1 Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pills for Primary Liver Cancer

1 Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pills for Primary Liver Cancer

1.1 Practical Significance of Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pills in Treating Liver Cancer

Primary liver cancer (PLC, commonly referred to as liver cancer) is a frequent malignant gastrointestinal tumor in clinical practice and is listed by the World Health Organization as one of the top ten malignancies, ranking second among cancer-related deaths. Although surgical resection remains the preferred treatment for liver cancer, most patients have already lost the opportunity for surgery by the time they seek medical care. Moreover, interventional therapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and other reactive treatments often exhibit low efficacy, significant side effects, and a tendency to induce drug resistance, resulting in a five-year survival rate of less than 5%. In recent years, with the development of traditional Chinese medicine, TCM has gained increasing attention for its advantages in treating liver cancer, such as multiple pathways, multi-target action, minimal toxic side effects, and reduced likelihood of drug resistance.

Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pills are a specialized prescription for preventing and treating liver cancer independently developed by Professor Pei Zhengxue, a renowned expert in integrated Chinese and Western medicine in China, guided by his sixteen-character principle of “Western diagnosis, Chinese syndrome differentiation, Chinese medicine as the mainstay, Western medicine as an adjunct,” and grounded in the theory of syndrome differentiation and treatment. Under the guiding principles of addressing the root cause of disease and reinforcing righteous qi while eliminating pathogenic factors, this formula is tailored to the pathological and physiological changes experienced by liver cancer patients undergoing surgery, intervention, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. By adjusting the formula according to individual patient conditions, Professor Pei has successfully treated numerous liver cancer patients, including 13 cases of primary liver cancer. Long-term clinical practice has confirmed that Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pills possess the following advantages in treating liver cancer: ① treatment of precancerous lesions; ② enhancement of the body’s immune function; ③ reduction of toxicity, enhancement of efficacy, and reversal of multidrug resistance during radiotherapy and chemotherapy; ④ improvement of surgical outcomes, reduction of postoperative complications and sequelae; ⑤ prevention of liver cancer recurrence and metastasis; ⑥ alleviation of clinical symptoms, improvement of quality of life, and extension of survival time.

1.2 Theoretical Basis for Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pills in Treating Liver Cancer

Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pills are composed of Astragalus, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Curcuma wenyujin, Laminaria japonica, Ziziphus jujuba spines, Hedyotis diffusa, and Scutellaria barbata, among others. Among these ingredients, Astragalus tonifies qi, strengthens the spleen, and consolidates defensive qi, as stated in “The Treasure of Health”: “Nourishing righteous qi naturally eliminates accumulation; when true qi is strong and stomach qi is robust, accumulation will naturally dissipate.” Thus, Astragalus reinforces righteous qi and solidifies the foundation while eliminating accumulation and transforming tumors. Curcuma wenyujin promotes qi circulation, eliminates accumulation, breaks up blood stasis, and relieves pain; combined with Salvia miltiorrhiza, it activates blood circulation and nourishes blood, breaking up blood stasis without harming righteous qi. Laminaria japonica is cold in nature and salty in taste, “salty properties soften hardness,” making it particularly effective in softening hard masses, dispersing nodules, and eliminating phlegm. Ziziphus jujuba spines are pungent and warm, capable of reducing swelling and draining pus; paired with Laminaria japonica, they work together to “soften hard masses,” “disperse nodules,” and “soften hardened areas.” Hedyotis diffusa and Scutellaria barbata are both clearing heat and detoxifying herbs. Overall, the formula combines attacking and reinforcing, dispersing and consolidating, achieving the effects of strengthening the spleen and replenishing qi, activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis, softening hard masses and dispersing nodules, and clearing heat and detoxifying—reinforcing righteous qi without leaving pathogenic factors, eliminating evil without harming righteousness, and treating both root and branch simultaneously.