We allowing : The Law of Allowing

3. The Law of Allowing.

The third essential Universal Law is the Law of Allowing.

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The Law of Allowing: This is the principle of least action, of no resistance.

The application of the Law of Allowing will bring absolute freedom in your life. You will feel free in your relationships to be who you are. You will feel free in your career to do what you want. And you will feel free in your life to create whatever you desire.

There are two ways to apply this law. First is the way to allow others to be as they are, and second, is the way we allow (receive) from the Universe to deliver all that we desire. Let’s first look at allowing others to be as they are.

“I am that which I am. While I am that which I am, I allow others to be that which they are.”

Let’s say that again, only this time, say it out loud:

“I am that which I am.
While I am that which I am,
I allow others to be that which they are.”

There are no two people that are the same, even though we can share many similar traits. We all are very different and unique.

If you can accept, and not just tolerate another person’s difference and similarities, then you understand the Law of Allowing.

If you are out of alignment with the Law of Allowing you believe that another person needs to think, feel, believe, and act according to how you think they “should”. I call this having Perfect Pictures and this can cause great suffering in your life and your relationships. This is the opposite of accepting another as they are. If you have a deep rooted fear that unless everyone thinks, feels, believes, and acts in a certain way, “your way” then they are somehow “wrong”, you then judge.

Judgment is a lower level emotion and based on the Law of Attraction, you will attract more negative people, circumstances, and situations to you. If you need to make everyone conform in order to feel good about yourself and your world, you will never experience freedom. This is the exact opposite of freedom. This is bondage. We can never get the rest of the entire world to behave the way we think they “should”. This is why wars start.

Let’s look at a possible example. If you are observing someone that talks with their mouth full of food, and instead of allowing them to eat the way they are, you find yourself getting disgusted and upset with that person. You really want that person to change, or stop doing the certain behavior (talking with their mouth full of food). You are afraid that you will look badly as well. Instead of just allowing that person to be as they are, you take it personally and let it affect your mood, and ultimately robbing you of your freedom.

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The Law of Allowing is one of the laws that govern our Universe. These laws are eternal, they are forever. These laws are universal, which means they are everywhere. They are absolute, whether you know they are or not. They exist whether you accept they exist or not. They influence your life, whether you know that they do, or not.

When we desire something to manifest from the Universe, and we are feeling negative emotions, we are blocking that creation from coming into manifestation. It is our negative emotions that holds us a part from it. When we release our resistance, we are back in the state of allowing and all the abundance, freedom, joy, success, prosperity, wealth, happiness (you name it) can flow to us.

Can you see how all the Essential Universal Laws work together? It is designed that way. To learn only one law is a good start, but it is knowing and applying all of them that will give you the life of your dreams, if you allow it.


This is getting exciting, isn’t it?

We’re not even half way there yet, so if you need to, take a second and rest your eyes, stretch, grab a glass of water (or wine) :).

Don’t worry, I’ll wait for you.

On to the next Law…
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Take Massive Action, Dont be affraid of failure,

We creators :The Law of Deliberate Creation

2. The Law of Deliberate Creation.

The Second Law that we must learn, understand and implement if we want to see real results is ‘The Law of Deliberate Creation’.

The Law of Deliberate Creation: That which I give thought to, I begin to attract. What I give thought to with emotion, I attract more quickly.

That which you think about, you get. When you give thought to something you desire with an expectation or believe in it, you are then in the place to receive it.

So, how is this different from the Law of Attraction?
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The difference between the Law of Attraction and the Law of Deliberate Creation is that, the Law of Attraction is like a boomerang. Whatever we give out with our energy vibrations (thoughts, feelings, etc) we will receive back to us. The Law of Deliberate Creation is offering a vibration knowingly, so that you don’t create by default. Most of the time, unless you are aware of these laws, you are offering a vibration unknowingly.

For example, if you are witnessing something that makes you happy, you are raising your vibration and you will then vibrate happiness. On the other hand, if you witness something that makes you angry, you will offer that same negative vibration. The Law of Attraction responds to whatever you are vibrating by giving you more of the same.

When you don’t apply the Law of Deliberate Creation you are an observer. You focus on your current reality and you have a vibration (either positive or negative). The Law of Attraction then responds to that vibration and you receive more of the same.

Let’s say that you are in debt. You observe this “reality” and while observing that you don’t have enough money to pay your bills, you unconsciously offer a vibration that is negative (fear, worry, doubt, etc). The Law of Attraction responds to that negative, “I am in debt” vibration and as a result, the Law of Attraction brings you more of what you are vibrating (I am in debt) and feeds the cycle.

See, the Law of Attraction can work for you and against you. It is imperative that you fully understand the Law Of Deliberate Creation and you are aware of how all of these laws work together and affect each other.

Let’s move on. To simplify complications is the FIRST essential of success. (Click here)

The Law of Attraction

* You will learn the steps to move in the direction of your dreams.
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So why doesn’t everyone know about these 7 Essential Universal Laws?

Unfortunately, most of us were not taught these laws in school or by our parents. Not because they didn’t love us or want us to know about them, they simply weren’t aware of them. The ones who were taught these principles now live lives full of abundance and joy. And that’s what I want to teach you, right now. I want to end the cycle of not knowing and I want you to be able to teach this to your friends, family and most importantly, your kids. This way you can change the lives of generations to come.

I know, I know, enough chit-chat, Right?
Let’s get down to business....

The 7 Essential Universal Laws

1. The Law of Attraction
The ‘Law of Attraction’ states that whatever is broadcast out into the universe is joined by (or attracted to) energies that are of an equal frequency, resonance, or vibration.

There are many ways to express the ‘Law of Attraction’:

* Where your attention goes, your energy flows.
* That which you think about expands.
* Like attracts like.
* That which is like unto itself is drawn.

There are also a number of words that people, who don’t know about or understand this law, use to describe it. Like:

* Out-of-the-blue
* Synchronicity
* Serendipity
* Luck
* Meant to be
* Fell into place
* Fate
* Karma
* Coincidence

Again, the ‘Law of Attraction’ states that whatever is broadcast out into the universe is joined by (or attracted to) energies that are of an equal frequency, resonance, or vibration.

The Law of Attraction delivers both what is wanted and what is unwanted depending on the signal we send out to the Universe.

