Anticancer Chinese Patent Medicine: Ankangxin Capsules
Ankangxin Capsules are an anticancer Chinese patent medicine developed by contemporary TCM. Their main ingredients are eighteen Chinese herbs including Astragali Radix (Huang Qi), Ginseng Radix (Ren Shen), Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Dan Shen), Ganoderma (Ling Zhi), Psoraleae Fructus (Bu Gu Zhi), Schisandrae Fructus (Wu Wei Zi), Sophorae Tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma (Shan Dou Gen), Spatholobi Caulis (Ji Xue Teng), Scutellariae Barbatae Herba (Ban Zhi Lian), Epimedii Folium (Yin Yang Huo), Cudraniae Radix (Chuan Po Shi), Codonopsis Radix (Dang Shen), Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (Bai Zhu), and Selaginellae Doederleinii Herba (Shi Shang Bai). Their functions are activating blood and resolving stasis (huo xue hua yu), softening and dispersing hard masses (ruan jian san jie), clearing heat and resolving toxin (qing re jie du), and supporting healthy qi and rooting it firmly (fu zheng gu ben). They may be used as adjuvant treatment for lung cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, rectal cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, breast cancer, cervical cancer, malignant lymphoma, lymphocytic leukemia, bladder cancer, meningioma, and glioma.
Ankangxin Capsules balance supporting healthy qi with anticancer. Judging from the formula composition, they are mainly suitable for heat-toxin-type tumor patients and are not suitable for yin-abscess (yin ju) patients with yang deficiency. The Ban Zhi Lian, Shi Shang Bai, and Shan Dou Gen in the formula are all heat-clearing, toxin-resolving, anticancer herbs; these improve clinical symptoms and prolong life in heat-toxin-type cancer patients. But these herbs are also bitter-cold and injure the stomach, so they are not suitable for patients with weak spleen and stomach.
Ankangxin Capsules use relatively many qi-supporting herbs. According to traditional TCM theory, this formula balances tonifying qi and blood with supplementing yin and yang; its tonifying effects are very comprehensive. But the tonifying herbs selected are not aggressively fortifying; their properties are relatively mild, so they are safe to use.
Current clinical data mainly show that Ankangxin Capsules have some efficacy as an adjuvant during radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but they can hardly achieve comprehensive relief of the side effects of chemoradiotherapy in cancer patients. Patients with side effects from chemoradiotherapy should still consult a professional TCM physician for comprehensive medication; Ankangxin Capsules may be used as an adjuvant.
The adult dosage is 5 capsules three times daily, taken with warm water after meals. Children may have the dosage reduced according to age and weight. This formula is not suitable for pregnant women, nor should it be taken in overdose. Ankangxin Capsules are a Category B medical-insurance drug, so they are relatively cost-effective for patients with medical insurance.