Exploring medicationpatterns of Traditional Chinese Medicine compound patents in the treatment of thyroid cancer based on the National Patent Database

Objective To explore the medication patterns of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） compound prescriptions for the treatment of thyroid cancer （TC）. Methods Patents related to TCM compound prescriptions for TC were retrieved from the National Patent Database. Using R software，frequency analysis，association rule analysis，cluster analysis，and complex network analysis were performed to investigate the formulation patterns and identify core herbs. Results A total of 87 TCM compound patents involving 467 individual herbs were included. Thirty-one herbs were identified as high-frequency （usage frequency≥9），with representative ones including <i>Spica Prunellae</i> and <i>Ecklonia kurome Okam</i>. The main therapeutic functions included heat-clearing，resolving phlegm and relieving cough and asthma，activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis，tonifying deficiency，and regulating Qi. In terms of properties，the herbs were mainly bitter and pungent in flavor，cold in nature，and primarily targeted the liver and lung meridians. Association rule analysis identified 24 herbal combinations；cluster analysis yielded 6 herb groups. Complex network analysis suggested that <i>Spica Prunellae</i>，<i>Sargassum</i>，<i>Ecklonia Kurome Okam</i> and <i>Airpotato Yam Rhizome</i> were core herbs. Conclusions The patterns of TCM prescriptions for TC primarily follows the treatment principles of “clearing heat，resolving phlegm，regulating Qi，invigorating blood and tonifying deficiency.” This principles precisely corresponds to the core pathogenesis of TC，characterized by the evolution of “Qi stagnation，phlegm accumulation，blood stasis，toxicity，and deficiency.” Moreover，the core herbal combination comprising <i>Spica Prunellae</i>，<i>Sargassum</i>，<i>Ecklonia Kurome Okam</i> and <i>Airpotato Yam Rhizome</i> may serve as a valuable reference for clinical application.