Rationale for applying Chinese medicine as chronotherapy against cancer
Current Western medical treatment lays its main emphasis on
evidence-based medicine (EBM) and cure is assessed by quantifying the
effects of treatment statistically.
In contrast, in Chinese
medicine, cure is generally assessed by evaluating the patient's
“pattern” (Zheng) [cf. Glossary] and medicines are prescribed according
to this. We believe that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) cannot be
evaluated precisely according to Western principles, in which a constant
amount of the same medicine is given to a group of patients to be
evaluated. When assessing cure using TCM, Zheng is more important than
the determination of medical effects. This means that quantitative
evaluation of TCM treatment can be very difficult.
In this
paper, we focused on the Yin-Yang [cf. Glossary]balance to determine
Zheng, and at the same time attempted to determine the treatment effects
by applying the concept of regulation of Yin-Yang according to
chronotherapeutic principles.
According to Zheng, advanced
cancer patients generally lack both Yin and Yang. Chinese medical
treatment therefore seeks to supplement both Yin and Yang. However, we
divided patients into two groups and compared them with respect to
survival. One group was administered a predominantly Yang (Qi) [cf.
Glossary] tonic herbal treatment during the daytime, while the other
group was administered Yin (Blood) [cf. Glossary] tonics during night
time.
A comparison of the results of treatment showed that
the patients in the group receiving Yang (Qi) replenishment during the
daytime lived longer than patients receiving Yin (Blood) nourishment
during the night. Moreover, the patients in the daytime Yang (Qi)
replenishment group also fared significantly better than patients
treated solely by Western methods.
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