You attract what you are and that which you concentrate upon. If you are feeling negative emotions, you draw in and experience negativity. If you are feeling positive emotions, you draw in and experience positive life experiences. You can attract to you only those qualities you possess. So, if you want freedom and joy in your life, you must feel what it already feels like to feel freedom and joy in your life right now.
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Seriously, take a second right now and see what that feels like. It may be hard to do if you have a lot of distractions going on around you. Take a second and close the door, turn off the TV or radio, or put on some headphones so that you have some peace and quite.

Now, close your eyes and truly imagine...

What does FREEDOM feel like?

Does it mean changing your job, or moving and living somewhere else?
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What does JOY feel like?

What does ABUNDANCE feel like?

Okay, now that you’ve imagined it, now close your eyes again and pretend that you already have it. Imagine that outside of the darkness of your eyelids is your dream home, your dream car, a safe full of money, a partner who loves and adores you, a healthy body, etc.

You can not just imagine having it. You have to truly feel that you already have it, and that you deserve it.

Now let me ask you this, “How many times throughout the day do you focus and live in the space that you are in right now, after imagining all these wonderful things? And how many times a day do you focus on the negative things like; I don’t have enough money, enough time, a good partner, I’m fat, people don’t like me…

trust me, you and I both know the list goes on and on.”

How can we ever expect to attract a ‘good life’ when we’re constantly focusing on the bad?


The Law of Attraction is Not a New Concept.

This is not a new concept or a newly discovered Law. The Law of Attraction has been communicated through the writing and teachings of some of the greatest teachers in history such as Jesus and Buddha. Although it has been fairly recently that The Law of Attraction was given a name, it has existed since the beginning of time!

Here are just a couple quotes from their teachings.

"Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

Who said this? Jesus. Jesus showed that to stop suffering, you need to change your limiting thoughts and beliefs. It was her belief, which began as a thought that stopped her suffering. He didn't say, "I have healed you", he said "Your Faith has healed you."

Having faith is an empowering belief. What are your beliefs that limit you from having what you desire? It is those beliefs that will keep you from attracting everything you want in your life. You need to believe in the Universe and yourself!

"As a man thinketh, so is he"

Who said this? Buddha. Whatever thoughts you focus upon will manifest into form and ultimately create your reality.

"We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world."

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him."

Let me also clarify again that the ‘Law of Attraction’ works in both directions, negative and positive. Meaning, if you are focusing your energy on not having enough money to pay the bills, guess what? You won’t have enough money to pay the bills. Now, let’s say that you are in the same predicament and you ‘know’ that you will have enough money for bills, even if you don’t right then, you will attract a way to have enough money for the bills. It may manifest in money itself, or in an idea on how to create the money.
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The hardest part about the Law of Attraction, is knowing how to put yourself in the frame of mind that you need to be in, in order to attract the positive results into your life. It’s hard to not think or put energy into the ‘bad’ or negative things in life. Especially when they’re all around you. That’s where the other Essential Universal Laws come into play.

So again, I can not express enough that doing only what the Law of Attraction suggests, is not enough. It is necessary, but it is not enough. That’s where The Secret and many other Law of Attraction coaches and teachers fall short.

Let’s move on to the other Essential Universal Laws so that you can start creating your dream life, Right Now!


The Essential Universal Lawsthat they didn’t teach you!
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Soul of mine,

get back to HIM, .

Put wrong things right.

Throw down those idols.

Back to prayer, faith, love, and new consecration.

Then shall my olive be laden again. (Reading Isaiah 17:6)

Jehovah God loves us too wisely to think more of our natural pleasure than of our spiritual profit.

It is very reasonable that God should expect us to trust Him for our bodies as well as our souls. If our faith is not practical enough to bring us temporal relief, how can we be schooled to depend upon God for anything that involves serious risk?

It is all very well to talk about trusting God for the distant and future prospect of salvation after death. There is scarcely a sinner in a Christian land who does not trust to be saved some day, but there is no grasp in faith like this. It is only when we come face to face with positive issues and overwhelming forces that we can prove the reality of divine power in a supernatural life. As an education to our spirits as well as a gracious provision for our temporal bodies, God has always trained His people to recognize Him as the supply of all their needs, and to look to Him as the Physician of their bodies and the Father of their spirits. Have we learned the meaning of Jehovah-rophi? (see Exodus 15:23-27). Has it changed our Marah of trial into an Elim of blessing and praise?

Scripture
I am the Lord that healeth thee—Exodus 15:26

Honey, do you know Cinnamon?

Bet the drug companies won't like this one getting around. http://www.funzug.com/index.php/informative-zone/the-wonders-of-cinnamon.html>

Facts on honey and cinnamon: It is found that a mixture of honey and cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a "Ram Ban" (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of diseases.

Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients. Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada, in its issue dated 17 January, 1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists:

HEART DISEASES:
Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, instead of jelly and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also those who have already had an attack, if they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as you age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and veins.

ARTHRITIS:
Arthritis patients may take daily, morning, and night, one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week, out of the 200 people so treated, practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain, and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS:
Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.


TOOTHACHE:
Make a paste of one teaspoon of cinnamon powder and five teaspoons of honey and apply on the aching tooth. This may be applied three times a day until the tooth stops aching.

CHOLESTEROL:
Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS:
Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and clear the sinuses.

UPSET STOMACH:
Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from the root.

GAS:
According to the studies done in India and Japan, it is revealed that if honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM:
Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacteria and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION:
Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

INFLUENZA:
A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural Ingredient which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.



LONGEVITY:
Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Take four spoons of honey, one spoon of cinnamon powder and three cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans also increases and even a 100 year old, starts performing the chores of a 20-year-old.

WEIGHT LOSS:
Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast on an empty stomach and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. If taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body.

CANCER:
Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month three times a day.

FATIGUE:
Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens, who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts, are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M. when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of the body within a week.


Last but not least, water is the main element in your body. www.watercure.com

Living in a broken world today?

Psalm 120: 6-7
I am tired of living
Among people who hate peace.
I search for peace;
But when I speak of peace, they want war!

We live in a broken world. Nations waging wars against nations. Religions waging wars against religions. Political opponents, one against the other. Fathers against children. Even Christian brothers and sisters, attacking, judging, and dividing from one another!
Believe it! We are at war all over the world.
So how do we find peace in a world filled with people who hate peace?
Only in the saving knowledge of Christ Jesus will we ever find real and true peace. We, as Christ's followers, need to work at being at peace with our fellow man. We may be tired, like the psalmist wrote here in our passage today, but we too must press on. Knowing that we serve a God of peace. A God who will restore peace and joy to all His people.

