Abstract
Chinese Medicine (CM) has been used for several thousand years, playing an important role in the prevention and treatment of diseases including cancer. In the recent four decades, a number of CM herbs have aroused extreme interest in the world—isolating anticancer components from medicinal herbs, using them as biological response modifiers, and most recently as angiogenesis inhibitors. The present review reports both the experimental and clinical results obtained in the field of clinical oncology, especially conducted by our group. The review also presents the possible future of integration of CM and modern medicine in basic research and clinical practice, especially when CM used as adjuvant and maintenance therapy.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
DeVita VT Jr, Rosenberg SA. Two hundred years of cancer research. N Engl J Med 2012;366:2207–2214.
Sun Y, Yu GQ, eds. Chinese traditional medicine and Western medicine integration in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Beijing: PUMC and BMU Publishers; 1995:1–5.
Chan KL, Hussin AG, Sadikun A, Yaen KH, Asnawi MZ, Ismail Z, et al. Trends in traditional medicine research. In: Immune modulating effects of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs. Penang: The School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Science Malaysia; 1995:651–660.
Folkman J. Role of angiogenesis in tumor growth and metastasis. Semin Oncol 2002;29:15–18.
Sun Y, Wang JW, Liu Y, Song X, Zhang Y, Li K, et al. Results of phase III trial of rh-endostatin (YH-16) in advanced non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Proc ASCO 2005;23:7138a.
Sun Y, Lin HS, Zhu RZ, Feng JF, Chen ZT, Li GS, et al. Navelbine and cysplatin combined with Rg3 and placebo in non-small cell lung cancer. Chin J Lung Cancer (Chin) 2006;9:254–258.
Huang JY, Sun Y, Fan QX, Zhang YQ. Efficacy of Shenyi Capsule combined with gemcitabine plus cisplatin in treatment of advanced esophageal cancer: a randomized controlled trial. J Chin Integr Med (Chin) 2009;7:1047–1051.
Sun Y. Current status in research on new anticancer drugs in China. Jpn J Chemother 2002;19:1126–1132.
Lin BJ, Zou ZH, Hua Z, Xiong SM, Peng DE, Ao ZF, et al. The effect of HOAP regimen in acute non-lymphocytic leukemia and the prognostic factors-analysis of 278 cases. Acta Acad Med Suzhou (Chin) 1985;3–4:5.
Study Group of Indirubin. Clinical study of indirubin in 314 cases of chronic myelocytic leukemia. Chin J Hematol (Chin) 1980;1:132–134.
Study Group of Meisoindigo. Cliical effect of Meisoindigo in 134 cases of chronic myelocytic leukemia. Chin J Hematol (Chin) 1988;9:135–137.
Wang ZW, et al. The extra-micro structure changes of Hydroxycamptothecine in hepatoma in ascetic mice. Chin J Oncol (Chin) 1975;1:183–185.
Ikezoe T, Chen JS, Tong XJ, Heber D, Taguchi H, Koeffler HP. Oridonin induces growth inhibition and apoptosis of a variety of human cancer cells. Int J Oncol 2003:23, 1187–1193.
Zhu LN, Yang ZJ, Wang SY, Tang Y. Kanglaite for treating advanced non-small cell Lung cancer: a systematic review. Chin J Lung Cancer (Chin) 2009;12:208–215.
Yang Y, Wang XP. Elemine anticancer and induce apoptosis. Chin J Oncol (Chin) 1996;18:169–172.
Wang JW, Zhang HP, Sun Y. Phase III clinical trial of elemenum emusion in the managment of malignant plerual and peritoneal effusions. Chin J Oncol (Chin) 1996;19:464–467.
Sun Y, Zhang YH, Yu GQ, Jiang TL, Liu JX, Chen JM, et al. Effect of Fu-zheng therapy in the management of malignant tumor patients. Chin Med J (Chin) 1981;61:97–101.
Sun Y. Chinese medicinal herbs as biological response modifiers. In: Lotzova E, Herberman RB, eds. Natural immunity against cancer and biological response modification. Basel: Karger; 1986;206–211.
