There are several TCM anti-cancer herbs used to treat cancer. TCM believes that tumors (cancers) are caused by external factors such as toxins, environmental factors, emotional stress, unhealthy diets, damage to organs, blockage or accumulation of qi, and stagnation of blood.
In China, herbal medicine is practiced in conjunction with modern medicine. Often, TCM is the first-line treatment. The state actively promotes TCM and research on herbs.
Chinese herbal medicines, such as Astragalus, turmeric, ginseng, Kanglaite, Huachansu injections, TJ-41 (Hochu-ekki), and PHY906 (a four-herb combination containing Scutellaria baicalensis, Paeonia lactiflora, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, and Ziziphus jujube), are commonly used to mitigate the toxicity of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in cancer patients. A review in China suggests that the use of such adjuvants can enhance the effectiveness of anticancer treatment (Qi et al., 2010).
Several herbal therapies are used in TCM to treat cancer. These include Fu Zhen and blood-activating Chinese herbal regimens that build the immune system. Yangzheng Xiaji is another Chinese herbal formula comprising 14 herbs that are given to cancer patients in combination with chemotherapy. Then, we have the herbal antitoxin therapy, which contains kelp, pokeroot, and other herbs. This therapy claims to dissolve tumors.
In 2006, the World Health Organization's Western Pacific and Chinese medicine experts agreed on clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of lung cancer using Chinese medicine. This led to the development of practice guidelines on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and cancer, which were published in 2014. TCM practitioners use the guidelines to treat cancer patients.
TCM anti-cancer herbs- an example
Artemisia annua (Local Name: Sweet Wormwood)
This annual aromatic herb is distributed in China, India, Europe, and North America. It belongs to the Asteraceae family and is grown as an ornamental in some parts of the world. The herb is a single-stemmed annual plant growing to a height of one to two meters. The leaves are deeply cut, the flowers are tiny globose flower heads arranged in loose panicles, and the fruits are small and yellow-brown.
The plant has been used in China to treat fevers for over 2,000 years. Its antimalarial properties have been extensively studied. The chemical artemisinin, which is naturally found in plant leaves, is a potent antimalarial agent. This molecule has acquired significant importance in the treatment of malaria due to its resistance to other antimalarial drugs.
The plant's essential oil is used in cosmetics and the production of perfumes. In India, incense made from the plant is offered to local deities. The plant is also used as medicine in TCM, Unani, and Ayurveda.
The plant is commercially cultivated for its essential oils and the extraction of artemisinin. In China and East Asia, the species' life cycle is completed in 10 months, while in Europe and America, it grows much faster and is completed in just 6 months.
Artemisinin is used commercially in medicine, although it presents significant challenges regarding its bioavailability. The plant is used in Chinese medicine as tea, and TCM practitioners use it to treat malaria and cancer. The molecules extracted from the leaves of Artemisia annua have been found to exhibit immunomodulatory activity and have potential as a treatment for cancer (Ferreira et al., 2010).
The ability of molecules in plants to kill cancer cells has been tested on several human tumor cell lines, and a few of them have been observed to be particularly effective (Zheng, 1994). A semisynthetic derivative of the natural molecule artemisinin, which, as mentioned earlier, has poor bioavailability, has been tested against multiple cell lines. This molecule was observed to be most active against leukemia and colon cancer (Efferth et al., 2001; Singh & Lai, 2004). Initial validation of this property was also seen in prostate cancer cases (Willoughby et al., 2009).
Scientists are working on new molecules and their derivatives derived from plants with anticancer properties. A derivative, artesunate, which is more known for its antimalarial properties, was tested on patients suffering from melanoma, leukemia, and colon cancer. This trial was conducted in combination with standard chemotherapy. Scientists observed enhanced life expectancy in these cases (Zhai et al., 2010). Other scientists observed similar results. However, using these molecules as an adjuvant cancer treatment will still need clinical trials (Efferth, 2017).
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