A Comparative Analysis of Traditional Korean and Chinese Medicine Treatments for Lung Cancer : from a Cancer Treatment Book and Case Reports

Objectives: Recent trends in traditional Korean medicine (TKM) lung cancer treatment involve the administration of a few ready-made herbal formulas in batches. However, utilizing a TKM pathology-based formulation of herbs can fill in the gaps in holistic treatment that are often missed in a one-size-fits-all approach. The author aimed to analyze treatment trends between a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) cancer treatment specialty book and a series of Korean lung cancer TKM treatment case reports.Methods: The frequently used pattern identification types, herbal formulas, and herbs in the lung cancer chapter of a TCM cancer treatment specialty book and case reports of TKM treatment of lung cancer were analyzed in a comparative manner.Results: Twenty-four pattern identification types for lung cancer were derived from the TCM book, and they were Phlegm-blood stasis, lung heat, and deficiency type. Six types of pattern identification types were derived from the 20 cases reports of TKM treatment, and they were blood stasis due to qi stagnation and deficiency type. Twelve cases were treated with ready-made anti-tumor herbal preparations without performing a pattern identification, accounting for two-thirds of the cases.Conclusions: The treatment of lung cancer in TCM is characterized by the use of pattern identification to formulate herbal formulas with simultaneous administration of anti-tumor herbs within the same formula. The treatment of lung cancer in TKM is relatively infrequent in its use of pattern identification. In addition, herbal formulas derived through the process of pattern identification and derived for anti-tumor purposes were often administered separately.