BREAST CANCER, MAMMARY GLAND CARCINOMA

Etiology
  • Emotional problems are by far the most important cause in Chinese Medicine. Worry, pensiveness, sadness, anger, frustration, resentment, hatred, guilt can all cause stagnation of Qi which in the long run may lead to blood stasis which forms masses.
  • Great sorrow or grief
  • Excess crying
  • A long period of worry
  • Desperation
  • Ingesting carcinogenic substances
  • Smoking
Clinical Manifestations
  • Tumor in the breast
  • Usually one side
  • Tumor is often the first symptom
  • Tumor is firm or hard
  • It starts small (bean-sized) and grows larger
  • Usually no pain
  • It is in a fixed location
  • The edges are uneven
  • There is dimpling
  • Located in the center of the nipple or at the edge of the breast tissue
  • The tumor gradually generates a dull pain
  • The pain becomes more severe
  • The nipple becomes retracted
  • The areola becomes distorted or a distorted breast contour
  • The breast becomes red and swollen
  • It becomes pitted like an orange
  • There are enlarged supraclavicular or axillary lymph nodes
  • Advanced nodules become ulcerated
  • Stage 1: The lump is less than 3cm with no metastasis
  • Stage 2: The lump is less than 5cm with slight adhesions and a few enlarged submaxillary lymph nodes on the same side.
  • Stage 3: The lump is over 5cm with wide adhesions to the overlying skin which often becomes ulcerative or sticks to the muscles of the thorax. The submaxillary or clavicular lymph nodes coalesce into a lump or metastasis to the lymph nodes beside the sternum is discovered.
  • Stage 4: There is widely spread metastasis to the skin or the lump sticks to the muscles of the thorax and chest wall. the supraclavicular lymph nodes and distal organs are involved.
Treatment Principle
  • Primarily treat the first stage before fixation.
  • Do not treat after biopsy
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Breast lump
  • Pallor
  • Lassitude
  • General weakness
  • Anorexia
  • Shortness of breath
  • Slightly loose stools
  • T: Slightly pale
  • C: Thick and white
  • P: Wiry, slippery and thready
Treatment Principle
  • Strengthen the Spleen
  • Transform Phlegm
  • Soften hardness
  • Disperse nodules
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Breast lumps are relatively soft
  • In severe cases the breast may feel tender to the touch
  • A feeling of heaviness
  • A feeling of oppression of the chest
  • Tiredness
  • Feeling cold
  • Loose stools
  • T: Pale, swollen and wet
  • C: White
  • P: Deep, week and slippery
Treatment Principle
  • Tonify Qi
  • Strengthen Yang
  • Nourish the Blood
  • Strengthen the Spleen
  • Eliminate Phlegm
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Palpitations
  • Insomnia
  • Much dreaming
  • Easily startled
  • Poor memory
  • Four limbs tired and lethargic
  • Loss of appetite
  • Distention and fullness of the epigastrium and abdomen
  • Loose stools
  • Sallow complexion
  • Copious, pale menses
  • Uterine bleeding or
  • Light menstrual flow or
  • Amenorrhea
  • T: Pale
  • P: Thready and weak
Treatment Principle
  • Reinforce and Benefit the heart and Spleen
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Anxiety
  • Easily angered
  • Breast full and painful
  • Dry mouth
  • Dry pharynx
  • Dizziness
  • T: Dark
  • C: White or Light yellow
  • P: Wiry
Treatment Principle
  • Benefit the Liver
  • Regulate Qi
  • Dispel Phlegm
  • Eliminate the tumor
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Large breast lump like a heap, adhering to the skin
  • Inverted nipple
  • Orange-skin effect
  • Irritability
  • Dry mouth
  • Bitter taste
  • Headache
  • Red face
  • T: Red
  • C: Dry-yellow
  • P: Wiry and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Clear the Liver
  • Drain Fire
  • Eliminate Stagnation
  • Resolve Phlegm
  • Clear Toxic Heat
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Breast distention and pain before and during menses
  • Pain in the breast and nipple
  • Dislike of having them covered
  • Small nodules
  • Epigastric pain (worse when emotionally upset)
  • Belching with acid regurgitation
  • Nausea/Vomiting
  • Anorexia
  • Epigastric distention
  • Distention and pain in the sides or flanks
  • Suffocating sensation in the chest
  • Tendency to sigh
  • Melancholy
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Inappropriate anger
  • Irregular menses
  • Dysmenorrhea
  • T: Pink
  • C: Thin and white
  • P: Wiry
Treatment Principle
  • Soothe the Liver
  • Harmonize the Stomach
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Red face
  • Chest pain
  • Ulceration of the tumor
