76-year-old Mr. Wang is from Fuxin City, Liaoning Province. Four months ago, he began to frequently feel a foreign body sensation in his throat. At first, he paid no attention to it, thinking it was just ordinary throat discomfort. However, as time went by, the foreign body sensation not only failed to subside but also gradually worsened, even accompanied by chest tightness and distension in the costal regions on both sides. Accompanied by his family, Mr. Wang went to a local hospital for an examination and was eventually diagnosed with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
Faced with this diagnosis, the family was caught in a dilemma. Considering the patient’s advanced age and poor physical tolerance, they worried that surgical resection, radiotherapy and chemotherapy might bring significant side effects and affect his quality of life. After consulting many parties, a fellow patient who had received TCM treatment in our hospital recommended Jiaozuo Zhonghai TCM Cancer Hospital to them, and elaborated on the unique advantages of TCM in cancer treatment.
Upon admission, Mr. Wang’s main symptoms were as follows: a distinct foreign body sensation in the throat with a sense of obstruction when swallowing; chest tightness and slight shortness of breath; distension in the bilateral costal regions with occasional dull pain; enlarged, hard lymph nodes palpable in both sides of the neck.
Through the combined analysis of the four TCM diagnostic methods—observation, auscultation and olfaction, inquiry, and pulse diagnosis—and in light of the patient’s physical constitution and disease characteristics, Director Zhang of our hospital concluded that the pathogenesis was the intermingling of phlegm and blood stasis, as well as qi stagnation and blood stasis. This pathological state led to the formation of the laryngeal tumor and disrupted the circulation of qi and blood, thus causing symptoms such as chest tightness and costal distension. Based on this, Director Zhang formulated a TCM treatment plan consisting of an empirical formula for laryngeal tumors (modified according to symptoms) combined with Hua’ai Xiaoliu Powder.
After 8 days of systematic medication, Mr. Wang’s symptoms were significantly relieved: the foreign body sensation in his throat diminished, and swallowing became smoother than before; chest tightness eased, with more comfortable breathing; the distension in the bilateral costal regions was markedly reduced; the cervical lymph nodes felt softer to the touch than previously.
The family was very satisfied with the therapeutic effect, stating, "We never expected TCM to take effect so quickly. The old man is in much better spirits now, and eating is smoother than before." Director Zhang indicated that the improvement in this stage proved the treatment plan to be effective, but persistent medication is still needed to further stabilize the condition and improve the quality of life.
