Appreciation of Three Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Cured by Professor Qian Bowen

Professor Qian Bowen is a grand old master in China's field of TCM anticancer treatment. He once served as director of the oncology research office of the Shanghai Institute of TCM, and was a tutor in the first national research class for the academic experience of 500 distinguished veteran TCM experts. Since 1992 he has been a TCM expert enjoying the special allowance of the State Council. Professor Qian devoted his life to TCM anticancer research and cured many late-stage cancer patients.

This article excerpts three medical cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cured by Professor Qian using TCM (or integrated Chinese and Western medicine), and offers some commentary on these cases, so as to learn Professor Qian's approach to treating cancer, for the reference of readers.

Case 1: Zhang, male, 42 years old.

Chief complaint and history: diagnosed in 1972 at a certain hospital as late-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma; at the time he felt severe dizziness and headache.

Examination: the right eyeball was deviated outward; both cheeks felt distending, painful, and burning; opening the mouth and swallowing often felt difficult; appetite was poor; throat was dry; mouth was dry; tongue was red with little fluid; pulse was fine and wiry.

Treatment principle: nourish yin and generate fluids, clear heat and resolve toxin. The patient took Chinese medicine while undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Prescription (main herbs): Xuanshen (Scrophularia), Tiandong (Asparagus), Maidong (Ophiopogon), Tianhuafen (Trichosanthes root), Shashen (Glehnia), Yuzhu (Polygonatum odoratum), Shihu (Dendrobium), Pugongying (Dandelion), Yehjuhua (Wild Chrysanthemum), Jinyinhua (Honeysuckle), Zhimu (Anemarrhena), Shengdi (Rehmannia raw), Shandougen (Sophora tonkinensis), Banlangen (Isatis), etc.

After radiotherapy ended, the headache and outward deviation of the eyeball improved somewhat, but symptoms such as ulceration of the mouth and gums remained. On the basis of the original formula, Sheng Gancao (raw Licorice), Jiegeng (Platycodon), Digupi (Lycium bark), Danpi (Moutan), Gualoupi (Trichosanthes peel), and Bihu (gecko) were added.

After taking the above formula persistently for more than a year, the symptoms gradually lessened and eventually disappeared; examination of the posterior nasopharynx showed no recurrence or suspicious signs. Follow-up in October 1978 found him in good condition and back at work.

Case 2: Hua, male, 47 years old.

Examination: nasopharyngeal carcinoma with cervical lymph node metastasis; after radiotherapy the cervical lymph nodes remained enlarged; throat and mouth were dry; cough was difficult to expectorate; phlegm was blood-streaked; there was dizziness and headache; vision was failing; appetite was poor; stools were loose; limbs were weak. Coat was thick and greasy; tongue body was dry; pulse was fine and wiry.

Treatment principle: clear heat and drain dampness, resolve phlegm and stop cough.

Prescription (main herbs): Fuling (Poria), raw and roasted Yiyiren (Coix), Tufuling (Smilax), Gualoupi (Trichosanthes peel), Shiwei (Pyrrosia), Pugongying (Dandelion), Fiersao (Gnaphalium), Jiegeng (Platycodon), Sheng Gancao (raw Licorice), Chenpi (Tangerine Peel), Chao Biandou (fried Dolichos), Zexie (Alisma), Zhe Beimu (Fritillaria thunbergii), Baimaogen (Imperata), Shichangpu (Acorus), etc.

After taking the above formula persistently for about two years, all symptoms gradually lessened. Seven years on, local re-examination showed no abnormality, and he had long since returned to work.

Case 3: Yu, male, 48 years old.

Chief complaint and history: diagnosed in May 1974 at a certain hospital as late-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma, with no surgical indication. He came to me requesting TCM treatment.

Examination: at the time he felt headache; both cheeks were distending, painful, and burning; the right eyeball was deviated outward; opening the mouth and swallowing often felt difficult; appetite was poor; throat was dry; he was restless and sleepless; mouth and throat were bitter and dry; tongue was red and crimson; pulse was fine and rapid.

Pattern differentiation: the pattern was insufficiency of kidney water, with lung heat scorching the fluids.

Treatment principle: nourish yin, moisten dryness, and generate fluids. He also received a small amount of radiotherapy.

Prescription: Shengdi (raw Rehmannia) 24 g, Maidong (Ophiopogon) 12 g, Xuanshen (Scrophularia) 12 g, Zhimu (Anemarrhena) 12 g, Yuzhu (Polygonatum odoratum) 12 g, Shihu (Dendrobium) 24 g, Nanbeisha (both Glehnia and Adenophora) 24 g each, Pugongying (Dandelion) 30 g, Sheng Yiyiren (raw Coix) 24 g, Kunbu (Ecklonia) 24 g, Jinyinhua (Honeysuckle) 12 g, Shandougen (Sophora tonkinensis) 6 g.

Regular patent medicine: Liuwei Dihuang Wan 24 g, taken in divided doses.

After treatment, the headache and outward deviation of the eyeball improved somewhat, but dry mouth with little fluid, difficulty opening the mouth and swallowing, and dry throat remained. On the basis of the original formula, Tianhuafen (Trichosanthes root), Zhi Biejia (prepared Carapax Trionycis), Zhi Guiban (prepared Tortoise Plastron), Sheng Gancao (raw Licorice), Jiegeng (Platycodon), Danpi (Moutan), Digupi (Lycium bark), and Bihu (gecko) were added. After taking medicine continuously for about two years, the above symptoms gradually lessened and disappeared. In February 1977 re-examination at a certain hospital showed no suspicious signs of recurrence in the posterior nasopharynx. Follow-up in August 1985 found him in good condition, and he had long since returned to work.

All three of these nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated by Professor Qian were, without exception, treated with sweet-cold or cold herbs that nourish yin and generate fluids and clear heat and resolve toxin. This is because nasopharyngeal carcinoma, from the standpoint of TCM pattern differentiation, mostly involves exhaustion of lung yin, flaring lung fire, and insufficiency of kidney water. So overall, the treatment principles were basically the same: all began by enriching kidney yin, supplementing lung yin, and moistening lung dryness.

While using yin-nourishing and heat-clearing, toxin-resolving herbs, Professor Qian also used some herbs that attack toxin with poison and soften hardness and disperse nodules. He combined disease differentiation with pattern differentiation, and when necessary did not reject integrated Chinese-Western treatment, which is why he achieved cure.

Professor Qian used herbs steadily and lightly—this is also something worth our learning.