Introduction
Intracranial tumors are divided into primary brain tumors and metastatic brain tumors. Brain tumors can occur at any age, approximately 85% being seen in adults. Tumor location is age related and intracranial supratentorial neoplasms are in the majority for adults and infants under 1 year, of which more than 50% are astrocytomas and glioblastomas. Intracranial infratentorial neoplasms are in the majority for children 1–12 years old. The most common is medulloblastoma, followed by astrocytoma and glioblastoma. Brain tumor can be broadly divided into neuroepithelial tumor (mostly astrocytoma), meningiomas, pituitary tumor, neurilemmoma, craniopharyngioma, brain metastases, vascular tumors, congenital tumor, and so on according to histology. Patients with malignant brain tumors (glioma degrees III and IV, medulloblastoma, and brain metastases), compared with tumors in various systems of the body, have shorter survival times, higher mortality rates, more difficult treatments, and a poorer prognosis.
Clinical manifestations are not the same and depend on lesion location, histological type, growth rate, and so on. About 90% of patients manifest dizziness, headache, insomnia, and poor memory. Severe headaches accompanied by nausea and vomiting suggest that the tumor has reached the advanced stage of intracranial hypertension. Also, some patients may have sensory disturbance, hemianopia, seizures, and other symptoms.
Treatments
1.Surgery
The hope for surgical cure is greater if brain tumors are more benign with more integrative capsule and are easier to be peeled off, as well as having a shorter duration. However, for tumors with higher degrees of malignancy or other metastatic cancers, palliative operation can be carried out, such as tumor resection, decompression, ventriculocisternostomy, and ventriculovenous shunt. Gamma Knife, X knife, and so on can also be chosen for cytoreductive therapy. For small and medium-sized intracranial tumors with less obvious occupied effect, cryocare therapy can be implemented through percutaneous drilling. For large-scale and irregularly shaped tumors with obvious occupied effect, combination therapy of Ar-He cryoablation with surgical resection can be carried out under direct vision by craniotomy. The surgery can be divided into radical surgery and palliative surgery. Before and after surgery, medical ozone, chelation detoxification, acupuncture, TCM, and other nontoxic integrative treatments can be actively implemented. Focus on regulating immunity, improving preoperative body state, promoting recovery after operations, and reducing the risk of metastasis and recurrence.
2.Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is one of the important means of adjuvant therapies for brain tumors. Studies have shown that conducting radiotherapy after surgery results in longer survival times than surgery alone.
3.Chemical Treatment
Most drugs cannot pass the blood–brain barrier, and the brain tumor is not sensitive to chemotherapy. As a result, chemotherapy is ineffective. Combined chemotherapy is usually used. Chemotherapy for brain tumors is subject to a number of restrictions.
4.Hyperthermia
Hyperthermia for intracranial tumor is mainly local hyperthermia. The radio frequency local hyperthermia machine with automatic tuning function can be used. For many brain tumors, local hyperthermia can not only directly inhibit tumor growth and promote apoptosis of tumor cells but also help anticancer drugs penetrate the blood–brain barrier, to obtain a good therapeutic effect. If radiotherapy is necessary, combining hyperthermia can reduce radiation damage to brain cells and contribute to the function recovery of normal cells. Whole-body hyperthermia is not conducted under normal circumstances. If there is no postoperative tumor mass effect, whole-body middle-low hyperthermia may be given to improve immune function.
5.Chelation Detoxification Therapy
A lot of vitamins can penetrate the blood–brain barrier and therefore be able to produce anticancer effects. Combining with hyperthermia at the same time, the effect is more obvious. Chelation detoxification therapy adopts intravenous infusion in clinical practice and effectively removes heavy metals in the body, and other toxins.
6.Medical Ozone Therapy
Medical ozone therapy can increase the oxygen supply to brain cells; promote the apoptosis of brain tumor cells; inhibit the growth of brain tumors; reduce brain cell edema caused by a variety of treatments; and stabilize mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, and the nucleus of normal cells to avoid damage to normal brain tissues. Medical ozone saline intravenous infusion and medical ozone autohemotherapy can be involved throughout the treatment.
