Wang Jiru's Empirical Formula for Thyroid Adenoma: Ruanjian Hualiu Decoction

Wang Jiru, formerly chief physician at Tianjin Changzheng Hospital, treated more than ten patients with thyroid adenoma, all using the same formula, and all recovered completely.

He named his empirical formula Ruanjian Hualiu Tang (Hardness-Softening and Mass-Dissolving Decoction). Its composition is: Shengmuli (Raw Oyster Shell) 30 g, Xiakucao (Spica Prunellae) 30 g, Kunbu (Ecklonia) 12 g, Haizao (Sargassum) 12 g, Sanleng (Sparganium) 6 g, Ezhu (Curcuma) 6 g, Qingpi (Green Tangerine Peel) 5 g, Xiangfu (Cyperus) 9 g, Xuanshen (Scrophularia) 12 g, Zhebeimu (Zhejiang Fritillary) 10 g, Shancigu (Cremastra) 10 g, Huangyaozi (Dioscorea bulbifera) 10 g, Gualou (Trichosanthes) 30 g, Wugong (centipede) 1-4 pieces.

Wang Jiru noted that patients with thyroid adenoma showed clear improvement after several doses of this formula, with most masses shrinking by about half. But if they continued taking it, the effect was not as rapid as at first. Once the mass had shrunk to the size of a grain of millet, improvement slowed further. As long as patients persist in taking it, or have it made into pills, they can all recover completely.

Thyroid adenoma is a benign tumor, most common in women over 40. It is a frequent disease, usually caused by excessive proliferation of thyroid follicles; a minority of patients will undergo malignant transformation, but most will not.

Western medicine currently treats thyroid adenoma mainly by surgical excision, with a high cure rate and low postoperative recurrence. However, if the surgical resection is extensive, the patient must take euthyrox (levothyroxine) for life, which brings considerable inconvenience. If this disease can be completely cured by taking oral Chinese medicine, it is still worth trying.

Wang Jiru's formula was built by adding to Xiaoluo Wan (Scrofula-Dissolving Pill). It should be noted that Haizao, Kunbu, and Huangyaozi in this formula are all very high in iodine; if a patient has been told by a doctor to strictly restrict iodine intake, this formula should not be used. If, after 7-10 doses, there is no effect at all, it should not be continued.

This formula may also be used as adjuvant therapy for thyroid cancer, though its efficacy for thyroid cancer is not as good as for thyroid adenoma. When used for thyroid cancer, combining it with Xihuang Wan (Rhinoceros-Bezoar Pill), Xiaojin Wan (Little Gold Pill), or Pingxiao Pian (Mass-Smoothing Tablet) yields better results.