ABSTRACT
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history to be used in cancer treatment. The diagnosis and treatment of cancer was discussed in the literature of ancient Chinese medicine, where there is a wealth of content. This system is widely used in treating prostate, lung, breast, pancreatic, hepatic, and colorectal cancer. Plant species like Astragalus membranaceus, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Codonopsis pilosula, Angelica sinensis, Citrus reticulate, Cimicifuga heracleifolia, Bupleurum chinense, Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, Pineilia ternate, Atractylodes lancea, and Amonnan compact have been used widely in different preparations of Chinese traditional medicine. Some of the preparations documented in the Chinese system of medicine are still used today (e.g., PC-SPES, Shenqi Fuzheng, Dixiong, Liangxue Jiedu Huoxue, Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang, Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San, Yi Guan Jian, Sho saiko-to, Fu-Pi-Yi-Wei, PHY 906, Pi-Shen). This chapter enlists the evidence of herbal medicine as adjuvants in conventional cancer therapies and also provides future direction for traditional Chinese medicine in cancer prevention and treatment.
