Supporting Cancer Patients with the Classical Formulas – An Interview with Huabing Wen, L.Ac., OMD. (Los Angeles, CA)

By Sherri Taylor, L.Ac.

TCMzone had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Huabing Wen, a TCM practitioner specializing in internal medicine, fertility, oncology and pain management.  He has had significant experience clinically and with research, authoring studies on diabetes, stroke, and integrative chemotherapy.  He currently is a clinician at his TCM clinic in Los Angeles, California and teaches at Yo San University and Emperor’s College as well as giving CEU seminars for practitioners online.

In this interview Dr. Wen shared his expertise in the field of oncology, discussing how to best support patients with their health through the various stages of a cancer diagnosis.  Here is what he had to say.

Interview with Dr. Wen

1. What is the importance of using Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture for cancer patients?

Wen: Traditional Chinese Medicine serves in a supportive role for conventional cancer treatment*.  There are various stages which we can support cancer patients:

 Pre-op care, Post-op care, Before and during chemotherapy, before & during radiation.  

• Before surgery or Pre-Op care: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can support the weakness a person experiences from the cancer and also help to reduce overall inflammation prior to surgery. It’s important to open up the lymph, detox the body and reduce inflammation prior to surgery*.
• Post-surgery or Post-Op care: Three to six weeks’ after surgery, practitioners continue to detox the patient with acupuncture and herbal medicine*.
• Before & during chemotherapy: Before chemotherapy the treatment principle should be to strengthen the gut (Spleen & Stomach meridians) and tonify the kidney meridian to better tolerate chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a cold toxin to the body creating symptoms such as hair-loss and nausea for the patient.  During this time, it is helpful to focus on Qi and Yang tonics specifically for the Spleen and Stomach as well as the K  It is important to boost the GI system, boost the immune system and drain the lymph system during this time*.
• Before and during radiation: Radiation is known as a heat toxin to the body; it causes symptoms such as dry skin, rash, or irritated skin. The treatment principle is to nourish the body fluids and rid the body of the heat toxins*.

2. Is there a certain time in a patient’s course of treatment with conventional medicine that you would NOT intervene with acupuncture or herbal medicine?

Wen: No, you can always support the patient’s constitution with TCM during the various stages of conventional treatment*.

3. What are the benefits of using Acupuncture for cancer patients? Does it have any impact on the tumor itself? 

Wen:  Acupuncture points like ST36 can help to nourish a patient and support their digestive function.  As long as your eastern medicine diagnosis is correct, acupuncture can be very supportive in strengthening and nourishing the patient.  As far as affecting the tumor, you will not have a direct effect on the tumor.

4. I understand that you use multiple Chinese Medicine classical formulas for cancer patients; Can you explain your methodology for this?

Wen:  Yes, having a tumor is a multi-system problem.  The tumor affects the whole body; One formula is not enough for such a complex issue such as cancer.  We are not just treating individual signs and symptoms; we are treating the whole body.  The systems we target in the body are more specifically the GI system, the immune system and the lymph system*.

5. Why not use a modified formula to make one big formula verses the combination of classical formulas together?

Wen: The classical formulas are the ancient formulas and have been well studied.  We learn about these formulas in school with the Wen Bing Xue (or Warm Disease Theory) and the Shang Han Lun.   These formulas are comprehensive and when combined they are very effective for a whole system approach.    If I used one formula and just added a bunch of single herbs, I would probably end up with at least 2 of the classical formulas because herbal medicine is rooted in the classical formulas.

6. What are the top 3 Eastern Medicine patterns that you see with oncology patients?

Wen: The top 3 patterns are:

• The pre-heaven essence known as the constitutional essence that we are born with relating to the Kidney and bone marrow;
• The post-heaven essence which is the energy we get from food and fluids related to the function of the Spleen and Stomach meridians;
• And the lymph (relating to the interstitial fluid) blockage or known as Shao–yang blockage in eastern medicine. The meridian that governs the balance of fluids in the body is the San Jiao.*

7. Can you give an example of a group of herbs that you would use for a patient?

Wen: Yes, if I am treating someone for severe Spleen/Stomach deficiency that has gastroparesis and constipation due to the cold toxin of chemotherapy, I have given the following 3 formulas:

• Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang for the spleen and stomach deficiency*;
• Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang- for general spleen and stomach deficiency with stagnation*;
• Li Zhong Wan- to regulate the middle and assist with the gastroparesis*.

8. Do you have another example of a case you treated recently?

Wen: Yes, I have a patient that has been diagnosed with lung cancer and has many nodules with his condition.  I am starting treatment before his surgery.  With all of his inflammation and nodules, it is important to focus on draining the lymph system to get the toxins out prior to surgery.  This patient has a heat toxin that is causing Qi and Blood stagnation.  Before surgery, we have to flush his lymph system, clear heat and detoxify, and clear the Qi and Blood stagnation.  I gave the patient the following 3 formulas to help prepare his body for surgery:

• Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan- to assist with treating the dampness and nodules from the Qi and Blood stagnation*;
• Da Chai Hu Tang- to clear heat and blood stagnation and regulate the Shao Yang and Yang Ming*;
• Sha Shen Mai Men Dong- to support the lung tissue*.

9. What is the maximum number of formulas you give to a patient at one time?

Wen: On average, I give 2-3 formulas but in some cases I use 4-5 formulas.

10. Do you communicate with the patient’s oncologist at all while seeing the patient?

Wen: Yes, I always reach out to the patient’s oncologist to inform them of what I am doing so that they are aware.  I give them the courtesy of knowing what the patient is doing because I do not want them to be unaware of other treatments that their patient is receiving.  I find that most oncologists I speak with are receptive to this.

11. What are the drug/herb interactions that we as practitioners need to be aware of when working with oncology patients?

Wen: There are certain herbs that you don’t want to use while a patient is getting chemotherapy or radiation.  I call this group of herbs the anti-cancer herbs.  The anti-cancer herbs are made up of detox herbs.  Another caution is with Qi and blood tonic herbs if a patient is taking Neupogen which is a drug to increase the white blood cell count.  Qi and Blood tonics can increase white blood cell count so this would be contraindicated.

12. Can you give an example of what some of these detox or anti-cancer herbs are?

Wen:  Yes, these are herbs like Bai Hua She She Cao, Xia Ku Cao, Pu Gong Ying, etc.  You can use these anti-cancer herbs if the patient can no longer tolerate the chemo and needs added support for detoxifying the body*.

13. Any last words of advice for practitioners that don’t know the oncology field in Traditional Chinese medicine?

Wen: I would say, don’t be afraid.  Be confident in your diagnosis and treat the pattern the patient is presenting with.

Thank you so much Dr. Wen, you have been a pleasure to speak with and I’ve learned so much from you already.

To visit Dr. Huabing Wen’s website, click here…