What is Chinese herbal medicine for advanced pancreatic cancer?
TCM is a 3,000-year-old holistic system of medicine combining medicinal herbs, acupuncture, food therapy, massage, and therapeutic exercise for both treatment and prevention of diseases 1. It has its unique theories around concepts of aetiology, systems of diagnosis, and treatment, which are vital to its practice. The theories of TCM include Yin-Yang (e.g. positive and negative), the five elements (fire, earth, metal, water, and wood), Qi (vital energy) and blood, Zhang-Fu (five viscerae and six bowels), as well as channels and collaterals (Meridian doctrine) 2 3. Diseases are considered to result from internal causes as well as external causes, which are defined as disturbances e.g., the imbalance between Yin and Yang. Chinese medicines consist typically of complex prescriptions combining between four and 12 different herbal ingredients, including minerals or animal components. The combinations are based on special Chinese diagnostic patterns that involve inspection, listening, smelli
