Veteran Physician Duan Fengwu's Empirical Formula for Radiation Sequelae of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
The late Dr. Duan Fengwu was a senior pioneer in TCM anticancer work in China. For decades he worked at the Guang'anmen Hospital of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, engaging in TCM anticancer research and clinical practice, and he possessed rich clinical experience. Dr. Duan advocated integrated Chinese-Western treatment of cancer and, in practice, worked out many empirical formulas for TCM treatment of cancer and for TCM adjunct to Western cancer therapy. This article introduces one of Dr. Duan's formulas for the sequelae of radiotherapy and chemotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Prescription: Glehnia (Shashen, Radix Glehniae/Adenophorae) 15g; Ophiopogon (Maidong, Radix Ophiopogonis) 15g; Schisandra (Wuweizi, Fructus Schisandrae) 10g; Xanthium (Cangerzi, Fructus Xanthii) 10g; Magnolia flower (Xinyi, Flos Magnoliae, wrapped in a bag for decocting) 10g; selfheal (Xiakucao, Spica Prunellae) 15g; raw Astragalus (Sheng Huangqi, Radix Astragali) 30g; goji berry (Gouqi, Fructus Lycii) 30g; medicated leaven (Liu Shenqu, Massa Medicata Fermentata) 30g; charred hawthorn (Jiao Shanzha, Fructus Crataegi Charcoal) 30g; black nightshade (Longkui, Herba Solani Nigri) 15g; Selaginella (Shishangbai, Herba Selaginellae Doederleinii) 30g; Bittersweet (Baiying, Herba Solani Lyrati) 15g. This formula is indicated for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who, after radiotherapy, present with dry mouth and nose, nasal congestion, limb fatigue, and poor appetite.
Radiotherapy is the first-line treatment for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, but its side effects are considerable. Post-radiotherapy nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients often present with dry mouth and nose, fatigue, and poor appetite—symptoms that in TCM belong to the "dual deficiency of qi and yin syndrome." The representative formula for dual deficiency of qi and yin is Generating the Pulse Powder (Sheng Mai San, composed of ginseng, Ophiopogon, and Schisandra). Dr. Duan replaced the ginseng in Generating the Pulse Powder with Glehnia, because it generates fluids and stops thirst more strongly, and added qi-supplementing raw Astragalus, producing the modified formula Astragalus Generating the Pulse Powder. Astragalus Generating the Pulse Powder supplements qi more strongly than the original; adding goji berry further enhances the tonifying effect. This combination also raises the patient's white blood cell count, which commonly falls after radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.
Xanthium and Magnolia flower are common TCM herbs for unblocking the nasal orifices; both treat nasal abyss (sinusitis), nasal sneezing (allergic rhinitis), nasal congestion, and discharge. They are included to relieve the nasal congestion and discharge common in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. Selfheal softens hardness and disperses nodules and clears heat and drains fire; it is a common TCM herb for scrofula and goiter and is often used in oncology. Black nightshade, Selaginella, and Bittersweet all belong to heat-clearing, toxicity-resolving herbs and are also common anticancer Chinese medicines; Dr. Duan included them so that supporting zheng qi would not be forgotten alongside anticancer intent. Medicated leaven and charred hawthorn are stomachic and digestive herbs that improve the patient's appetite.
Thus, viewed as a whole, Dr. Duan's formula has the dual effects of supporting vital qi and fighting cancer: it both relieves the radiation sequelae of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients and enhances the efficacy of radiotherapy.