7.Traditional Chinese Medicine
The syndrome of phlegm dampness and stasis is commonly seen in brain cancer patients. The prescription of modified Ditan Decoction is used. Use the prescription of Tongluo Sanjie Decoction for the syndrome of phlegm-blood accumulation. Use the prescription of Longdan Xiegan Decoction for the syndrome of excess heat of liver and gallbladder. Use the prescription of Lingjiao Gouteng Decoction for the syndrome of endogenous liver wind. Use the prescription of modified Tongqiao Huoxue Decoction for the syndrome of qi stagnation and blood stasis. Use the prescription of Jinkui Shenqi Pill for the syndrome of spleen yang deficiency and kidney yang deficiency. Chinese formulated products commonly used include Angong Niuhuang Pill, Qingkailing Injection, Bruceolic Oil Emulsion Injection, and Elemenum Emulsion Injection.
8.Acupuncture
Acupuncture on acupoints: Taiyang, Baihui, Dazhui, Touwei, Fengchi, Hegu, Shangxing, and Zusanli.
Moxibustion on acupoints: Yuanguan, Baihui, Zusanli, and Dazhui.
Auricular acupoints: Shenmen, Jiaogan, subcortex, cheeks, forehead, liver, and adrenal gland.
9.Diet, Nutrition, and so on
Nutrition therapy is extremely important when brain tumors affect the feeding center, or the digestive system center of patients is abnormal. It is necessary to ensure proper nutritional intake to maintain the patient’s physical strength and immunity. Qigong, psychology, music therapy, and other treatments contribute to the rehabilitation of patients with brain tumors, especially when patients have obvious neurological symptoms affecting sleep and mood disorders.
10.Others
Because brain tumors are often accompanied by cerebral edema, nerve damage, and other complications, along with simultaneously conducting nontoxic integrative treatments, we should also support and appropriately select Western medicines for nourishing nerve cells and use western medicines such as mannitol for dropping intracranial pressure to achieve symptomatic relief. Resolve complications quickly and in a timely manner to relieve symptoms, and strive for a comprehensive and integrated treatment time. Combining with DC-CIK cell therapy helps to improve the treatment outcome. The combined systematic biofeedback treatment can help relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
Typical Case
A 28 year old female patient was admitted on Dec 26, 2008 to Clifford Hospital. She was diagnosed with intracranial space occupation over 2 years ago. She complained of headaches and dizziness for over 1 month with aggravation for one day. When the patient was diagnosed with left intracranial space-occupation in December 2006, she had no headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, and hearing loss. As a result, no special treatment was provided.
In early November 2008, patient suffered from headache and dizziness, periodic nausea and vomiting, which prompted her to visit a local hospital for treatment. The cranial CT examination revealed: “tumors on the right thalamus and parietal lobe, possible glioma, abnormal signal projection on the left parietal lobe, and obvious edema zone”. On November 5, 2008, resection of intracranial tumor was performed. Postoperative pathology: oligoastrocytoma level 2. Postoperative recovery was good. More than a month later, after a tiring tour, patient experienced aggravated headaches and dizziness, with nausea and vomiting, and was then admitted to the Clifford Hospital’s Emergency Department.
Physical examination: symptoms on admission were headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting; walking was affected. No tinnitus, numbness and movement disorder was felt. The patient had poor appetite, good sleep, smooth stool and urine, pink tongue, sublingual vein cyanosis, thin and white fur, and weak and unsmooth pulse. General condition was otherwise fine through physical examination. Two surgical scars of 7cm long in curved shape were visible on the top right of the head. Superficial lymph nodes were not palpable due to swelling. Neck was soft without resistance. Breathing sounds of lungs were clear, and wet and dry rales were not heard. Heart rate was 72 times per minute with regular rhythm and without noise. Abdomen was soft. Liver and spleen were not palpable under ribs. There were no tenderness and rebound tenderness in the whole abdomen. Bowel sounds were normal. All extremities moved freely and normally. Physiological reflex existed. Pathological signs were not evident.
