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Case Reports
. 2022 Sep-Oct;16(5):15579883221130854.
doi: 10.1177/15579883221130854.

Significant Tumor Reduction With Traditional Chinese Medicine in a Patient With Advanced Prostate Cancer: A Case Report

Xiaojun Zhang  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Significant Tumor Reduction With Traditional Chinese Medicine in a Patient With Advanced Prostate Cancer: A Case Report

Xiaojun Zhang. Am J Mens Health. 2022 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common malignancy of the male genitourinary system. For patients with advanced progressive PC, the treatment strategies include second-line endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Such therapeutic techniques are either too expensive or too toxic for some patients, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has become an alternative for its low cost and low toxicity. The application of Shi-pi-san and Gui-zhi-Fu-ling-wan in PC has never been reported. We report their application on a 71-year-old male patient, who was diagnosed with PC and was undergoing endocrine therapy. He originally chose chemotherapy, and experienced acute renal failure, which required hemodialysis during hospitalization. He felt weak and opted for Chinese herbal medicine treatment. After treatment with Shi-pi-san and Gui-zhi-Fu-ling-wan, the patient's tumor and other symptoms were significantly reduced, and he reported feeling "refreshed." This case indicates that TCM treatment has unique advantages and is more tolerable than endocrine therapy and chemotherapy. Considering that the patient was undergoing hemodialysis treatment and using low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) to prevent blood coagulation while taking TCM, whether LMWH has a synergistic anticancer effect remains to be explored.

Keywords: Gui-zhi-Fu-ling-wan; Shi-pi-san; case report; prostate cancer; traditional Chinese medicine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The Patient’s Prostate Puncture Biopsies
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
The Color Doppler Ultrasound Displaying the Right Internal Jugular Vein Embedded With a Catheter, and Formation of Peripheral Thrombosis
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
CT Scans Indicating Decreased Tumor Size
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
CT Scans Indicating Decreased Size of the Pelvic Cavity and Multiple Retroperitoneal Enlarged Lymph Nodes
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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