Hematological cancer, a word that sounds unfamiliar, takes many lives every year. In the face of such malignant diseases, traditional Chinese medicine has also shown unique advantages. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) provides new ideas and methods for the prevention and treatment of hematological tumors with its holistic concept and the characteristics of syndrome differentiation and treatment. In this episode, we will talk about this topic.
Online big doctor: Fu Haiying
The Third People's Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Department of Hematology, The Third People's Hospital of Fujian Province
Department Director, Chief Physician, Doctoral Supervisor, Doctor of Medicine
Topic of this issue: Hematological tumors, traditional Chinese medicine has advantages in prevention and treatment
What is a hematologic cancer
Hematologic malignancies are malignant tumors that originate in the hematopoietic system and can affect organs such as the blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and spleen.
Hematological tumors mainly include leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndrome and myeloproliferative tumors.
Early-stage hematologic tumors
What are the symptoms
Fever: This is a common symptom in the early stages of many blood cancers. Patients may experience unexplained fever, which may be due to a pyrogen released by tumor cells or the body's response to the tumor. Fever is particularly common in acute leukemia and may be accompanied by pallor, dizziness, and fatigue.
Anemia: Anemia is caused by a hematologic tumor that may affect hematopoiesis, resulting in a decrease in red blood cell production. Patients will show symptoms such as pallor, dizziness, and fatigue.
Bleeding: Patients with early-stage hematologic tumors may experience symptoms of bleeding, such as petechiae, ecchymosis, nosebleeds, bleeding gums, etc. This is due to thrombocytopenia or abnormal function.
Swollen lymph nodes: Certain blood cancers, such as lymphoma, can cause lymph nodes to enlarge painlessly. This is caused by lymphocyte proliferation, and enlarged lymph nodes may be hard, smooth, and mobile.
Hepatosplenomegaly: In the early stages of a hematologic cancer, patients may experience mild enlargement of the liver and spleen. This is due to tumor cell infiltration or abnormal hematopoietic function.
Symptoms of early haematological cancers can be insidious and varied, so it is important to be vigilant and seek medical attention promptly.
Why do hematologic cancers occur
Genetic factors: The occurrence of hematologic tumors is closely related to genetic factors. Certain genetic mutations or genetic diseases, such as retinoblastoma, neuroblastoma, etc., may increase the risk of developing hematologic cancers.
Chemicals: Long-term exposure to certain chemicals, such as benzene and organic solvents containing benzene, may lead to bone marrow suppression and decreased immunity, thereby increasing the risk of developing hematologic tumors. In addition, some chemotherapy drugs and pesticides may also be involved in the development of hematologic tumors.
Physical factors: Long-term exposure to ionizing radiation, such as X-rays, γ rays and other radioactive substances, may lead to bone marrow suppression and decreased immunity, and then induce hematologic tumors. This radiation can come from cosmic rays, medical radiation, and nuclear radiation.
Viral infections: Infections with certain viruses, such as human T-lymphocyte virus type I, may cause abnormal lymphocytes in the body, which can lead to hematologic tumors. For example, Epstein-Barr virus has been implicated in the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and certain lymphomas, and human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV-8) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma.
Immune factors: When a patient's immune function is abnormal, it may cause the immune system to be unable to kill tumor cells normally, thereby increasing the probability of hematologic tumors.
Advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of hematological tumors
Holistic Conditioning and Prevention: Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the holistic concept and syndrome differentiation and treatment, and regulates the overall condition of the individual, aiming to enhance the body's righteousness and improve disease resistance. Through the conditioning of traditional Chinese medicine, the patient's physical constitution can be improved and the risk of tumor formation can be reduced.
Alleviate the toxic side effects of chemoradiotherapy: Traditional Chinese medicine has significant effects in reducing the toxic side effects of chemoradiotherapy. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can cause great harm to the patient's body, and traditional Chinese medicine can alleviate the patient's discomfort symptoms and improve the patient's quality of life by regulating qi and blood, nourishing yin and yang.
Inhibition of tumor metastasis: Traditional Chinese medicine can inhibit tumor metastasis by regulating the body's immune function, improving blood hypercoagulability, and reducing tumor tissue edema. This helps to control the progression of the disease and improve the survival rate of patients.
Prevention of precancerous lesions: Traditional Chinese medicine applies the idea of "preventive treatment" to the prevention and treatment of tumors, aiming to prevent and reverse precancerous lesions and prevent the occurrence of tumors. This reflects the unique advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in the field of preventive medicine.
Improved quality of life: For cancer patients who cannot tolerate chemoradiotherapy, TCM can provide a gentler treatment. Through the conditioning of traditional Chinese medicine, the symptoms of patients can be improved, the quality of life can be improved, and the survival time can be prolonged.
Increasing efficiency and reducing toxicity and promoting recovery: The combination of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine can learn from each other's strengths and improve the treatment effect. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can alleviate the toxic side effects of Western medicine treatment and promote the recovery process of patients.
Disclaimer
This article aims to popularize health science, to help you understand diseases and medications, the content of popular science can not replace the doctor's diagnosis and treatment opinions, for reference only, if you have related health problems, please consult a doctor in time.
Introduced by the doctor
Fu Haiying
Leader of the Department of Hematology, The Third People's Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Administrative Director, Doctor of Medicine, Chief Physician, Professor, Doctoral Supervisor, Young Vice Chairman of the Hematology Professional Committee of the Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine, Member of the Integrative Medicine Group of the Hematology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, Member of the Blood Branch of the Rehabilitation Association of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, Standing Member of the Hematology Professional Committee of the Fujian Association of Integrative Traditional and Western Medicine, Standing Committee Member of the Hematology Professional Committee of the Fujian Association of Integrative Traditional and Western Medicine, He is the head of the leukemia group of the special disease committee, a standing member of the Fujian Anti-Lymphoma Alliance, a standing member of the lymphoma prevention and control committee of the Fujian Preventive Medicine Association, and has presided over a number of special research projects on blood diseases, such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Ministry of Education Fund, the Education Reform Fund of the Chinese Medical Association, the Provincial Natural Science Foundation, and the Young and Middle-aged Backbone Fund of the Department of Health. As the first completer, he won 1 third prize of Fujian Provincial Medical Award. As the main completer, he won 1 second prize of Fujian Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award and 1 third prize of Fujian Provincial Medical Award. He has published dozens of papers in SCI sources and Chinese core journals.