Auxiliary examination: Blood routine was checked upon the admission: WBC 3.56×109/L, RBC 3.43×1012/L，HGB 113g/L, and PLT 281×109/L; biochemistry: GGT 159U/L, UREA 2.49mmol/L, and Cr 133umol/L. Head CT (taken at Hainan Provincial People’s Hospital on December 8, 2008): show postoperative right parietal glioma. When compared to the old film, the surgical area had edema with some accumulation of blood. There were no significant changes in the lesion on the left parietal lobe. A small quantity of effusion on the right top of the frontal and temporal lobes was apparent. There was accumulation of blood under the scalp of the right occipital-parietal lobe. She had sphenoiditis and mastoiditis on the right side.
Diagnosis: postoperative cerebral astrocytoma.
Integrative treatment prescription: after admission, oncology specialists conducted consultations and concluded patient was in postoperative recovery phase. Steps were made to release the intracranial pressure, increase white blood cells, complemented by nutrition. Patient was then given temozolomide 150mg qd × 5/28 days oral chemotherapy combined with TCM, acupuncture, local hyperthermia, chelation and detoxification therapy, Keliu mixture, medical ozone, and other integrative treatment. According to TCM, the patient’s symptom was indicative of blood stasis obstructing internally. As a result herbal medicine was prescribed to activate blood, reduce swelling, resolve phlegm, and remove blood stasis.
Medication: the prescription was a mixture of Brain Tumor Decoction and Sanlengjian Pill. Specific medication: Rhizoma Sparganii 15g, Fructus Polygoni Orientalis 10g, Rhizoma Curcumae 15g, Radix Paeoniae Rubra 15g, Poria Cocos 15g, raw Semen Coicis 30g, Scorpion 5g, Centipede 5g, Hedyotis Diffusa Willd 30g and Liuwei Dihuang Pill 12 g, one dose per day. Decocted in water for oral intake.
Acupuncture on acupoints: Taiyang, Baihui, Dazui, Touwei, Fengchi, Hegu, Shangxing, Zusanli, Sanchongxue and Waisanguan. Method: Even reinforcing-reducing method was used for acupuncture. Retained the needle for 20 minutes, once a day. After 5 daily sessions, rest for 2 days, then resume.
Moxibustion on acupoints: Guanyuan, Baihui, Zusanli and Dazui. Methods: Selected 2 points each time. Conducted moxibustion 10 minutes for each point. Used the two groups interchangeably, once per day. After 5 daily sessions, rest for 2 days.
Auricular acupoints: Shenmen, Jiaogan, Subcortex, Cheek, Forehead, Liver and Adrenal Gland. Methods: Stuck auricular points with cowherb seed. The patient was asked to apply pressure to each point for 3-5 minutes, 3-5 times daily, twice a week, alternating ears.
Local hyperthermia to head region once every other day, in conjunction with chelation and detoxification therapy once every other day, Keliu mixture one dose per day, and medical ozone therapy once every other day (alternating with chelation and detoxification therapy). After 1 week of treatment, patient’s various symptoms basically disappeared. Treatment of hyperthermia, chelation and detoxification therapy, EBOO, acupuncture, and TCM continued. She was discharged after a month when her condition had improved. Integrative outpatient treatment was continued for 3 months a week after discharge. She remained in a stable condition and with no further symptoms of high intracranial pressure. During this period, 36 sessions of hyperthermia were carried out as well as 45 sessions of chelation and detoxification therapy and medical ozone therapy.
Treatment outcome: after combined treatment, patient’s symptoms completely dissipated. Her appetite returned to normal when she was discharged, and gained 3 kg in weight. Her extremities regained mobility which allows her to resume self care. A week after discharge, she returned for oral chemotherapy with temozolomide + nontoxic integrative treatments (including TCM, chelation and detoxification therapy, hyperthermia, medical ozone, Anticancer Composition, and acupuncture). She was compliant with treatment for 3 months, followed by brain MRI, prompting changes of “postoperative right parietal cerebral astrocytoma”. By comparing with the MRI of December 8, 2008 taken in another hospital, it was found that the lesion was reduced; As a result, its was recommended she continues nontoxic integrative treatment. She was followed over 4 years with no report of discomfort. Continued improvement was found in image reviews. Patient returned to work and lived normally. In 2011, patient conceived a child and both mother and child were reported healthy.