Lord God, we pray humbly today to be filled with Your peace and joy.
May we search for peace! Even when we are tired and feel like giving up or giving in..guide us O Lord, to seek Your peace.
May we live with our fellow brothers and sisters, encouraging and spurring each other on, all united in Your Precious Name! Amen..

God bless!

Be courageous and be wise humane

TCM AND CANCER TREATMENT: BENEFITS OF AN INTEGRATED APPROACH

by Yeong Sek Yee & Khadijah Shaari
(source:www.cacare.com newsletter)
INTRODUCTION

Can East Meet West? That was the headline of an article that appeared in The Star, Sunday Feb 14, 2010. In the article, it further asked......Can Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) join hands to treat cancer patients? Well, the answer to that question depends on who you ask.

In the article, Prof Li Fu Min, a Singapore-based consultant TCM practitioner who specialises in immunology and oncology lamented that......”sometimes patients are told to completely avoid consuming traditional Chinese medicines when they are on conventional cancer treatment”..........even though......”on the contrary, TCM can play a supportive role to cancer treatment”.

Invariably, almost all doctors/oncologists in Malaysia will advise cancer patients not to seek other treatments (whether herbal or other forms) while on their so-called”evidence-based” treatment (For that matter, they also advise cancer patients to stay away from taking anti-oxidants, etc) Their reason? It will “clash” with their “evidence-based“treatments.

In the above article in The Star, Prof Li Fu Min, further comented that:
a) An integration of both Western and TCM....is more beneficial than using any of them alone;
b) TCM can help cancer patients with their side effects and their recovery;
c) TCM can also help reduce the chances of recurrence when taken long-term

In this compilation, we reviewed 10 books written by prominent doctors/oncologists (PART 1) and we also reviewed 20 scientific studies conducted by prominent medical doctors, oncologists and cancer researchers....(PART 2).

All these 30 reviews clearly indicate that ... contrary to your doctor’s advice, (that other forms of treatment will “clash”,etc) TCM can play a very significant role in your cancer treatment.

SO READ ON AND FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF WHY AND HOW TCM CAN HELP YOU



PART 1- BOOKS BY MEDICAL DOCTORS:

1) ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR CANCER edited by Dr Ping-Chung Leung of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Dr Harry Fong of The University of Illinois, USA

In Chapter 1: “The Scientific Basis of Chinese Medicine and Cancer Care: A Western Medicine Perspective,” Dr Stephen M. Sagar and Dr Raymond Wong (both oncologists at the Departments of Oncology and Medicine at McMaster University, Canada) pointed out the benefits of combining traditional Chinese medical therapies with modern medicine…..main points are as

a) The goal of cancer treatment should be to increase patients’ survival when possible, and to improve their quality of life. TCM is able to support patients being treated with conventional Western medicine (page 10). TCM can favorably modify the tumor response to conventional Western Cancer treatment (page 11).

b) Another strategy that TCM uses in cancer therapy is to strengthen the whole body-mind system by enhancing and harmonizing the energy balance between all the organs…. improvement of the immunological function of cancer patients is associated with an improvement in their survival (page 14/15).



2) RESTORED HARMONY: AN EVIDENCE BASED APPROACH FOR INTEGRATING TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE INTO COMPLEMENTARY CANCER CARE by Dr Stephen Sagar, the oncologist who wrote the article in the book reviewed above.

In this book, Dr Sagar also stressed that:
a) TCM can play an important part in reducing side-effects of anti-cancer therapy, and contribute to the potential for a sustained quality of life, and even cure (page 16).....Chinese herbs...counteract the toxicity imposed on normal, healthy tissues, by the side effects of anti-cancer therapies (page 8)....it also strengthens the person’s natural healing resources, such as immunity, regeneration and repair.(page 8)
b) Some Chinese herbs are anti-oxidants that can mop-up an excess of free radicals ( more free radicals are induced by radiation therapy and some chemotherapy agents....page 31) allowing them to destroy cancer cells, but terminating their activity before they can damage non-cancer tissues (page 32).



3) ANCIENT HERBS, MODERN MEDICINE by Dr Glenn Miller, MD, and Dr Henry Han, OMD

The following are the main points of Chapter 12—CANCER: TREATING CANCER WITH INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
a) What often makes chemotherapy a success or failure is how well a patient tolerates the treatment. Chinese medicine can reduce many of the side effects and make it possible for patients to tolerate higher doses of chemotherapy by sensitizing the cancer cells (page 179).
b) Herbal treatment can also enhance the therapeutic efficiency of chemotherapy and radiation therapy….. Chinese herbal medicine can support and strengthen the immune system and ….. it can also help reduce the possibility of the recurrence of cancer (page 179).
c) Strengthening the immune system is pivotal in prevention, treatment and improving the quality of the patients’ life (page 185).
d) The complementary use of Chinese herbal medicine and the Western medicine in the treatment of cancer has been extensively researched and documented in Chinese literature.(page 180)
e) The authors cited a study …”Prevention and Treatment by Chinese Medicine of the side effects due to Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy in Cancer Treatment” by Daizhao, Zhang, and Piwen, Li and published in The Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine (1994)……the main finding was…”patients using herbal treatment during therapy more than doubled their five-year survival rate….” The five-year survival rate tripled for the study patients who continued to receive herbal treatment for six months after chemotherapy or radiation(page 181).


4) INTEGRATIVE ONCOLOGY edited by Dr Donald Abrams, MD. Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of California and Chief of Hematology – Oncology at San Francisco General Hospital and Dr Andrew Weil, Clinical Professor of medicine, Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona.



