1Basic Treatment Principles — Supporting the Right Qi and Expelling EvilMalignant tumors are a serious threat to people’s health and life.Although malignant tumors are also discussed within the scope of zheng jia (syndromes) and ji ju (accumulations), fundamentally, they cannot be separated from the two aspects of zheng qi (right qi) and xie qi (evil qi).Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) understands the occurrence of diseases based on the fundamental theory that “where evil gathers, the qi must be deficient” and “when the right qi is preserved internally, evil cannot invade.”The principle of supporting the right qi and expelling evil is based on this fundamental viewpoint.“Supporting the right” means assisting the body’s ability to defend against evil, allowing the body to achieve normal function, which is referred to as pei ben (nurturing the root).According to the Ming Dynasty physician Li Shicai, who stated that treatment must seek the root based on the Neijing, he proposed that “a good physician must focus on the root.”He clearly indicated that the root has a distinction between pre-natal and post-natal; the pre-natal root is in the shen (kidneys), and the post-natal root is in the pi (spleen).This clarifies that the specific measures for “supporting the right” should be implemented to some extent in nurturing the spleen and kidneys.When the “right” is supported and reaches normal function, it can defend against pathogenic factors, thus the function of “expelling evil” can be achieved indirectly through “supporting the right”; while using medicine to directly combat disease and expel evil is another measure of “expelling evil.”“The pre-natal root is in the kidneys, the post-natal root is in the spleen.”The kidneys are “the palace of strength, from which skills emerge.”This means that the kidneys can respond physiologically to changes in the internal and external environment with certain efficiency.The Nanjing states:“The two in the kidneys are not both kidneys; the left one is the kidney, the right one is the mingmen (gate of life).”This emphasizes the importance of yang qi in the kidneys.Ming Dynasty physician Zhang Jiebin stated:“The mingmen is the sea of essence and blood, the spleen and stomach are the root of original qi, the residence of water and fire, the yin qi of the five organs cannot be nourished without this, and the yang qi of the five organs cannot be activated without this.”The mingmen has a temperature, which is referred to as the original yang, which is the fire of life.This indicates that the mingmen is the key to life; it is where pre-natal qi is stored; it is the source of human biochemistry and the foundation of life.From the overall concept of the kidneys, they also possess extensive functions such as “storing essence,” “governing water,” “receiving qi,” “governing bones,” “producing marrow,” and “opening orifices in the ears and the two yin.”Essence is the basic material that constitutes the human body and is the material basis for various functional activities of the body.Kidney essence transforms into kidney qi, which includes “yuan ming” (original brightness), “yuan yang” (original yang), “zhen yin” (true yin), and “zhen yang” (true yang).This indicates that the kidneys are crucial for regulating major functions such as growth, maturation, defense, stress response, balance, and metabolism in the body.Thus, we can clarify:it is not from an anatomical perspective but from the functional perspective of the kidneys that their extremely important role is recognized.The spleen is the post-natal root.The Neijing states:“The spleen is the official of granaries, from which the five flavors emerge; it can transform the dregs and circulate the flavors in and out.”It also states:“The spleen and stomach are connected by membranes, allowing the spleen to transport its fluids to the stomach.”The spleen, stomach, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, and large intestine all belong to the digestive system.The spleen governs transportation and transformation, governs muscles, and governs the rising of clear and the descending of turbid.It governs the four limbs, opens orifices in the mouth, and its manifestation is on the face.The spleen also has the function of regulating blood.Thus, the spleen has the ability to transform the essence of food and water, regulate blood, ensuring its normal circulation in the meridians, preventing it from overflowing.It governs the nourishment and activity of the four limbs and muscles; the spleen and stomach are mutually supportive and are the source of the generation of qi and blood.Thus, it is the post-natal root.This illustrates the spleen’s important role in coordinating activities throughout the body, especially in the digestion, absorption, synthesis, and metabolism of food.It also greatly influences the fullness and deficiency of qi and blood throughout the body, the strength and weakness of the muscles and limbs, and the moisture and dryness of the complexion and lips.From the exploration above, it can be seen that TCM’s view of the influence of the spleen and kidneys on the whole body, regarding “spleen and kidneys as the root,” is well-founded.Therefore, Professor He Ren emphasizes:the principle of supporting the right qi and expelling evil is primarily focused on supporting the spleen and kidneys.Of course, this includes the support and nourishment of qi, blood, yin, and yang.When applying the nourishing methods of supporting the right, the spleen and stomach should be prioritized, because if this post-natal source of transformation cannot function well, then any nourishment will not achieve the desired effect.Thus, attention to the spleen and stomach should be the first priority in the method of supporting the right.If the spleen and kidneys are not weakened, then the foundation for resisting disease and expelling evil is established.Professor He Ren treats tumors by focusing on either nourishing the spleen or nourishing the kidneys, or