Lu Fengfang (Wasp Nest): A Chinese Herb with Analgesic and Anti-Cancer Effects

Lu Fengfang is the nest of the yellow-legged hornet (Vespa spp.) or several related insects of the Vespidae family—what folk calls a "hornet's nest." It is also called Dahuangfengchao (giant wasp nest), Ye Fengfang (wild wasp nest), Changjiao Fengwo (long-legged wasp nest), etc. Lu Fengfang contains wasp-nest oil, beeswax, resin, various sugars, vitamins and inorganic salts. Its actions resemble those of bee venom.

Lu Fengfang dispels wind and stops pain, attacks toxin and reduces swelling, and kills parasites and relieves itching. TCM uses it for rheumatic bi pain, wind- and worm-caused toothache, welling-abscesses and malignant sores, scrofula, throat and tongue swelling pain, hemorrhoidal fistula, rubella itching, and stubborn skin tinea. In addition, Lu Fengfang has anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects; TCM often uses its swelling-reducing, pain-relieving and fever-clearing actions to treat cancer patients with cancer pain and cancer fever. Modern practice also uses it for mammary hyperplasia and lymphoid tuberculosis, but Lu Fengfang alone is not effective enough for these proliferative conditions; it is mostly combined with Haizao (Sargassum) and Xiangfu (Cyperus), herbs that soften hardness and dissipate nodules, and regulate qi and dissipate clumps.

Modern pharmacology confirms that Lu Fengfang has tumor-suppressing effects and can inhibit liver cancer cells. Screening by the methylene-blue method showed that Lu Fengfang also inhibits gastric cancer cells; alcohol extracts of Lu Fengfang at various concentrations markedly inhibit the growth of myeloid leukemia K562 cells, which show typical apoptotic morphological changes, with bcl-2 protein expression significantly weakened and Bax expression significantly enhanced. Besides these cancers, Lu Fengfang is also used for breast, cervical, colorectal, bladder and lung cancer.

Lu Fengfang has a significant pro-coagulant effect. Commercially available Lu Fengfang in Japan—its water, ether, acetone and ethanol extracts—all show marked pro-coagulant action, strongest with the acetone extract. Lu Fengfang is therefore especially suitable for cancer patients with low platelets, but not for those with blood-stasis patterns. If used for blood-stasis-type cancer patients, it must be paired with corresponding blood-activating and stasis-resolving herbs.

Lu Fengfang has a long history of medicinal use. The earliest TCM materia medica, the Shennong Bencao Jing (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica), already listed Lu Fengfang as a "middle-grade" herb, holding that it "maintains convulsions and spasms, cold-heat and evil qi, epilepsy, gu poisoning, and intestinal hemorrhoids." The Bencao Huiyan says it can "drive out wind and attack toxin, disperse ding boils and malignant swelling"; the Waike Zhengzhi Quansheng Ji says it "can support toxin out, treat long-standing ulcers, and stop pain."

In the Waike Zhengzhi Quansheng Ji there is a formula called "Dongtian Jiuku Dan" that uses Lu Fengfang as its chief ingredient: "Take an exposed wasp nest with larvae (i.e., Lu Fengfang), pointed mouse droppings (male mouse feces), Qingpi (unripe tangerine peel), and Lian tree seeds (best those collected after Lidong); roast on a tile until charred but retaining nature, and grind into powder. Combine equal parts by weight and mix. Take three qian each time, washed down with aged wine; wait two days before the next dose." The Waike Zhengzhi Quansheng Ji records that this formula treats "scrofula extending and ulcerating down to the chest and hypochondrium, in the most miserable state." This symptom closely resembles the presentation of ulcerated breast cancer, so this formula has circulated widely among cancer patients; many have tried it for ulcerated superficial tumors such as ulcerated breast cancer and lymphoma.

I once used this formula on several patients with ulcerated breast cancer; not one responded, and I have not tried it since. Lu Fengfang has a strong pro-coagulant effect and is certainly effective for ulcerative conditions, but Dongtian Jiuku Dan is not strong enough for cancerous ulcers.

It is not only the Waike Zhengzhi Quansheng Ji that records this. The Sheng Hui Fang also records that Lu Fengfang treats "scrofula that develops heads, with incessant pus and water and pain," using "one liang of Lu Fengfang, half a liang of snake slough, half a liang of Xuanshen (Scrophularia), three fen of Huangqi (Astragalus), one liang of Xingren (Apricot Kernel), human hair the size of a chicken-yolk, and five liang of Huangdan (yellow lead)" to process into Fengfang Gao (wasp-nest plaster).

In this formula, Xuanshen, human hair, Huangdan (chiefly lead) and Lu Fengfang all have coagulant, stasis-resolving, swelling-reducing and pain-relieving actions, so the formula is credible for ulcerative disease. Whether it can treat cancerous ulcers I have not tried and cannot judge; but in my actual experience, similar herbs have all been used without striking effect. Most cancerous ulcers are extremely hard to close. I mostly treat cancerous ulcers with internal TCM decoctions combined with chemotherapy; there have been successes, but the success rate is not high. Regrettably, many cancerous-ulcer patients refuse Western treatment and always hope folk remedies will solve the problem. After my early attempts with various internal and external TCM methods for cancerous ulcers gave poor results, I gave up the effort of treating cancerous ulcers with TCM alone.

TCM surgical works through the dynasties also carry the ancient warnings "once ulcerated, do not treat" and "prioritize dissipation; fear ulceration." Many cancer patients develop ulceration after being treated with external corrosive applications. Such corrosive treatment is quite dangerous; I strongly advise confirmed cancer patients not to casually apply corrosive drugs externally to treat cancer.

Lu Fengfang also has obvious cooling and analgesic effects, which also make it an ideal herb for cancer pain and cancer fever. Of course, without TCM pattern differentiation and without combining other herbs, Lu Fengfang alone will not relieve pain or fever very well.

TCM mainly uses Lu Fengfang for "rheumatic bi pain, joint-running wind pain, stiff swollen joints, inability to flex and extend, and even deformity." For analgesia it is often combined with Quanxie (scorpion), Wugong (centipede), Tubiechong (ground beetle), Jixueteng (Spatholobus), Weilingxian (Clematis), and Wushaoshe (Zaocys), and other wind-expelling, spasm-stopping herbs. This action resembles that of bee venom, which is also used for rheumatism and arthritis; melittin also has anti-cancer effects.

Bee venom can trigger allergic reactions, and Lu Fengfang also has some toxicity, though mild; TCM considers it only "slightly toxic." Reports of poisoning from Lu Fengfang are rare, which relates to the usual clinical dose. However, animal experiments confirm that the volatile oil in Lu Fengfang is clearly toxic to earthworms and frogs; giving 0.1 g/kg by gavage to rabbits and cats can cause acute nephritis. The LD50 of Lu Fengfang water extract in mice is 12.0 g/kg intravenously and 32.3 g/kg subcutaneously. Poisoning signs include reduced spontaneous movement, staggering gait, ataxia, respiratory depression, marked motor inhibition, and respiratory failure. Therefore, patients taking TCM preparations or decoctions containing Lu Fengfang should watch for abnormal urination and the above symptoms, especially cancer patients taking Lu Fengfang long-term.