Ms. Liu, a 61-year-old female from Linyi City, Shandong Province, was treated at Jiaozuo Zhonghai TCM Cancer Hospital. One week prior to admission, she had experienced persistent back pain and sought medical attention at a local hospital, where she was unfortunately diagnosed with advanced lung adenocarcinoma with multiple lymph node and bone metastases. Faced with this devastating news, Ms. Liu and her family fell into despair. Upon the recommendation of a close friend, she traveled to our hospital with a glimmer of hope to seek treatment with traditional Chinese medicine.
At the time of consultation, Ms. Liu presented with:
• Frequent coughing with yellow phlegm
• Distension and discomfort in the stomach
・shortness of breath after activity
• A significant decline in quality of life
After a detailed review of her medical history and symptoms, Director Zhang believed that although Ms. Liu’s cancer was in an advanced stage, integrated treatment with TCM and modern targeted therapy still held the potential to control disease progression, relieve symptoms, and improve quality of life. He formulated a personalized treatment plan:
• An empirical TCM formula for lung tumors, modified according to her symptoms
• Combined with Hua’ai Xiaoliu Powder
• Plus concurrent treatment with the targeted drug
osimertinib (Tagrisso)Director Zhang analyzed that her cough, yellow phlegm, and shortness of breath were due to
phlegm-heat obstructing the lungs; her stomach discomfort stemmed from
spleen deficiency caused by prolonged illness; and the back pain resulting from cancer spread and bone metastases was a manifestation of
qi and blood stagnation blocking the meridians. Therefore, the treatment focused on:
• Clearing heat and resolving phlegm
• Strengthening the spleen and harmonizing the stomach
• Promoting blood circulation to remove stasis and detoxify
• Strengthening vital qi to consolidate the root
After
20 doses of herbal medicine combined with more than
20 days of targeted therapy, Ms. Liu’s condition improved significantly:
• Cough and yellow phlegm disappeared completely
• Stomach discomfort was relieved
• Back pain decreased markedly
• Shortness of breath after activity improved substantially
Even more encouraging, follow‑up imaging showed that the tumor had decreased in size, and the disease was effectively controlled. Ms. Liu and her family were extremely satisfied with the treatment outcomes and expressed deep gratitude to Director Zhang and the hospital.