In the article “Traditional and Modern Chinese Medicine” (Chapter 13) by Dr Qing Cai Zhang,, MD. The author attached to The SinoMed research Institute, New York, cited various studies done on the efficacy of traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) combined with Western Medicine (WM). Main points to note:-
a) TCM offers supportive treatments to regulate body functions to restore immunity, mitigate the side effects of WM treatments, attenuate toxicity, and enhance the therapeutic effects of WM methods. (page 262)
b) TCM can act synergistically, sensitizing originally insensitive cancer cells to WM therapies, while attenuation of toxicity can make patients more tolerant to WM treatment. (page 262)
c) TCM herbal treatment during chemotherapy mitigates side effects like toxicities to the liver, kidney, cardiovascular functions, damage to the gastrointestinal tract, etc and improves quality of life and long-term survival. Herbal treatments can also help patients better tolerate chemotherapy and complete the treatment plan (page 265).
d) The main purpose in using CM treatment for patients undergoing radiotherapy are to enhance the anticancer effects of radiation therapy, reduce its side effects, restore general health, and prevent relapse and metastasis (page 269).
e) The effects of herbal treatments were similar to the effects of antiemetic and colony-stimulating factors in mitigating the side effects of chemotherapy, but it was much less costly (page 267).
Lastly, Dr Qing also mentioned that ….. most oncologists do not want their patients to take any substance they do not prescribe – including dietary supplements – during treatment (page 259). DOES’NT IT SOUND FAMILIAR??



5) COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CARE : Integrating Alternative, Complementary & Conventional Therapies by Dr James S. Gordon, MD, a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Family Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. He was Chairman of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).


According to Dr Gordon, ...“some oncologists are already encouraging the study and use of Chinese herbs. Many, however, are still fearful of unspecified kinds of interferences between the herbs and radiation and chemotherapy ...our best reading of the Chinese literature... the best research has shown that using herbs appropriately in combination with chemotherapy and radiation significantly enhances the effectiveness of these therapies” (page 127).



6) INTEGRATING CONVENTIONAL AND CHINESE MEDICINE IN CANCER CARE: A CLINICAL GUIDE by Dr Tai Lahans, a practitioner of Oriental Medicine. She has been in private practice in Seattle, Washington for the past 20 years specialising in Oncology. She founded the only residency program in integrated oncology with Chinese medicine in the US.


In trying to integrate conventional and Chinese medicine,...there are many issues that arise when treating patients with combined care. Most of the controversy arises on the part of conventional medicine and the concern that there will be an adverse reaction between herbs and drugs, including an undermining of the effectiveness of the conventional treatment by herbal medicine or supplementation. The main issues include the concept that antioxidant-like therapies may interfere with the free-radical effect of cytotoxic therapies and the concept that some herbs may be ‘phytoestrogenic’ and proliferative in effect (page 15).


And although the idea that antioxidants scavenge free radical is intuitive and logical, the vast majority of studies into whether or not antioxidants interfere with the free radical and, therefore, cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy and radiation, report in favour of antioxidant use during conventional treatment for cancer. Over 98% of all studies show that, counter-intuitively, antioxidants enhance the free-radical effects of almost all chemotherapeutic regimens and radiation therapy (page 15). On the other hand, we (Chinese medicine) have a great deal to offer the gap of limiting harm caused by conventional treatment and, in modern China and Korea, higher dose chemotherapy is used because of the supportive care offered by combining treatment with Chinese herbal medicine. There is a vast number of highly sophisticated and well designed studies from China, Korea, and Japan that show significant efficiency for the combined medicine approach (page XIV).


Herbal medicines are used to interface with the cytotoxic mechanism and to potentiate its effects. Formulas are also used to ameliorate the side effects of conventional treatment in order to enable the patient to remain as healthy as possible and to be able to maintain the treatment schedule for the cytotoxic intervention (page 16).



7) NATURAL STRATEGIES FOR CANCER PATIENTS by Dr Russel Blaylock, MD, a broad-certified neurosurgeon with more than 20 years experience. He is the Clinical Asst. Professor of Neurosurgery at the Medical University of Mississippi .


In the section Herbal Combination in Chapter 7, Dr Blaylock cited studies that show: -
a) Patients receiving Chinese herbs had a significant improvement in their immune function and better blood flow than the control patients. In addition, the patients taking the herbs had fewer and milder side effects (page 212).
b) Some herbal combination was shown to significantly increase the ability of the immune cells to kill cancer cells (page 213).
c) Some Chinese herbal extracts could significantly inhibit the growth of both drug-resistant and drug-sensitive small-cell lung cancers (page 213).
d) Another study demonstrated the unique ability of herbal combination not only to stimulate immunity, but also to directly inhibit HIV viral replication (page 213).


8) SIMPLE CHINESE MEDICINE by Dr Aihan Kuhn, CMD, Dipl. OBT, a graduate of Human Medical University, Chang Sha, China.

Trained in both Western and Eastern healing methods, Dr Kuhn treats patients at her Holliston, Massachusetts clinic.
Chinese herbal medicine has a long history of use in treating cancer. Not only do some herbal medicines have an anticancer effect, but many herbs also enhance the immune function, an important factor in cancer healing. Through harmonized organ energy, cancer patients heal faster and the tumor gradually reduces in size and hardness, thereby removing the blockage to body parts. (page 70)
According to Dr Kuhn, cancer is curable if the mind is healthy and the Qi is flowing smoothly in the body. In contrast, cancer cannot be cured if your mind is not healthy, or if your Qi is blocked or weak.



9) BREAST CANCER: BEYOND CONVENTION edited by Dr Mary Tagliaferri, MD, L.Ac, Dr Debu Tripathy, MD, (an oncologist) and Dr Isaac Cohen, OMD, L.Ac.



In Chapter 4, Dr Isaac Cohen, OHD, One of the leading authorities in the field of cancer treatment and Traditional Chinese Medicine, wrote a feature “Chinese Medicine and Breast Cancer “ Following are the main points in the article:
a) Herbal medicine is the primary mode of treatment for breast cancer in TCM. There are specific herbs for all the various manifestation of the disease and the side effects of mainstream treatments, and they can be used in conjunction with all other treatments (page 46).

b) In China, there has been a trend in recent years to integrate conventional care with TCM treatment in an attempt to further optimise treatment outcomes; minimize the side effects of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, increase immune function, and extend life span (page51).
Some of the goals of TCM treatment programs include the following :
• Reducing tumor load.
• Increasing the function and activity of the immune system.
• Enhancing the regulating function of the endocrine (hormonal) system.
• Strengthening the digestion and absorption of nutrients and improving metabolism.
• Protecting the bone marrow and the generation of new blood cells.