  • Maybe a bloody secretion
  • Foul odor
  • Short urine
  • T: Reddish purple
  • C: Little or Yellow
  • P: Wiry and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Move Qi
  • Invigorate the Blood
  • Break up Stasis
  • Clear Heat
  • Resolve toxicity
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Noxious swellings
  • Abscesses
  • Flat abscesses
  • Red face
  • Chest pain
  • Ulceration of the tumor
  • Maybe a bloody secretion
  • Foul odor
  • Short urine
  • T: Reddish purple
  • C: Little or Yellow
  • P: Wiry and rapid or Flooding or Tight or Thin
Treatment Principle
  • Move Qi
  • Invigorate the Blood
  • Break up Stasis
  • Clear Heat
  • Resolve toxicity
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Tumor has existed for a long time
  • Tumor has ulcerated
  • Cauliflower like tumor
  • Pale or yellow face
  • Fatigue
  • Weakness
  • Listlessness
  • Dizziness
  • Blurred vision
  • Shortness of breath
  • Anorexia
  • Indigestion
  • T: Pale
  • C: White
  • P: Thready and weak or Deep, thready and weak
Treatment Principle
  • Nourish Qi and Blood
  • Supplement dispersal of tumor
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Pain that is fixed, stabbing and /or severe
  • Pan is worse with pressure
  • Dark complexion
  • Fixed, palpable masses
  • Bleeding with clots
  • Purple lips
  • Purple nails
  • Dry skin
  • Blue, dark or purplish discoloration of skin in small or large areas,
  • Varicose and spider veins
  • Cold hands and feet
  • Tendency to hemorrhage dark blood or clots
  • T: Purple, possible purple or red spots
    Red purple if there is Heat
    Blue purple if there is Cold
  • C: White
  • P: Choppy or Wiry and choppy
Treatment Principle
  • Invigorate the Blood
  • Break up Stagnation
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Initial stage
  • Chronic, stubborn skin lesions
  • Sores
  • Enlarged lymph nodes
  • Nodules
  • Malignant abscesses and sores
  • Syphilitic sores
  • Red itching skin
  • Hardness
  • T: Pale with red spots
  • P: Rapid and pecking
Treatment Principle
  • Clears Heat
  • Cool the Blood
  • Dissipates swellings
  • Dispels noxious sores
  • Disperses nodules and hardness
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Tumor has existed for a long time
  • Tumor has ulcerated
  • Cauliflower like tumor
  • Pale face
  • Fatigue
  • Weakness
  • Listlessness
  • Dizziness
  • Blurred vision
  • Chronic, stubborn skin lesions
  • Sores
  • Enlarged lymph nodes
  • Nodules
  • Malignant abscesses and sores
  • Syphilitic sores
  • Red itching skin
  • Hardness
  • T: Pale with red spots
  • C: White
  • P: Thready and weak or Deep, thready and weak or Rapid and pecking
Treatment Principle
  • Nourish the Blood
  • Clear Heat
  • Invigorate the Blood
  • Inhibit the growth of cancer cells
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Cough with sticky, yellow, difficult to expectorate sputum
  • Rapid breathing with a harsh voice
  • Restless fever
  • Sore throat
  • Constipation
  • Dry stools
  • Mania
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dyspnea
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Chest and/or epigastric fullness
  • Pain in the ribs
  • T: Scarlet
  • C: Yellow or Yellow and greasy or Yellow and smooth
  • P: Rapid and smooth or Slippery and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Heat
  • Resolve Phlegm
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Tumor develops quickly
  • Fluid inside the breast with a lump inside it
  • Long-standing illness
  • Pain
  • Redness
  • Ulceration
  • Discharge of yellow or bloody, foul-smelling fluid
  • Fatigue
  • Fever
  • Anxiety
  • Dry mouth
  • Thirst
  • Dark urine
  • Bitter taste
  • Red eyes
  • Insomnia
  • T: Red
  • C: White or Yellow and greasy or Thick, sticky, dry and yellow
  • P: Wiry or Rolling and rapid or Wiry, overflowing and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Heat
  • Relieve toxicity
  • Strengthen Zheng Qi
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Breast distention and pain before and during menses
  • Pain in the breast and nipple
  • Dislike of having them covered
  • Small nodules
  • Epigastric pain (worse when emotionally upset)
  • Belching with acid regurgitation
  • Nausea / vomiting
  • Anorexia
  • Epigastric distention
  • Distention and pain in the sides or flanks
  • Suffocating sensation in the chest
  • Tendency to sigh
  • Melancholy
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Inappropriate anger
  • Irregular menses
  • Dysmenorrhea
  • T: Pink
  • C: Thin and white
  • P: Wiry
Treatment Principle
  • Soothe the Liver
  • Harmonize the Stomach
Herb Formulas
Points