V. Analysis of Professor Pei Zhengxue’s Breast Cancer Formulas

V. Analysis of Professor Pei Zhengxue’s Breast Cancer Formulas
Xian Fang Huo Ming Yin (from “Women’s Good Prescriptions,” annotated edition): White angelica 10g, Fritillaria thunbergii 15g, windproof 10g, red peony 10g, angelica 10g, licorice 6g, soapberry thorns 15g, pangolin scales 10g, honeysuckle 10g, frankincense 6g, myrrh 6g, golden flower 15g, dried tangerine peel 6g. Function: Clear heat and detoxify, reduce swelling and disperse knots, activate blood circulation and relieve pain. This syndrome is often caused by heat-toxin accumulation, qi stagnation, and blood stasis due to phlegm. Treatment focuses on clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and dispersing knots, and activating blood circulation to relieve pain. Heat-toxin accumulation, qi stagnation, and blood stasis combine to form a lump, hence the local redness, swelling, and pain; the conflict between pathogenic and righteous qi on the surface leads to alternating hot and cold sensations; when both sides are strong and clash, the pulse becomes rapid and powerful. In this formula, honeysuckle has a sweet and cool nature, clearing heat and detoxifying wounds, so it is heavily used as the chief ingredient. Angelica, red peony, frankincense, myrrh, and dried tangerine peel promote qi circulation, activate blood flow, and reduce swelling and pain, serving as supporting ingredients. When the wound first appears, pathogenic factors tend to linger in the skin and subcutaneous tissues, so pairing with white angelica and windproof helps clear stagnation and disperse knots, allowing heat-toxin to penetrate outward; Fritillaria thunbergii and honeysuckle clear heat and transform phlegm, dissolving any remaining pus; pangolin scales and soapberry thorns facilitate the flow of qi through the meridians, helping pus to break down and drain, serving as auxiliary ingredients. Licorice clears heat and detoxifies, while also harmonizing all the other herbs; adding alcohol to the decoction helps circulate blood and deliver the medicinal effects directly to the site of the disease, serving as the guiding ingredient.
All the herbs work together to achieve the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and breaking down stubborn knots, and activating blood circulation to relieve pain.
Yanghe Tang comes from “Comprehensive Collection of Surgical Treatments,” with Rehmannia glutinosa 12g, cinnamon 5g, white seeds 10g, charred ginger 5g, raw licorice 6g, ephedra 5g, and deer antler glue 15g (fattened). This syndrome is often caused by inherent yang deficiency, insufficient blood, and cold-damp stagnation, so treatment focuses on warming yang and replenishing blood, dispelling cold and clearing stagnation. Blockages in muscles, tendons, and blood vessels lead to a series of symptoms of deficiency and cold in the local area or throughout the body. In this formula, Rehmannia glutinosa is heavily used to nourish yin blood and fill essence and marrow; paired with deer antler glue, which nourishes the kidneys and boosts yang, enhancing the effect of warming yang and replenishing blood, treating the root cause. Less support is given to ephedra, which opens up the meridians and works with other mild herbs to open the month, dispel cold and stagnation, and guide yang qi from the inside out to the surface, circulating throughout the body. Licorice is used raw as a guiding ingredient, detoxifying and harmonizing all the other herbs. Overall, the formula combines blood replenishment with warming yang, phlegm transformation with meridian unblocking, enriching qi, boosting yang, dispelling cold, opening up the meridians, warming yang and replenishing blood to treat the root cause.

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