c) Surgery and Chinese Medicine
TCM can be used to accelerate wound healing, increase peripheral blood circulation to aid the supply of nutrients and blood cell to the wounded area, aid nerve regeneration, reduce scarring, enhance the immune system, and prevent lymphedema – the swelling of the arm that can occur after the lymphatic vessels have been severed by surgery (page 54/55).

d) Chemotherapy and Chinese Medicine
Herbal prescriptions usually includes several components that... reduce side effects such as nausea and vomitting, reduce toxicities that occur as a result of the chemotherapy, such as bone marrow inhibition, immune suppression, cardiac toxicity, and modulate the immune system, prevent immune suppression, protect the organs and glands involved in the production of immune cells (page 58).

e) Radiation and Chinese Medicine
As with chemotherapy, TCM intervention aims to keep the patient comfortable, minimize side effects, and try to enhance the side effects of the radiation therapy. In order to increase the cell-killing effect of radiation and control its local side effects, one needs to increase oxygenation to cells and promote peripheral blood flow. Some Chinese herbs can inhibit the effects of radiation (page 72/73).

Several studies that looked at the combination of TCM and western therapies in early-stage breast cancer show that the 5-year survival rate is greater when the combined approach is used. The 5 year survival was 93% in the herb group compared with 32% in the other group. These studies suggest that the combined approach is superior to conventional treatment alone ( page 59).
NB: You can read an Internet version “Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Breast Cancer” by the same authors. Visit www. cancerlynx.com/chinesemedicine.htm

10) DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO CANCER Compiled by Dr W. John Diamond, MD and Dr W. Lee Cowden, MD with Burton.

According to the authors,...”research has shown that TCM can effectively complement conventional medicine when the 2 systems are used in concert against cancer and other life-threatening diseases. In China, a combination of TCM and Western medicine has been showed to be more effective for treating liver cancer than conventional Western medicine alone” (page 802).


TCM can also reduce or minimize the toxic side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments of chemotherapy and radiation treatments while reinforcing their cancer-killing effects. Conventional oncologists who use herbs have been surprised to find that their patients not only suffer far less from nausea, hair loss, and depressed immunity, but also that their rate of recovery increases to an unexpected degree (page 802).



PART 2--SCIENTIFIC STUDIES



11) EFFECTIVENESS OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE FOR LIVER PROTECTION AND CHEMOTHERAPY COMPLETION AMONG CANCER PATIENTS. (2009). The Authors: Mei-Ling Liu, Li-Yin Chien and others from the Dept of Internal Medicine,Dept of TCM (Taipei Medical University Hospital). The study was Published in the eCAM Oxford Journal Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2009.

The study examined the effectiveness of TCM for liver protection and completion of chemotherapy among patients with cancer receiving treatment.....hepato-toxicity is a common side effect of chemotherapy.
The study concluded that: -
a) TCM for patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy protected liver function during chemotherapy, as evidenced by lower blood AST and ALT... in other words, TCM could prevent liver injury during chemotherapy through its anti-oxidant function and decreasing degeneration of liver cells or fibrosis.
b) ...patients who had TCM in conjunction with chemotherapy tended toward a higher rate of chemotherapy completion than those who had chemotherapy alone. In the study, the chemotherapy completion rate was 76% for the case group and 59% for the control group(i.e. no TCM)
In summary, the authors demonstrated that...the use of TCM preparations improved liver function during chemotherapy among patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy.



12) ANTI CANCER EFFECTS OF CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE, SCIENCE OR MYTH? The Authors: Ruan Wen-Jing, Lai Mao-De and Zhou Jian-Guang from the Dept. of Pathology and Dept. of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou.The study was published in the Journal of Zheijiang University in NOV. 2006.

a) In this study, experiments showed that Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) played its anti-cancer role by inducing apoptosis, and differentiation, enhancing the immune system, inhibiting angiogenesis, reversing multidrug resistance (MDR) etc.
b) Clinical trials demonstrated that CHM could improve survival, increase tumor response, improve quality of life, or reduce chemotherapy toxicity.
c) ..when combined with chemotherapy, CHM could raise the efficacy level and lower toxic reactions.



13) IMPROVED OUTCOMES WHEN COMBINING TCM WITH WESTERN INTERVENTIONS FOR CANCER. THE AUTHOR: Dr Jake Paul Fratkin, OMD, LAC

In an article published in ACUPUNCTURE TODAY (Sept 2005 Vol 06, Issue 09), Dr Fratkin, summarized some studies from the book “Management of Cancer with Chinese Medicine” by Dr Li Peiwen, a highly respected TCM Oncologist specialist. Essentially, the combined approach shows significant improvement in the efficacy of the Western treatment. It also reduces symptoms associated with the cancer, treats the side-effects of Western interventions and enhances recovery time. Most importantly, the 5-year survival outcomes are remarkably enhanced, often prolonging life by twice the amount of time as with Western Medicine alone.
In China, where Western and traditional Chinese medical hospitals exist in separate worlds, patients are often recommended to use Chinese herbal soups from the Western medical doctors when given Western therapies for cancer.


14) SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE ON THE SUPPORTIVE CANCER CARE WITH CHINESE MEDICINE. THE AUTHOR: - Dr William CS Cho, Dept of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong. Chinese Journal Lung Cancer, March 2010 Vol 13, NO 3.


Dr William Cho’s main remarks in the study : -
a) Up to 80% of cancer patients in the Western countries have utilized some forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to support their conventional cancer therapies.
b) Among the various forms of CAM, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the few that has a well constructed theoretical framework and established treatment approaches for disease including cancer.
c) The use of TCM for the management of cancers can be traced back to the Shong Dynasty of 3,500 years ago. Over the centuries, various TCM therapeutic interventions such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion and Qigong have been developed and employed in cancer treatment.
d) In addition to helping patients minimize the toxic side effects of chemotherapy and maximize their quality of life (QOL), integrating Chinese and Western medicine improve survival outcomes.


15) A NEW DAWN FOR THE USE OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE IN CANCER THERAPY. THE AUTHORS:- Dr Harendra S. Parekh, Gang Liu and Ming Q Wei from the Division of Molecular and Gene Therapies, School of Medical Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. The study was published in Molecular Cancer 2009 8:21 (www.molecular-cancer.com/content/8/1/21).

