When his doctor told him that the sharp pain in his back was stage four
lung cancer, Rocky Yiu, 57, could not bring himself to ask how long he
had left to live. “It felt pointless asking because they practically
gave me a death sentence,” he says.
Five years on, Yiu’s battle
continues, aided by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which he
believes has helped slow the spread of the disease.
The number of
people diagnosed with cancer in Hong Kong is increasing every year,
partly due to an ageing population. In 2016, according to the Hong Kong
Cancer Registry under the Hospital Authority, 31,468 new cancer cases
were diagnosed locally, while 14,209 Hongkongers lost their lives to the
city’s No 1 killer.
Medical experts believe that, when used
correctly, TCM might be more ideal than Western treatments for some, and
it can play a complementary role in treating the condition for others.
This has led to calls for more collaboration involving both forms of
medicine.
Although Yiu had received 25 rounds of electrotherapy,
nine months’ worth of targeted therapy and four cycles of chemotherapy,
all failed to shrink the tumour in his lung.
By the time he
completed the fourth cycle of chemotherapy, the tumour had grown from
5cm to 8cm. Yiu stopped all Western medical treatment, but continued
with TCM, which he had been using to manage the side effects of the
cancer treatment.
“Targeted therapy left my skin so sensitive
that I couldn’t use warm water in the shower, not even during winter.
TCM helped reduce the sensitivity, and also helped me manage the pain,
constipation and tingling sensations from Western treatments,” he says.
During
a check-up in 2016, six months after he discontinued chemotherapy, his
doctor noticed that the growth had shrunk back to 5cm. Yiu credits TCM
with the good news.
Although his prognosis still looks bleak –
the cancer has spread, causing him pain in his bones and constipation –
he says TCM has kept the more dire consequences of his illness in check.
Yiu’s
TCM practitioner Tina Lee, who works at Tung Wah Hospital, says that
because his cancer was advanced, her treatment plan was to help him
improve his quality of life, and to counter some of the toxins left from
the chemotherapy and targeted therapy.
“TCM is about promoting
overall health, disease prevention, and boosting the body’s ability to
heal to achieve harmony and balance,” Lee explains.
“But TCM has
its limitations. We can’t determine whether a person has cancer just by
taking their pulse or asking them a few questions. Patients are always
diagnosed by Western medical methods, such as blood tests, biopsies and
scans.”
Dr Liu Yulong, principal lecturer at the Baptist
University’s School of Chinese Medicine, adds: “We wouldn’t encourage
patients to rely solely on TCM for cancer, unless they are very old or
too weak to endure conventional cancer treatments, such as
chemotherapy.”
Liu says TCM could help some patients complete
their Western treatment as planned. “TCM can help them manage their side
effects so they can finish their cycles on time, which is essential to
recovery.”
Dr Chan Leung-cho, a specialist in clinical
oncology, agrees. He says TCM can help relieve nerve problems and dry
mouth resulting from chemotherapy.
Chan and Liu both practise at
the Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society Dr and Mrs Michael S.K. Mak Integrated
Chemotherapy Centre, which has been offering integrated Chinese and
Western services since 2012. Both doctors have served some 400 patients.
Chan
believes clear and direct communication between TCM practitioners and
doctors is key to designing a successful integrated treatment plan for
patients.
“Doctors of Western medicine are often worried
something might go wrong if their patients also take TCM because they
don’t know much about it – I don’t either. And patients may not be able
to properly convey the kinds of treatment they’re undergoing.”
While
Chan warns that patients can run serious risks if they withhold
information about their TCM treatment from doctors, both he and Liu
agree that Hongkongers could benefit from more direct collaboration
between TCM and Western medicine.
In 2014, the Food and Health
Bureau launched the Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine Pilot Project to
study the operations at government hospitals.
The findings of
the programme would help officials formulate the model for the city’s
first Chinese medicine hospital, which is expected to open in late 2024.
“We
want to show patients that integrated medicine can help them, and
convince sceptical Western doctors that TCM can help their patients.
“It’s not about choosing sides, but what we can do for patients,” Liu says.
Yiu’s
TCM practitioner Lee says she thinks this could also help patients
identify trustworthy TCM practitioners, instead of turning to expensive
and unlicensed healers.
“On the mainland, there are many
hospitals with integrated Western and Chinese medical services. I think
Hong Kong should follow its example.”
As for Yiu, he is trying to find hope in the time he has left.
“Sometimes
I get better, which gives me hope. Then the pain comes back. I know
it’s too much to ask for a miracle. All I can do now is treat every day
as a reward.”
Reference information: South China Morning Post
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