine has unique insights and methods for treating brain tumors. In Chinese medicine’s view, although brain tumors are severe, with reasonable diagnosis and treatment, it is still possible to help patients alleviate symptoms, improve quality of life, and even control the condition in certain situations.
Understanding of Brain Tumors in Chinese Medicine
Chinese medicine refers to brain tumors as “head wind” or “head carbuncle,” believing that their occurrence is closely related to the dysfunction of organs such as the liver, spleen, and kidneys. Liver wind disturbance, damp-heat stagnation, and blood stasis are the main pathogenic mechanisms of brain tumors. Therefore, the principles of Chinese medicine in treating brain tumors often involve soothing the liver, relieving depression, calming the liver, suppressing wind, clearing heat, detoxifying, promoting blood circulation, and removing blood stasis.
Common Chinese Medicinal Materials for Treating Brain Tumors
Heat-clearing and detoxifying medicines: such as honeysuckle, forsythia, etc., these medicines can eliminate internal heat toxins, helping to relieve symptoms such as fever and dry mouth caused by brain tumors.
Blood-activating and stasis-dissolving medicines: Angelica sinensis, Chuanxiong, safflower, peach kernel, etc., are commonly used blood-activating and stasis-dissolving medicinal materials. They can promote blood circulation, reduce the oppression of blood stasis on brain tissues, thereby alleviating symptoms such as headache and dizziness.
Softening hard masses and dispersing nodules medicines: Prunella vulgaris, oysters, etc., have the effect of softening tumors and reducing tumor size. These medicines regulate the internal environment of the body, inhibiting the growth of tumor cells.
Tonifying qi and nourishing blood medicines: Astragalus, Codonopsis, Atractylodes, etc., can enhance the body’s immunity, improve the patient’s disease resistance. In the treatment of brain tumors, the application of qi-tonifying and blood-nourishing medicines is particularly important, helping patients recover physical strength and reduce the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Typical Cases and Treatment Effects
In the treatment of brain tumors, Chinese medicine will provide personalized treatment according to the patient’s specific condition. For example, for symptoms such as dizziness and facial twitching caused by residual blood stasis and phlegm-dampness after surgery, Chinese medicine may use modified Xie Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang, Tao Hong Si Wu Tang, and other formulas for treatment. These formulas effectively improve the patient’s symptoms through their functions of calming wind, resolving phlegm, promoting blood circulation, and removing blood stasis.
Chinese medicine also emphasizes the concept of “preventing disease before it occurs,” intervening in the absence of illness or at an early stage. For brain tumor patients, Chinese medicine may suggest maintaining good daily routines and dietary habits, focusing on mental nourishment to enhance the body’s resistance and reduce the recurrence of the disease.
Traditional Chinese medicine treatment is relatively gentle in nature and belongs to conservative treatment, which is relatively friendly to the patient’s body. It helps improve the patient’s physical fitness and quality of life. Zhengzhou Xifu Traditional Chinese Medicine Oncology Hospital, established for more than ten years, adheres to traditional Chinese medicine in treating cancer and has helped many cancer patients alleviate suffering and prolong survival time with individualized Chinese medicine prescriptions. The hospital has successively been awarded honors such as “Tumor Health Popular Science Publicity Station,” “Demonstration Unit of Integrity Management,” “Clinical Safety and Rational Drug Use Demonstration Base,” and has been rated as a “Intangible Cultural Heritage” protection unit, “Zhengzhou Grassroots Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Feature Therapy Studio-Yuan Xifu Studio”. In the field of pure traditional Chinese medicine cancer treatment, it has been diligently providing professional Chinese medicine solutions for patients.
Real Case Share of Chinese Medicine Tumor Specialist Yuan Xifu in Treating Brain Tumors:
Mr. Chen, brain tumor, first consultation on May 30, 2016, from Zhoukou, Henan Province
In July 2007, Mr. Chen was diagnosed with glioma. He received 6 rounds of chemotherapy and 30 rounds of radiotherapy postoperatively to prevent recurrence. There were no abnormalities for the next 7 years. In October 2014, he suddenly developed symptoms of unclear speech and inability to move his right hand, with a review showing “brain tumor recurrence.” He underwent a second surgery on November 25, 2014, but the lesion did not disappear. Subsequently, Mr. Chen gradually lost the ability to walk, stand, experienced dizziness, headache, forgetfulness, and incoherent speech. To seek further treatment, on May 30, 2016, he sought Chinese medicine treatment from the tumor specialist Yuan Xifu. Follow-up on June 15, 2016, his facial numbness improved, some symptoms eased, “able to stand with support from the wall for a while, dizziness not as severe.” Continuing medication until July 11, 2016, his condition continued to improve, and he could now walk a short distance with the support of a wall. On December 4th, he went to the county people’s hospital for a check-up, with the result showing “very good reexamination, no new issues, no progression, very stable!” Then, on June 28, 2017, he began the consolidation medication phase, and during the follow-up in March 2022, the condition remained stable and everything was fine. Follow-up on April 18, 2023: the condition is stable.
Chinese medicine has abundant experience and unique advantages in treating brain tumors. As a comprehensive treatment method, Chinese medicine plays an important role in alleviating symptoms, improving quality of life, and reducing the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Therefore, seeking help from Chinese medicine is a worthy consideration for brain tumor patients. Of course, any treatment should be conducted under the guidance of a professional doctor to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the treatment.