Following an extensive review of the literature, the authors described the detailed molecular basis of a proven group of TCM and highlight reported synergies when administered alongside so-called “conventional therapies” in tumour cell regulation and in bringing about homeostasis. The growing acceptance of TCM as a real adjunct therapy makes it an invaluable tool in the fight against many cancers and it holds much promise especially in cases where resistance to therapy is prevalent.


16) TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE IN CANCER CARE: PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERIENCES OF PATIENTS IN CHINA. THE AUTHORS: Prof Xu W., Towers, AD, Li Pei and Collett, JP and others (These are prominent Professors of Medicine, Oncologists, etc). European Journal of Cancer Care, 2006, 15, 397-403.

The authors conducted a qualitative study to explore the perspective and experiences of Chinese cancer patients and TCM professionals – in other words, the authors asked participants why they integrate TCM with conventional cancer treatments. Some of the reasons given were:-
a) Fear of chemotherapy damaging the vital essence. The most common reason for using TCM was to avoid or reduce the adverse effects of conventional therapy.
b) TCM was believed to be able to nourish the healthy qi (vital energy) and restore the normal pattern of health, which is crucial in defeating the disease.
c) One of the reasons and expectations in using TCM is the hope for cure, reducing tumour size and/ or preventing metastasis. Some patients believed that their primary tumour or metastatic lesion was cured by TCM
d) Another reason for patients to use TCM cancer therapy was safety. Overwhelmingly, all participants agreed that TCM does not cause any adverse effects.
e) Long-term effect is recovery – participants saw TCM as healing orientated “focusing on activating the natural reserves and re-building the resistance of body, so the effect is long-term rather than transient”. Several participants also claimed that “TCM is important for recovery since it can enhance the immune system”
f) Patients... unanimously felt that their overall quality of life and ability to function were significantly improved with TCM therapy.
g) Another big advantage of TCM was the low cost compared to conventional Western medicine.

Some other notable comments by authors of the study are:-
• TCM has been used for thousands of years in China and is currently widely practised in Chinese cancer centres.
• In China, many health caregivers and patients, aware of the limitations of conventional cancer therapy, are integrating TCM... with conventional Western medicine.


17) CHINESE MEDICINE AND BIOMODULATION IN CANCER PATIENTS. THE AUTHORS: Dr SM Sagar, MD and Dr RK Wong, MD – both are oncologists attached to the Juravinski Cancer Centre, Dept of Oncology and Medicine, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada.Annuals. Academy of Medicine, Spore 2010 Vol 39 No 2, pages 129-35).

Main comments in the study:-
a) Recent evidence suggests that many therapies from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can be effective for the supportive care of cancer patients. In TCM, herbs are used in combinations meant to enhance their benefits and simultaneously to reduce their side effects.
b) Initial clinical trials demonstrate a reduction of gastrointestinal toxicity and enhancement of the tumoricidal effect of the chemotherapy. Many pre-clinical studies are now demonstrating that specific combination of Chinese herbs can be synergistic with cytotoxic chemotherapy through both pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic interactions. The study was published in CURRENT ONCOLOGY VOL 15, NO 1.



18) COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE AMONG SINGAPORE CANCER PATIENTS
THE AUTHORS: - Dr Chow Wen Hann, Dr Pearly Chang, Dr Lee Soo Chin, et. al from the Dept of Haematology – Oncology and Dept of Epidemiology and Public Health, National University of Singapore.

The author’s main comments are: -
a) Worldwide, the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) by cancer patients is highly prevalent.
b) Singapore cancer patients show high prevalence of CAM use, high expectations regarding its effectiveness and doctors’ knowledge on CAM and many use it concurrently with chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
c) Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was the most widely used form of CAM before diagnosis, followed by health supplements, and acupuncture and moxibustion. After diagnosis, TCM remained the most popular, followed by health supplements.
d) CAM was associated with higher Euro QoL Utility scores especially in Stage IV and older patients


19) THE ROLE OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE IN COLORECTAL CANCER TREATMENT. THE AUTHORS:
a) Dr KY Tan, Dept. of Surgery, Alexandra Hospital, Spore
b) Prof Dr Seow Choen, Mt,.Elizabeth Medical Centre, Spore
c) Dr CB Liu and Dr A.H. Chen, Zhejiang Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China.
d) Dr DJ Ding & Dr HY Jin, Nanjing Colorectal TCM Hospital, China.
Published in Techniques in Coloproctology (2008) 12: 1-6.

Main points in the study: -
a) TCM...had been used to treat colorected cancer over the last 2000 years or so...
b) TCM has been used successfully during the perioperative period to relieve intestinal obstruction, reduce postoperative ileus and reduce urinary retention after rectal surgery.
c) Good results have been reported in the treatment of the complications of chemotherapy and radiation enterocolitis. Favourable results have also been shown in the use of TCM either alone or in combination with chemotherapy to treat advanced colorectal cancer.
d) The use of TCM to invigorate the spleen, replenish ‘qi’, improve immunological function and regulate the flow of ‘qi’ and blood has been found to improve patient’s tolerance to chemotherapy.
The introductory remark in the Review is very apt: -
“In this modern age of medical advancement we cannot, as colorectal cancer surgeons, pass off TCM treatments as myths without first acquiring a proper understanding or study of them. An attempt should be made to understand the basics of TCM and the principles behind it”.
(BUT FRANKLY, WHICH DOCTOR WOULD BOTHER TO DO SO? TO THEM,ONLY THEIR DRUGS WORKS!!)


20) COHORT STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF A COMBINED TREATMENT OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE AND WESTERN MEDICINE ON THE RELAPSE AND METASTASIS OF 222 PATIENTS WITH STAGE II AND III COLORECTAL CANCER AFTER RADICAL OPERATION. THE AUTHORS: YANG YF, GE JZ, WU Y, XU Y, LIANG BY, LUO L, WU XW, LIU DQ, ZHANG X, SONG FX, GENG ZY. Department of Oncology, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing (100091), China. Published in THE CHINESE JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE 2008 DEC; 14(4):251-6

The objective of the study was..... to evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive therapy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in reducing the relapse and metastasis of stage II and III colorectal cancer based on conventional Western medicine (WM) therapy.
The study concluded that..... the combined therapy of TCM and WM may have great clinical value and a potential for decreasing the relapse or metastasis rate in stage II and III colorectal cancer after conventional WM therapy



21) USE OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE BY CHINESE WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER. AUTHORS: Yong Cui1, Xiao-Ou Shu1 , Yutang Gao2, Wanqing Wen1, Zhi-Xian Ruan2, Fan Jin2 and Wei Zheng1
(1) Department of Medicine, Center for Health Services Research and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 6th floor, Medical Center East, Nashville, TN 37232-8300, USA
(2) Department of Epidemiology, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, Volume 85, Number 3 / June, 2004.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence and patterns of CAM use, particularly patients' intentions and their perceived effectiveness of using Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), as well as the relations between the herbal medicine use and demographic and clinical factors among Chinese women with breast cancer. They analyzed the data from a population-based sample of 1065 breast cancer women in urban Shanghai.


