[Perspectives of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine]Cancer cell erosion affects hematopoietic function. Prostate cancer patients must protect their bone marrow.

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Text: Su Ziqian (clinical oncologist), “Ming Pao”

(Hong Kong News) The first patient in his 70s, who had always been healthy, suddenly discovered that he had signs of anemia, and began to lose weight and lose appetite. Later, the examination revealed that the cancer index PSA was extremely high (more than 500). Imaging examination showed that almost all the bones in the body were eroded by prostate cancer cells. However, due to poor bone marrow function, regular blood transfusions were required. In the past year, I started hormonal treatment and oral targeted drugs, and also cooperated with traditional Chinese medicine to replenish bone marrow and fight cancer.

Supplements cannot restore bone marrow function

In the first few months of treatment, he would become anemic and need to be hospitalized for blood transfusion. Later, under the treatment of both Chinese and Western medicine, the cancer index gradually decreased and the weight increased. After three months, regular blood transfusions were no longer needed. The lowest hemoglobin level of 5 degrees has risen to more than 11 degrees, reaching the normal level.

White blood cells and platelets also returned to normal levels. The patient continues to receive treatment but has basically recovered and can swim normally, and his PSA level has dropped below 1.

Bone marrow is the body’s hematopoietic factory. In the past, it was recommended that cancer patients drink more pork bone soup as a dietary supplement to enhance bone marrow function. However, as can be seen from the above patients, in many cases, bone marrow function cannot be restored by simply using supplementary drugs.

There are a large number of cancer cells in the bones of the above patients. If anti-cancer hormone drugs and targeted drugs are not used, as well as anti-cancer traditional Chinese medicine, the cancer cells are not suppressed and killed as quickly as possible from all aspects. No matter how many supplements you take, there is no way to restore bone marrow function. So is it best to use the strongest functional method? Neither. In fact, this patient can consider adding chemotherapy injections at the same time. Adding chemotherapy injections can simultaneously enhance the anti-cancer ability. But the problem is that chemotherapy drugs only temporarily suppress the bone marrow.

If the bone marrow function is temporarily reduced again due to the influence of chemotherapy drugs, severe anemia may occur, low platelets may cause bleeding, or low white blood cells may cause infection. These complications can be fatal. Therefore, when prostate cancer spreads to bones throughout the body, causing a decrease in bone marrow function, a balance needs to be struck between the “attack” and “tonation” of treatment, and the coordination of the two drugs at different stages must be measured.

Continue medical treatment when the cancer index reaches single digits

The above patients have not yet developed resistance to hormonal drugs, that is, they are patients whose disease has just spread. This kind of patient must use the strongest method to suppress PSA to the point where it is close to undetectable as soon as possible when the hormones become resistant to the drug. Although the normal PSA level is below 4, even if the patient’s cancer index drops from 1,000 to 3, it seems to be enough, but in fact it is still not enough.

The latest research found that

If the PSA suppression system can be lowered to less than 0.01,

This may be so low that no laboratory can detect it.

The patient’s survival time and disease prognosis will be much better.

so,

Sometimes I will advise patients not to relax treatment even if the cancer index reaches single digits.

It is still necessary to continue to use heavy drugs to minimize the chance of drug resistance.

The second patient had become resistant to hormonal drugs. Even if targeted drug treatment is used, the patient’s disease is very stubborn, and the cancer index continues to rise and rises rapidly. The brand new bones also seemed to be eroded by cancer cells. Later, chemotherapy drugs were added, which did not help much. The patient’s condition is not typical, and the bone marrow function begins to be low and the platelets are low. Genetic testing revealed that the patient originally had a mutation in a rare cancer gene called ATM.

If you have this gene, you can consider using PARP inhibitor, a targeted drug originally used in breast cancer and ovarian cancer, but this drug also inhibits bone marrow. Later, it was decided to use a very low dose of targeted drugs and observe closely. After treatment, it was discovered that the rate of increase in cancer index decreased the level of platelets. Without the support of any platelet drugs, it increased instead. It can be seen that the drug should be responsive. The cancer cells in the bone marrow are suppressed and the normal cells in the bone marrow recover some of their blood-producing functions. The patient is still undergoing treatment.

Stereotactic radiotherapy to kill cancer cells

The second case also confirms that attacking evil means that strengthening the right has always been about attacking and defending.

Some prostate cancers may spread to very few bones and do not affect the hematopoietic function of the bone marrow. In these cases, if there are only a few bone metastases, stereotactic radiotherapy should be used to destroy the cancer cells as quickly as possible. Otherwise, if the tumor in the bone spreads again, it will eventually affect the bone marrow function. Note that if the bone tumor is deeply affected, extensive electrotherapy at any time can further suppress the bone marrow and cause low platelets and white blood cells.

When prostate cancer has only a small amount of bone spread or even no bone spread, some preventive efforts should also be made. In terms of Western medicine, patients can take vitamin D and calcium tablets to strengthen bone density. Many patients have osteoporosis due to long-term use of hormonal drugs or prostate cancer itself. In addition, a small number of patients can also undergo bone acupuncture to strengthen the skeleton and reduce the chance of bone metastasis.

Knowing that cancer is transmitted to the bone, the first step is to strengthen the bone

Traditional Chinese medicine is convenient. Generally, even if the patient does not have bone spread, he or she should be given an appropriate amount of Chinese medicine that can strengthen the bones and strengthen the bones for preventive treatment.

According to the ancient Chinese medicine book The Golden Chamber Synopsis, the question is: What is the point of going to work to cure the disease? The teacher said: When treating a patient who is not sick, if he sees liver disease and knows that the liver transmits to the spleen, he should strengthen the spleen first. This means he knows that the patient has liver disease. Knowing that liver disease may have a chance to affect the spleen and stomach, he must first strengthen the conditioning of the spleen and stomach. That is one way of treating the disease before it’s too late.

It is the same for patients with prostate cancer. For prostate cancer, if you know that cancer spreads to the bones, you should strengthen the bones first. The principle is the same.

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