both, depending on the different conditions.While supporting the right, he also combines it with medicines that expel evil and combat disease (anti-cancer). Using nourishing medicines alongside anti-cancer medicines seems to be more beneficial and has fewer side effects than using anti-cancer medicines alone.2Key Principles for Applying the Method of Supporting the Right and Expelling EvilProfessor He Ren believes that the treatment of malignant tumors should adopt a comprehensive approach that combines both Western and Chinese medicine, such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, in conjunction with TCM and herbal medicine, to complement each other and achieve better treatment outcomes.Regarding TCM and herbal treatment, Professor He Ren emphasizes that when using the method of supporting the right and expelling evil, one must grasp the twelve key principles — “continuously support the right, timely attack the evil, and treat according to the symptoms.”“Continuously support the right” refers to adjusting the right qi and nurturing the root throughout the treatment, enhancing the patient’s ability to resist disease.Depending on different stages, the medication regimen may vary slightly in intensity.“Timely attack the evil”means using anti-cancer herbal medicines at appropriate times.For example:while undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, if other doctors are using more aggressive measures against evil, then TCM may not necessarily use anti-cancer medicines.If chemotherapy or other treatments have concluded or are in a recovery phase, more anti-cancer herbal medicines can be used appropriately.“Treat according to the symptoms”means that during the treatment of cancer, due to the severity of symptoms, the duration of the disease, as well as differences in age and gender, and variations in diet and environment, the symptoms can be diverse and not uniform, and treatment should be adjusted accordingly.If symptoms such as fever, pain, or bleeding occur, medications should be adjusted accordingly, such as using antipyretics, analgesics, or hemostatics.For some mild accompanying symptoms, such as poor appetite or vomiting after chemotherapy, medications should be targeted to those symptoms.Generally, common treatments include clearing, resolving, harmonizing, draining, as well as promoting digestion, opening the appetite, regulating and nourishing, relieving heat and pain, reducing swelling, diuresis, and calming the internal qi.3Considerations for Applying the Method of Supporting the Right and Expelling EvilThere are many methods in TCM for treating tumors, and there are various academic opinions on medication that should be selected.Using purely supportive and nourishing medicines to treat tumors, if they can indeed enhance the body’s immune function, will play a certain role in reducing tumor metastasis and recurrence.However, there are currently few examples.Secondly, methods that primarily attack evil are generally worth promoting and have been proven effective in numerous cases.If the evil is clearly present and the right qi is not weakened, preventing recurrence and metastasis should be urgent, and the dosage of attacking medicines can be appropriately increased; if after general tumor surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy, the pathogenic factors tend to alleviate, and the right qi shows signs of recovery, but there is still significant damage to qi and yin, then the dosage of attacking medicines should be appropriately reduced and gradually combined with some supportive and nourishing products.Thirdly, the method of combining supporting the right and expelling evil can be acceptable if the case selection is appropriate.In facing the contradiction between evil and right, it is essential to achieve “expelling evil without harming the right, supporting the right to assist in expelling evil.”As for which should be prioritized, supporting the right or expelling evil, there is a distinction, but they cannot be completely separated.Due to the significant differences in the condition of the body, the balance of evil and right also varies, and it cannot be generalized which should be prioritized.Generally, in the early to mid-stages, when physical strength is not weakened and qi and blood are not damaged, one can lean towards attacking evil.In the late stages, when qi and blood are depleted, supporting the right should be prioritized, but one should not neglect attacking evil.For a complex disease like tumors, which has a convoluted course, it is indeed necessary to explore and refine a precise, stable, and efficient treatment method.The approach of “burning both jade and stone” is not advisable.It is essential to ensure that neither the right is harmed nor the evil is assisted, and exploring appropriate methods for simultaneously supporting the right and expelling evil may be a new path.This is based on the principle of “no deficiency in deficiency, no excess in excess.”It should not lead to “the old disease not yet resolved, and the new disease reappearing.”It is undesirable for tumors to remain unchanged while the patient is in a critical state; thus, medication should be administered according to the disease and symptoms, and when strong measures are needed, if the patient can tolerate it and there is observable efficacy, one must persist with the treatment and not discontinue the medication.If the patient shows significant side effects after medication, adjustments should be made.The approach of “brutally attacking, thinking it can expel” is inappropriate.Simultaneously supporting the right and expelling evil can reduce or avoid such shortcomings.In our current conditions in China, when a clear diagnosis of a tumor is made and surgery is appropriate, efforts should be made to perform the surgery as early and effectively as possible.After surgical resection, combining with herbal treatment is more appropriate.For some patients who fear surgery or do not meet surgical indications and