title: Korean medicine therapy as a substitute for chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer: a case report.
abstract: A 46-year-old Korean woman was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer and underwent 8 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, breast conservation surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy. However, the cancer recurred in the right upper lung (RUL) and the right pulmonary hilum after 8 months. The RUL nodule was removed through a wedge resection, and the pathologic finding was revealed as a metastatic adenocarcinoma. Adjuvant chemotherapy was recommended, but she refused it because she feared adverse reactions to chemotherapy. Instead, Korean Medicine Therapy with intravenous wild ginseng pharmacopuncture (WGP), Cordyceps sinensis pharmacopuncture, Trichosanthes kirilowii pharmacopuncture, Euonymus alatus pharmacopuncture (EAP) and Astragalus membranaceus pharmacopuncture was started. After a month, the disease looked stable, but findings of newly occurring metastatic lymphadenopathies appeared on CT after 6 months. Salvage chemotherapy was recommended, but she also refused it. At this time, Prunella vulgaris pharmacopuncture was started. Finally, a complete resolution was confirmed on PET-CT after 5 months, and she has remained in stable condition for more than 6 months with WGP, EAP, a Soram nebulizer solution inhalation and the oral intake of Soramdan S and Hangamdan S.
authors.affiliation: Soram Korean Medicine Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Soram Korean Medicine Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Su
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Soram Korean Medicine Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seong
authors.affiliation: Soram Korean Medicine Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Nari
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Soram Korean Medicine Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Bok
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Han
keywords: Breast cancer; Cordyceps sinensis; Euonymus alatus; Prunella vulgaris; Trichosanthes kirilowii; Wild ginseng
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