Common Anticancer Chinese Herb: Pugongying (Dandelion)

Dandelion (Taraxacum mongolicum) is a member of the daisy family (Asteraceae) found almost everywhere, and nearly everyone who loves nature knows it. Dandelion is also one of the most common and cheapest Chinese medicinal herbs, yet its anticancer effect should not be underestimated.

The whole plant of dandelion can be used medicinally, but for anticancer purposes the root works better, and the older the root, the better.

Fang Mingqian, a famous contemporary master of TCM external medicine, has a formula called simply Single-Herb Dandelion Formula: use a large amount of dandelion, preferably from older roots, decoct it down in a large pot into an extract, taken either internally or applied externally (see Fang Mingqian Linzheng Shilu, oncology section).

Patients with malignant tumors due to heat-toxin may brew dandelion root as a tea in place of ordinary tea all year round; it is very beneficial.

Wuwei Xiaoyin (Five-Ingredient Detoxification Drink), a famous TCM formula centered on dandelion (made of dandelion, Zihu Diding, Tiankui seeds, honeysuckle, and wild chrysanthemum—five ingredients in all), is often used to treat various heat-toxin-type cancers. The author has also written a dedicated article on Wuwei Xiaoyin, explaining how to use this formula.

The journal Neimenggu Zhongyiyao, 2013, issue 60, carried a paper by Chu Yaojun and colleagues titled "Integrated Chinese-Western Treatment of 16 Cancer Cases." The 16 heat-toxin-type tumor patients listed by the authors all improved to varying degrees after taking a modified Wuwei Xiaoyin formula; among them 3 patients persisted with the medicine for two years and their masses disappeared, while 2 others are still under treatment and both are trending toward recovery.

The author has himself seen the late veteran TCM physician Kong Sibing use modified Wuwei Xiaoyin, centered on dandelion, to treat many cancer patients, all of whom survived for a long time; one late-stage intestinal cancer patient, treated purely with Chinese medicine using this formula, survived for seven years. Many cancer patients the author himself treats are also prescribed modified Wuwei Xiaoyin formulas, with good results.

Although some self-media hype articles from a while back, claiming dandelion's anticancer effective rate exceeds 90%, greatly exaggerated its efficacy, it is nonetheless an undisputed fact that dandelion is frequently used in clinical cancer treatment with decent results.

Dandelion is bitter, sweet, and cold in nature, entering the liver and stomach meridians. It is a food-and-medicine dual-use herb whose actions are to clear heat and resolve toxin, reduce swelling and disperse nodules, and promote diuresis and relieve strangury. It can be used to treat various cancers belonging to the pattern of exuberant heat-toxin.

Whenever symptoms such as constipation, scanty dark urine, red tongue with little coating, dry mouth and sore throat, damp-heat jaundice, or hot strangury with painful urination are present—regardless of the cancer type—one may formulate with dandelion as the chief herb, without distinguishing the tumor type, because dandelion has a broad-spectrum anticancer action.

Dandelion also has a good effect in reducing swelling and dispersing nodules in the body. A family member of the author was found to have breast nodules with irregular menstruation; the author had her use dandelion root alone, steeped in boiling water as a tea, for half a year. The nodules disappeared and menstruation returned to normal.

When brewing dandelion root tea, one may first lightly stir-fry the root. Stir-fried dandelion root both improves the taste—roasted dandelion brews into a fragrant, pleasant-tasting tea—and keeps well; roasted dandelion root will not spoil even after several years of storage.

Besides anticancer use, dandelion also has good therapeutic effects on common ailments such as gastritis, epigastric pain, intestinal obstruction, and upper respiratory tract infections. Formulas centered on dandelion root can cure over 80% of epigastric pain cases. Dandelion also has an effective rate exceeding 90% in treating acute mastitis.

But dandelion is a heat-clearing, toxin-resolving herb, so it is unsuitable for patients with a cold-deficient constitution and weak spleen and stomach. Patients with spleen-stomach cold-deficiency and loose stools must not use dandelion. However, for loose stools caused by damp-heat, dandelion works very well. Patients with unformed stools and yellowish urine, when taking dandelion tea, see a marked improvement in both bowel and urinary function: the urine clears and the stools become formed.

The usual dose of dandelion can exceed 30 g, reduced appropriately for the elderly or children.