Integrated Internal and External Chinese Herbal Therapy for Breast Hyperplasia
Breast hyperplasia is a common female breast disease with diverse treatments, but some patients respond poorly. To explore more effective therapies, Dr. Xie Zhen of Shangqiu No.1 People’s Hospital in Henan Province adopted oral pure Chinese herbal medicine combined with topical heat therapy, achieving satisfactory results. This was reported in *New Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine*, Vol. 36, Issue 2, 2004.
One hundred eighty patients were randomly divided into treatment and control groups, 90 each. The treatment group received oral Chai Hu Shu Gan San and external application of Jin Huang San heat compress. Chai Hu Shu Gan San consists of Chai Hu, vinegar-steamed Chen Pi, Chuan Xiong, Bai Shao, stir-fried Zhi Ke, vinegar-steamed Xiang Fu, and roasted Gan Cao. One dose daily, decocted twice and taken in morning and evening. Modified Jin Huang San composition: Tian Nan Xing, Cang Zhu, Bai Zhi, Jiang Huang, Ru Xiang, Mo Yao, Chuan Xiong, Hou Po, Tian Hua Fen, Huang Bai, vinegar-steamed Xiang Fu, Da Huang, and processed Chuan Shan Jia. All herbs placed in a cloth bag, boiled in a pot. After boiling for 15 minutes, remove the bag. When temperature is suitable, apply to affected area. Once daily, 20 minutes per session; one bag lasts 7 days. The control group took Libang Ping Xiao Pian orally, 4–8 tablets (0.23g/tablet) three times daily. External application of 10% magnesium sulfate solution-soaked towel for heat compress, once daily. Both groups underwent 7-day treatment cycles with 3-day intervals. Typically, 1–3 cycles were administered. Post-treatment comparison showed: treatment group cure rate was 70.0%, control group 37.8%. The difference was highly significant, indicating superior efficacy of the treatment group. Cure cycle comparison: among 63 cured in treatment group, 31 cured in 1 cycle, 21 in 2 cycles, 11 in 3 cycles. Among 34 cured in control group, 7 in 1 cycle, 9 in 2 cycles, 18 in 3 cycles. Differences in cure rates across 1–3 cycles were highly significant, again indicating better efficacy of the treatment group.
Breast hyperplasia falls under TCM category “Ru Bi.” Since nipple belongs to liver and breast to stomach, breast diseases often stem from depression, anger, worry, and thought—leading to liver-stomach qi stagnation, internal fire, and formation of phlegm-blood stasis masses. Thus, Dr. Xie Zhen believes treatment should focus on soothing liver, resolving depression, activating blood, breaking up stasis, eliminating accumulation, resolving phlegm, clearing heat, detoxifying, softening hardness, and dispersing nodules. The prescribed Chai Hu Shu Gan San unblocks liver channel stagnation, strengthens qi, regulates stomach, relieves pain—especially Chai Hu, which elevates yang qi and guides other herbs to their respective meridians. The externally applied Jin Huang San promotes qi and blood circulation, clears heat and toxins, eliminates turbidity, softens hardness, and disperses nodules. Heat application enhances penetration, relaxing and expanding local tissues, improving blood circulation, enhancing cellular vitality, boosting regeneration of fibers and capillaries, thereby achieving anti-inflammatory, heat-clearing, detoxifying, swelling reduction, softening, dispersing nodules, and analgesic effects. The clinical observations confirm that this integrated internal-external therapy offers advantages such as short course, rapid onset, high efficacy, no toxicity, no pain, and simple operation, yielding satisfactory results and high patient acceptance.