Sun Y. The role of traditional Chinese medicine in supportive care of cancer patients. Resent Results Cancer Res 1986;108:327–334.
Sun Y. Clinical results of BRMs in malignant diseases. Europ J Cancer 1991;27:228.
Zhou JH, Liu GZ. Recent advances in Chinese herbal drugs-action and uses. Chapter 25. Evaluation of Chinese drugs in the treatment of neoplastic diseases. Beijing & SATAS, Belgium: Science Press; 1991:236–244.
Su JZ, Guo JD, Yang LQ, Cheng PX, zhang YF, Zhang LZ. A-L Fu-zheng Granules in the management of atrophic chronic gastritis. In: Sun Y, Yu GQ, eds. Chinese traditional medicine and Western medicine integration in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Beijing: PUMC and BMU Publishers; 1995:188–192.
Sun Y, Li WL, Li LQ, Shi TZ. Immune-modulating effect of Gu-yuan Granule in 125 cancer patients. Chin J New Drugs (Chin) 1996;5:29–32.
Jia JW, Liu YQ. The effect of Shenqi Fuzheng Injection combined with FOLFOX4 regimen in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. J Pract Oncol (Chin) 2009;24:273–275.
Sun Y, Yuan RR, Li WL, Li LQ, Shi TZ, Su M, et al. Immune-modulating effect of Lugastrin-results of a double blind clinical phase II trial. Chin J Clin Pharmacol (Chin) 1990;6:72–75.
Sun Y, Hersh EM, Lee SL, McLaughlin M, Loo TL, Mavligit GM. Preliminary observations on the effects of Chinese medicinal herbs Astragalus membranaceus and Ligustrum lucidum on Lymphocytes blastogenic responses. J Biol Response Modif 1983;2:227–237.
Sun Y, Hersh EM, Talpaz M, Lee SL, Wong W, Loo TL, et al. Immune restoration and/or angmentation of local graft versus host reaction by traditional Chinese medicinal herbs. Cancer 1983;52:70–73.
Hou YD, Ma GL, Wu SH, Li YY, Li HT. Effects of Radix Astragali seu hedysari on the interferon system. Chin Med J 1981;94:35–40.
Chu DT, Lepe-Zuniga J, Wong WL, LaPushin R, Mavligit GM. Fractionated extract of Astragalus mambranaceus, a Chinese medicinal herbs, potentiates LAK cell cytotoxicity generated by a low dose of recombinant interleukin-2. J Clin Lab Immunol 1988;26:183–187.
Sun Y, Hong Wj, Deng J, Liu D, Feng ZK, Yin WB, et al. Observation on 10 year follow-up of cancer patients with Fu-zheng therapy. J Integr Tradit Chin Med West Med (Chin) 1987;7:712–714.
Zhang ZX, Zhou QH. Advances of the traditional Chinese medicine in antiangiogenic therapy of tumors. Chin J Lung Cancer (Chin) 2005;9:96–99.
Sun Y. Angiogenesis inhibitors as clinical targeted therapy. Cancer Res Prog; 2006;4:1–5
Zhao Y, Liu JW. Research progress of anticancer effects of 20 (R)-Gensinoside Rg3. J Clin Oncol (Chin) 2001;6:81–82.
Pang H, Wang HL, Fu L, Su CY. Human phamaco-kenetic study of Rg3. Acta Pharmacuetica Sinica 2001;36:170–173.
Li PP. Could we use clinical benefit to evaluate the effects of Chinese medicine on the treatment of cancer? Chin J Integr Med 2010;16:9–10.
Cutler DM. The next wave of corporate medicine—how we all might benefit? N Engl J Med 2009;361:549–551.
You J. The application of assessment of the quality of life in the clinical efficacy evaluation system and the selection of questionnaires of Chinese medicine treating tumors. Chin J Integr Med 2010;16:11–12.
Yang YF. Exploration of key points in evaluation criteria of Chinese medicine in the treatment of cancer. Chin J Integr Med 2010;16:3–5.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sun, Y. The role of Chinese medicine in clinical oncology. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 20, 3–10 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-013-1551-2
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-013-1551-2