CHEMOTHERAPY AND CHEMO-SUPPORT

It is now 16 years since the Three Treasures remedy Chemo-Support was introduced. This remedy aims at lessening the side-effects of chemotherapy by tonifying Qi and Yin, clearing Heat, resolving Dampness and allaying nausea and vomiting. It has been used by hundreds (if not thousands) of patients world-wide. The newsletter of Summer 2005 explains the use of Chemo-Support and this is the link:

http://www.three-treasures.com/newsletters/summer05.html

It is always disappointing to hear about oncologists that still advise their patients against taking Chemo-Support, even after I provide a list of ingredients with their pharmacological effect. One reason oncologists advise against taking this remedy is the "old chestnut" of the alleged conflict between chemotherapy agents and anti-oxidants. The theory behind their opposition is that chemotherapy works by oxidating cancer cells and therefore one does not want to do anything that would prevent that.

The Spring 2010 Newsletter on Chemotherapy and Anti-oxidants deals with this question and I will not repeat the arguments here. Suffice to say that it is far from proven that anti-oxidants interfere with chemotherapy: indeed there is some evidence that they may even work in synergy with it and lessen its side-effects. The link to the Spring 2010 Newsletter is as follows:

http://www.three-treasures.com/newsletters/spring10.html

The second question is; even IF anti-oxidants counteracted chemotherapy, does this apply to Chinese herbs, or at least to the herbs in Chemo-Support? Does the remedy contain anti-oxidants to a level that allegedly might counteract chemotherapy? The answer is an emphatic “No”. There is therefore no reason whatsoever to avoid taking Chemo-Support during chemotherapy.

It pains me to have to tell patients (who frequently write to me) that, if they really have misgivings about taking Chemo-Support, they should follow the advice of their oncologist. I also find it upsetting that, in this age of integrative medicine, an oncologist may know nothing about Chinese herbs and yet advise patients not to take them. I hear this all the time: “My oncologist said that he (or she) does not know anything about Chinese herbs and that therefore I should not take them.” I would have thought that it is their duty to inform themselves about Chinese herbs: anything less is poor care.

CHEMO-SUPPORT VETERINARY USE

The following is a case history on the use of Chemo-Support to counteract the side effects of chemotherapy in a cat. This was sent to me by an American vet.

The case is a cat with lymphoma. An ultrasound revealed nodules in her spleen on 29 November 2007. She had previously had a pancreatic cyst removed surgically. She was given acupuncture and started on Chemo-Support 6 December 2007. She received chemotherapy for her lymphoma twice in Dec 07, but got very ill from it so the owner declined any further injectable chemotherapy. Prednisone and leukeran were started, but she developed diabetes as a result of the prednisone. Her prednisone was reduced and she was started on insulin. I started her on shen ling bai zhu san and a formula to nourish the kidney essence. She has gone through periods of severe anemia (15-17%) that we have managed it with Bvits/iron, homeopathics, managing her prednisone dose, and increasing her Chemo-Support. Although she is receiving a number of supplements and meds, it has seemed that increasing the amount of Chemo-Support was significantly helpful for her.

I have used the formula Chemo-Support in other cat patients with cancer, if they are receiving chemo, or if they need a good blood, qi, spleen tonic with immune modulating effects.

As an aside, I have also found the formula Chemo-Support helpful in immune-mediated disease. In particular I remember the case of a dog with severe immune-mediated arthritis that stabilized once Chemo-Support was started.