Overall, 98% of patients had used at least one form of CAM therapy after diagnosis of breast cancer. The most popular CAM modality was traditional Chinese medicine (86.7%), followed by the use of supplements (84.8%), physical exercises (65.5%), and support group attendance (16.6%). CHM was used by 86.4% of patients, while acupuncture was used only by 4.9% of patients. Treating cancer (81.5%) was the most common intentions of using CHM. Other cited intentions included enhancing the immune system (12%), preventing metastasis of cancer or managing other discomforts (7.9%), and lessening menopausal symptoms (4.7%).
The majority of patients reported that they had benefited from the use of CHM.



22) CHINESE MEDICINAL HERBS FOR THE TREATMENT OF SIDE EFFECTS FROM CHEMOTHERAPY IN BREAST CANCER. THE AUTHORS: Mingming Zhang2, Xuemei Liu3, Jing Li1, Lin He4, Debu Tripathy5

1Chinese Cochrane Centre, West China Hospital,Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. 2Chinese Cochrane Centre, Chinese EBM Centre, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. 3Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine, Chinese Cochrane Centre and West China Hospital, Chengdu, China. 4Books & Information Centre, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. 5Department of Medicine and Cancer Center, University of California at San Francisco, Dallas, Texas, USA.


The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of CMH in alleviating chemotherapy-induced short term side effects for women either undergoing chemotherapy or having recently undergone chemotherapy.
The results suggest that using Chinese herbs in conjunction with chemotherapy or CHM alone may be beneficial in terms of improvement in marrow suppression and Immune sytstem, and may improve overall state of quality of life.
Citation: Zhang M, Liu X, Li J, He L, Tripathy D. Chinese medicinal herbs to treat the side-effects of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 2. Art. No.: HCD004921. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004921.pub2.


23) TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE (TCM) IN THE MANAGEMENT OF BREAST AND GYNAECOLOGICAL CANCER
THE AUTHOR: Dr XY Zhang, PhD, MD, Women’s Health Clinic, London, UK.

According to Dr Zhang:

a) TCM has a long history in the management of cancer (including breast and gynaecological cancer) patients. The management of cancer with TCM began more than two thousand years ago

b) TCM aims at: relieving symptoms (chronic pain, constipation, bloating, depression and anxiety, etc.), minimizing side effects caused by surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy (nausea, vomiting, fatigue, diarrhoea and lymphedema, etc.), improving the immune system, improving sexual function, restoring health, and most importantly, improving patients’ quality of life.

c) Chinese herbal medicine has been shown in several clinical studies to relieve symptoms related to cancer or induced by anti-cancer treatments (including chronic pain, nausea, vomitting, fatigue, etc.) and to improve the quality of life of cancer patients (Lin C et al. 1996; Liu F et al. 2003; Zhang XQ et al 1996).

d) There have been thousands of case reports showing the benefits of TCM treatment in patients with cancer including gynaecological and breast cancer. Many modern clinical and experimental research studies have further demonstrated the beneficial effects of TCM treatment in cancer care.

Website: www.womenshealthclinic.co.uk



24) EFFECT OF COMBINATION OF SYNDROME DIFFERENTIATION DEPENDING TREATMENT AND CHEMOTHERAPY ON PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN TREATING MID-LATE PATIENTS WITH NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER (NSCLC)
AUTHORS: Li LN, Liu WS, Xu K. Second Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou TCM University, Guangzhou 510120. seafle@netease.com

The objective of the study was ...... to observe the effect of combination of Syndrome Differentiation (SD) depending treatment and chemotherapy on prognostic factors in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
The study concluded that...... TCM-WM treatment could prolong patients' survival period, elevate the long-term survival rate, it could be taken as one of the best comprehensive therapies for mid-late NSCLC patients who have missed the opportunity of surgical resection.
Published in PUBMED 2003 Aug; 23(8): 575-9.



25) ANALYSIS OF SHORT-TERM THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF INTEGRATED TRADITIONAL AND WESTERN MEDICINE IN TREATING NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER AUTHORS: Zhou DH, Lin LZ, Zhou YQ. First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou (510405). zdh@oncology.org.cn IN PUBMED, US NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE DEC; 25 (12) :1061-5...2005


The purpose of the study was to observe the short-term therapeutic efficacy of integrated traditional and Western medicine (ITWM) in treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in III and IV phase.
The authors concluded that...... ITWM therapy showed better short-term efficacy in treating patients with NSCLC than CM or WM alone, showing the superiority of ITWM therapy. It can be adopted as an effective therapeutic program with low-toxicity.
NB: ITWM---“INTEGRATED TRADITIONAL and WESTERN MEDICINE”

26) CLINICAL EFFICACY OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE AS A CONCOMITANT THERAPY FOR NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS
THE AUTHORS: Authors: William C. S. Choa; Hai-yong Chenb. a Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China. b Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. Published in Cancer Investigation, Volume 27, Issue 3 March 2009 , pages 334 - 344.

