Mr. Hu, a 50-year-old male patient with lung cancer from Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, was treated at Jiaozuo Zhonghai TCM Cancer Hospital. He had suffered from scapulohumeral periarthritis for more than two years. Two months ago, he sustained a fracture of his right arm, and a subsequent examination at a local hospital unexpectedly detected bone metastasis. Further tests confirmed a diagnosis of lung cancer with multiple lymph node and bone metastases. Due to the complexity of his condition, the patient only underwent open reduction and internal fixation for the right upper limb fracture and tumor debridement, without undergoing puncture biopsy, radiotherapy or chemotherapy—he only received a single injection of the bone-protective agent denosumab. Seeking a milder and more effective treatment approach, Mr. Hu chose to come to our hospital for TCM conditioning.
At the initial consultation, Mr. Hu presented with severe symptoms: excruciating low back pain caused by a lumbar fracture, which required pain relief with ibuprofen and confined him to bed for a long time. He also suffered from constipation, coughing with black phlegm, and other symptoms, leading to an extremely poor quality of life. After detailed inquiry and TCM syndrome differentiation, Director Zhang of our hospital diagnosed the patient with lung cancer of the lung-kidney deficiency and phlegm-stasis-toxin binding type, complicated by meridian obstruction caused by bone metastasis. In view of his complex condition, Director Zhang formulated a TCM treatment plan consisting of the hospital’s empirical formula for lung tumors, modified according to his symptoms, combined with Hua’ai Xiaoliu Powder, and prescribed a 10-day course of medication to observe the therapeutic effect first.
To great delight, after just 10 days of TCM treatment, Mr. Hu’s symptoms were significantly alleviated: his low back pain lessened with a reduced dosage of painkillers; constipation improved with smooth bowel movements; the frequency of coughing decreased and black phlegm disappeared. Even more encouraging, he, who had been bedridden, could now get up and move around for short periods, and his overall mental state improved markedly. Mr. Hu and his family were extremely satisfied with the treatment effect and stated that they would continue with TCM treatment to strive for further disease control.
At the follow-up consultation, Mr. Hu said excitedly: "I never expected TCM to take effect so quickly. My back doesn’t hurt as much now, my cough has subsided, and I can finally move a little!" Director Zhang explained that patients with lung cancer and bone metastasis are often characterized by vital qi deficiency and severe pathogenic toxin accumulation, so treatment must focus on both strengthening vital qi and eliminating cancer toxins. In this case, the empirical formula for lung tumors was flexibly adjusted based on the patient’s physical constitution, focusing on tonifying the lung and kidney, resolving phlegm and dissipating masses; Hua’ai Xiaoliu Powder exerted anti-cancer and tumor-dissipating effects targeting the tumor lesions. The combination of the two not only relieved symptoms such as pain and cough, but also gradually improved the patient’s physical constitution, laying a solid foundation for subsequent treatment.
