Professor Wang Pei on Treating Breast Cancer with Chinese Medicine
Professor Wang Pei's overall treatment principle for breast cancer is to begin with the liver meridian and appropriately strengthen the spleen and tonify the kidney. Professor Wang holds that, by zang-fu pattern differentiation, breast cancer basically involves three problems—liver depression, spleen deficiency, and kidney deficiency—only in different proportions. He believes liver depression accounts for the highest proportion in breast cancer, so treatment should begin with liver depression. Through studying the prescriptions and case records of famous physicians past and present who treated breast cancer, he found that two herbs are almost always used: Cyperus (Xiangfu) and Fritillaria (Beimu). The classic TCM formula for late-stage breast cancer, Xiangbei Yangrong Decoction, is precisely Eight-Treasures Decoction (Bazhen Tang) with added Cyperus and Fritillaria. So in clinical practice, Professor Wang uses Cyperus and Fritillaria in virtually every prescription for breast cancer patients.
On the use of Cyperus, Professor Wang believes raw Cyperus (Sheng Xiangfu) works better than processed Cyperus (Zhi Xiangfu); his usual dose is 15 to 20 g. The Waizheng Yian Huibian states: "In treating breast disorders, nothing matters but the character qi. When the earth qi of the spleen and stomach is congested, it becomes a yong abscess; when the wood qi of the liver and gallbladder is depressed, it becomes a ju block; when righteous qi is deficient, it becomes a cancer; when qi fails to hold, it becomes a leak; when qi scatters and does not collect, it becomes a hanging mass; when phlegm and qi bind, they become a pi mass, a core, or a pi block." So qi deficiency and qi stagnation are relatively common in breast cancer patients. For them, one must resolve liver depression, strengthen the spleen and drain dampness, while appropriately tonifying the kidney.
Professor Wang Pei was a disciple of Professor Fang Mingqian. In treating breast cancer, Professor Fang often gave patients Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill (Liuwei Dihuang Wan) and Golden Chamber Kidney-Qi Pill (Jinkui Shenqi Wan) together with decoctions. In treating breast cancer, Professor Wang also likes to give patients kidney-yang-warming and other kidney-tonifying treatments.
Besides Cyperus and Fritillaria, Professor Wang's commonly used herbs for breast cancer include Cremastra (Shancigu), Prunella (Xiakucao), wasp nest (Lufengfang), Trichosanthes (Gualou), Vaccaria (Wangbuliuxing), Pangolin scales (Chuanshanjia), Curcuma aromatica (Yujin), Motherwort (Yimucao), and Epimedium (Yinyanghuo).
The occurrence of breast cancer is related to estrogen; it is a hormone-dependent tumor. Lowering estrogen levels in principle helps control breast cancer. Many Chinese herbs contain phytoestrogens, so one must pay close attention to compatibility when using them.
In treating breast cancer, Professor Wang treats patients individually. For those living with a tumor, his treatment is stronger: on the basis of pattern differentiation, he often uses 4–5 anti-tumor herbs. For patients after surgery aiming to prevent recurrence, he basically builds on Minor Bupleurum Decoction (Xiaochaihu Tang) and Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill (Liuwei Dihuang Wan), modifying according to symptoms and adding 1–2 anti-tumor herbs as appropriate.