The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the efficacy of TCM as a concomitant therapy for NPC patients. A meta-analysis was conducted covering English- and Chinese-language studies published from 1966 to November 2007.
The study concluded that..... published studies suggest that TCM is efficacious as a concomitant therapy for NPC patients.
27) CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE AND CHEMOTHERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA: A META-ANALYSIS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS.
THE AUTHORS: Xiaojuan Shu, MPH ,Pine Street Foundation, San Anselmo, California.; School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, P.R. China. Michael McCulloch, LAc, MPH, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing P.R. China.; Pine Street Foundation, 124 Pine Street, San Anselmo, CA 94960; Hang Xiao, MPH, PhD , School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, P.R. China. Michael Broffman, LAc , Pine Street Foundation, San Anselmo, California. Jin Gao, MD, PhD, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing P.R. China. Published in Integrative Cancer Therapies, Vol. 4, No. 3, 219-229 (2005)


Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most common malignancies worldwide, is highly resistant to standard therapy. It is unclear whether chemotherapy, arterial embolization, or arterial chemoembolization improve survival advantage enough to justify their high toxicity. Treatment with Chinese herbal medicine has been explored, combining herbs that stimulate host immune response with those that have cytotoxic activity against HCC cells.
The authors sought to evaluate the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine combined with chemotherapy. The hypothesis was that Chinese herbal medicine added to chemotherapy for the treatment of HCC would improve survival and tumor response, when compared to treatment with chemotherapy alone.
The results.....twenty-six studies representing 2079 patients met the inclusion criteria. Chinese herbal medicine combined with chemotherapy, compared to chemotherapy alone, improved survival at 12 months (relative risk [RR], 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39-1.72;P< .000), 24 months (RR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.75-2.64;P< .000), and 36 months (RR, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.95-3.91;P< .000). Tumor response increased (RR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.24-1.56;P< .000).
The authors concluded that.....” these findings provide promising evidence that combining Chinese herbal medicine with chemotherapy may benefit patients with HCC.”


28) A SYSTEMIC REVIEW OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHINESE HERBAL MEDICATION IN SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADULT CANCER PATIENTS.
THE AUTHORS: A. Molassiotis, B. Potrataa, K.K.F. Cheng, School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work, University of Manchester, University Place, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. Nethersole School of Nursing, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL OF COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES IN MEDICINE VOLUME 17, ISSUE 2, PAGES 92-120, APRIL 2009.
The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of Chinese medicinal herbs used concurrently with cancer treatments in terms primarily of toxicity management but also quality of life and survival in adult cancer patients. Forty-nine trials met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed according to standard processes of systematic reviews. These trials included 3992 patients.
The vast majority of the studies have shown that Chinese medicinal herbs improved treatment side effects, quality of life, and performance status, and some have provided evidence of tumour regression and increased survival. While no clinical recommendations can derive from such studies, the number of studies reporting positive results is high enough to suggest that Chinese medicinal herbs have a role in cancer care.

29) THE POTENTIAL OF A PERSON-CENTERED APPROACH IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH CANCER: A PERSPECTIVE FROM THE UCLA CENTER FOR EAST-WEST MEDICINE. THE AUTHORS: Ka-Kit Hui, MD Center for East-West Medicine, khui@mednet.ucla.edu Edward K. Hui, MD Center for East-West Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Michael Francis Johnston, PhD Center for East-West Medicine. PUBLISHED IN Integrative Cancer Therapies, Vol. 5, No. 1, 56-62 (2006).


Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been used in conjunction with conventional biomedicine in the prevention and treatment of cancer in China for several decades.
The authors concluded that..... TCM can be used adjunctively to improve quality of life and functional status during a patient’s struggle with cancer.
30) CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE FOR CANCER PAIN. THE AUTHORS: Ling Xu, MD , Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China, Li Xing Lao, PhD, Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore
Adeline Ge, MD , Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
Shan Yu, PhD , Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China, Jie Li, PhD , Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China, Patrick J. Mansky, MD, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, manskyp@mail.nih.gov PUBLISHED IN ... Integrative Cancer Therapies, Vol. 6, No. 3, 208-234 (2007)


The purpose of this review is to summarize and evaluate the current status of clinical research on the use of Chinese herbal medicine in treating cancer pain, with emphasis on the efficacy and safety of the applications.
Various methods of traditional Chinese medicine herbal treatment for cancer pain management have been reported. Forty-one of the 115 studies reviewed were randomized controlled clinical trials, most comparing the effects of Chinese herbal medicine to conventional analgesics and the others using placebo controls.
These trials suggest that (1) Chinese medicine may be effective for cancer pain, and its effects are similar to those of Western analgesics; (2) Chinese medicine may reduce the side effects of conventional analgesics, thus enhancing cancer patients' quality of life; and (3) the various methods of application—topical, oral, and intravenous—are suitable to treat a range of pain conditions found in cancer patients.

FURTHER REFERENCES
1) EVIDENCE-BASED HERBAL THERAPY IN CANCER by Chris Teo, a paper presented at the 4th Perak Scientific & Research Meeting: Towards Harmonization between Modern and Traditioinal & Complementary Medicine, April 2006. Ipoh Hospital, Ipoh Perak.
2) BREAST CANCER: THE HERBAL OPTION by Dr Chris Teo, PhD.
3) THE ROLE OF HERBAL MEDICINE IN CANCER by Dr Chris Teo, PhD, a paper presented at a seminar on Integrative Oncology – Cancer Care Beyond Boundaries, Organised by the Dept. Of Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy and Oncology, USM, Kubang Kerian, 2008.
4) CANCER TREATMENT WITH FUZHENG PEI BEN PRINCIPLE by Dr Pan Hingji (summarises the experience of treating various cancers with integrated Western and Chinese Medicine.
5) EXPERIENCE IN TREATING CARCINOMA WITH TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE by Shi Lanling and Shi Peiguan (Summary of the authors’ clinical cases of various cancers treated with Chinese medicine as sole therapy)
6) A WOMEN’S GUIDE TO HEALING FROM BREAST CANCER Dr Nan Lu, OMD, L.Ac.
7) CHOICES IN HEALING--Integrating the best of Conventional & Complementary Approaches to Cancer by Dr Micheal Lerner...read chapter 19...Traditional Chinese Medicine – a favoured Adjunctive Therapy for American Cancer Patients
8) THE TREATMENT OF CANCER BY INTEGRATED CHINESE-WESTERN METHODS by Zhang Dai Zhao.
9) CHINESE HERBAL THERAPIES FOR IMMUNE DISORDERS by Subhuti Dharmananda
10) MANAGEMENT OF CANCER WITH CHINESE MEDICINE by Dr Li Pei Wen, a TCM oncology specialist.



NB: THESE NOTES, COMPILED BY YEONG SEK YEE AND KHADIJAH SHAARI, ARE MEANT TO BE STRICTLY FOR YOUR INFORMATION AND NOT MEANT TO DISSUADE YOU FROM SEEKING OTHER TREATMENTS.