request treatment solely with TCM, caution should be exercised, with increased attention, regular monitoring, and decisive management; one must not be negligent.Another aspect of supporting the right and expelling evil is that diet should be appropriate.Purposefully consuming foods that have the effect of supporting the right and expelling evil is also beneficial for rehabilitation.Professor He Ren once encountered a patient with multiple rectal polyps, confirmed by X-ray, but who did not meet surgical indications; he advised daily consumption of 50 to 100 grams of coix (Job’s tears) cooked as a substitute for breakfast, without taking other medications, and after six months of continuous consumption, the polyps were no longer significant on subsequent X-rays.Even for cancer patients, daily consumption of coix and fu ling (Poria) is beneficial and harmless for preventing recurrence; the pharmacological effects and mechanisms should be further explored.4Commonly Used Formulas and Herbs for Supporting the Right and Expelling Evil in Malignant Tumors
Professor He Ren not only masters the properties and effects of traditional Chinese herbs but also frequently incorporates new knowledge from modern medical research on herbs.He often introduces to us:
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Four Gentlemen Decoction, red dates, yellow flowers, and coix seeds for tonifying the spleen and benefiting qi;
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Blood-nourishing and yin-replenishing herbs such as dang gui (Angelica), ji xue teng (Spatholobus), dan shen (Salvia), tian dong (Asparagus), mai dong (Ophiopogon), and sha shen (Glehnia);
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Kidney tonics such as di huang (Rehmannia), du zhong (Eucommia), chuan duan (Chinese teasel), and liu wei di huang wan (Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill), selected according to the condition;
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Anti-cancer and evil-expelling herbs such as ma ren shen (Cat’s claw), commonly used for leprosy and tumors;
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Coix, which has been shown in pharmacological experiments to have inhibitory effects on tumors and is effective for flat warts, and also has the effect of tonifying the spleen and draining dampness.Daily consumption of 30 grams, cooked on an empty stomach as a substitute for breakfast, has shown ideal effects.
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White flower snake tongue grass, which has been shown in pharmacological experiments to have inhibitory effects on tumors and leukemia, and can promote antibody formation and increase the phagocytic ability of white blood cells.
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Half-branch lotus, which has been shown in pharmacological experiments to have inhibitory effects on tumors, with a few cases reporting slight increases in bowel movements as a side effect.
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Some supportive herbs also have anti-cancer effects, such as bai zhu (Atractylodes), which has been shown in pharmacological experiments to inhibit certain tumors and has immune-promoting effects.
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Licorice, which has inhibitory effects on experimental animals with myeloma.
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Fu ling (Poria) and zhi ling (Polyporus) also have tumor-inhibiting and antibody-enhancing functions.
5Prevention of Malignant Tumors and Other Considerations1. Prevention of CancerThe prevention of cancer is a topic of great concern.The main prevention methods are etiological prevention and pathogenesis prevention.According to relevant data, using drugs to prevent cancer is referred to as chemoprevention, which is currently a realistic and feasible method.Recent TCM publications have reported that anti-cancer tablets have effective blocking treatment for precancerous lesions of esophageal cancer.After taking the medication for a period, there was a good blocking effect on the severe hyperplasia of the esophageal epithelium.They conducted thousands of experimental samples.The drug blocking treatment for precancerous lesions of esophageal cancer indicates a feasible and effective prevention approach.2. Issues with Extracting Anti-Cancer Drugs from Chinese MedicineScreening for anti-cancer drugs from Chinese medicine has been ongoing for many years, and some have extracted their main components to become new chemotherapy drugs.This approach, which does not follow TCM theory and departs from traditional TCM principles, is also worth discussing.3. Application of Chinese Medicine Guided by TCM TheoryIn clinical treatment of cancer, TCM has been applied for many years, but the differentiation and treatment of cancer are essentially based on the concepts of right, evil, deficiency, and excess, which can further be divided into qi, blood, yin, and yang.This differentiation is generally feasible.It is not advisable to classify too finely, but rather to treat according to the symptoms.Some advocate that all cancers should use methods to soften and dissipate masses, as cancers generally have masses present.This is indeed a commonality among various cancers and is the basis for using methods such as softening and dissipating masses in clinical practice.However, cancers also have their individuality, and some cancers are not suitable for softening and dissipating methods, which should not be overlooked.
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This article is selected from: the internet, author:He Ruoping.The articles shared by this public account are for reference and learning purposes only. If there are any improper uses of the published content, please feel free to contact us. Please retain copyright information when reprinting.All formulas, medicines, and treatment methods mentioned in the text are for learning reference only; non-professionals should not attempt to use them!