Case Record: TCM Treatment of Stage 4B Hodgkin Lymphoma in Patient Zhang

Zhang, male, age 19, from Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. Hodgkin lymphoma was discovered three years ago; he was treated at Hospital 307, then relapsed. Because chemotherapy and treatment at other TCM doctors had failed, he came to Beijing on November 21, 2015 seeking treatment.

Imaging showed tumors in both sides of the neck and under the armpits, the largest over 3 cm, palpable, hard.

The patient had long had a steaming fever, body temperature around 37.2°C, with fever severe every day between 5 and 9 p.m., a sensation of bones steaming. But his limbs were cold, and his ears and nose easily suffered frostbite. Whole-body itching, without fixed location, especially severe on the palms and soles, itching worse the more he scratched; night sweats during sleep, breaking out in a sweat each time he slept. Occasional stabbing pain in the chest, relieved by massage. Dry skin, dry mouth, dry ears, dry nose; heart discomfort; scant saliva and much froth; poor appetite; a bloody taste in the mouth on waking. Tumors palpable, hard, with normal overlying skin color.

Pulse fine and slow; the right cubital (chi) pulse was deep and almost imperceptible.

Treatment was planned as Yanghe Decoction combined with Shengjiang San (Ascending-Descending Powder), modified:

Prepared Rehmannia (Shudi) 40g, deer-horn glue (Lujiaojiao) 12g (melted), white mustard seed (Baijiezi) 8g, cinnamon bark (Rouguixin) 4g (ground, taken in draft), raw Ephedra (Sheng Mahuang) 2g, blast-fried ginger (Pao Jiang) 2g, raw licorice (Sheng Gancao) 4g, turmeric slice (Pian Jianghuang) 6g, stiff Silkworm (Jiangcan) 10g, cicada slough (Chantui) 6g, Senecio (Qianliguang) 12g, raw and fried Coix each 30g.

One dose daily, taken in one portion or divided into two. Take one hour after breakfast, or one hour after breakfast and lunch.

Xihuang Pills once daily: day 1, 3g; day 2, 6g; day 3, 9g; day 4, 12g; day 5, 12g; day 6, 12g; day 7, 12g, washed down with yellow rice wine before bedtime.

Take medicine for one week, then stop for one week; when resuming, start Xihuang Pills at 6g and gradually increase to 12g; after another week of dosing, stop for another week.

November 27, 2015: the patient's mother reported on the week of medication.

Because yellow rice wine was not found at the start, the pills were taken with ginger decoction. The patient's nighttime itching intensified and sleep was poor; the fourth day was worst, with almost no sleep all night. The neck lymphomas shrank, and the axillary lymphomas disappeared. On the last two days, taking the pills with yellow rice wine gave good sleep. The patient's temperature, from over 37°C, fell to 36.6–36.9°C and did not rebound after falling. He entered the stop-treatment period.