Pancreatic Cancer is a Cancer of the Pancreatic Tissue. It is often not found until advanced as early Pancreatic Cancer often presents with no symptoms, and by the time symptoms do appear, the Cancer is often advanced and metastasized giving it a poor prognosis.

The most common type of Pancreatic Cancer is pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma which forms on the ducts of the Pancreas.

Signs

• Fatigue
• Abdominal pain that radiates to your back
• Loss of appetite or unintended weight loss
• Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
• Light-colored stools, Dark-colored urine
• Itchy skin
• New diagnosis of diabetes or existing diabetes that’s becoming more difficult to control

Risk Factors:

• Family History
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• History of Pancreatitis
• Obesity
• Being over 65

The combination of Smoking, chronic Diabetes and poor diet showed greater increase than any factor alone.

Most used Herbs and Formulas in Taiwanese Databases

Taiwanese Databases were studied over a 13 year period, looking at the impact of Chinese Medicine in conjunction with standard western treatment, versus western treatment alone. Chinese Medicine was shown to increase survival in Pancreatic Cancer patients as long at it was taken for at least 90 days. Some researchers have shown survival times to more than double, and 5 year survival rate increases. The following herbs were the most prescribed, in descending order:

The following Formulas were most prescribed, in descending order:

Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang was by far the most commonly used formula with the next 3 also being often used. Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San was also used, although less commonly. (see here)

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Special Formula

Japanese Research found that stage IV Pancreatic Cancer patients given either Shi Quan Da Bu Tang or Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang were able to double their life expectancy, and in some cases, lived for years after initial diagnosis. (see here)

Zuojin Pills
  Coptis Huang Lian   9 grams
  Evodia Wu Zhu Yu  1 ½ grams
This has been shown to inhibit pancreatic cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. (see here)

Pancreatic Cancer
  Poria Fu Ling
  Scutellaria Huang Qin
  Codonopsis Dang Shen
  Atractylodes Bai Zhu
  Coix Yi Yi Ren
  Dang Gui
  Citrus peel Chen Pi
  Artemisia Yin Chen Hao
  Polyporus Zhu Ling
  Agrimony (Xian He Cao)
  Smilax Tu Fu Ling
  Hedyotis Bai Hua She She Cao.
(This was listed in a research case)

Pancreatic Cancer
  Bupleurum Chai Hu
  Scutellaria Huang Qin
  Angelica Dang Gui
  Codonopsis Dang Shen
  Atractylodes Bai Zhu
  Poria Fu Ling
  Citrus Fo Shou
  Curcuma E Zhu
  Curcuma Yu Jin
  Artemisia Yin Chen Hao
  Coix Yi Yi Ren
  Polyporus Zhu Ling
  Smilax Tu Fu Ling
  Agrimonia Xian He Cao
  Patrinia Bai Jiang Cao
  Hedyotis Bai Hua She She Cao
This was used for an elderly patient with Pancreatic cancer in the head of the Pancreas who didn’t receive any other treatment other than a biliary stent. His TCM diagnosis was Phlegm-Heat, Blood Stasis and Qi and Blood deficiency and his herbs were modified as needed over the course of his treatment. After less than 18 months treatment, his tumor was resolved and he lived for 9 years, dying of old age. (See here)

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Research:

–Complementary Chinese Herbal Medicine Therapy Improves Survival of Patients With Pancreatic Cancer in Taiwan: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study
–Chinese Herbal Medicine Effectively Prolongs the Overall Survival of Pancreatic Cancer Patients: A Case Series
–Herbals and Plants in the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review of Experimental and Clinical Studies
–Efficacy of Chemotherapy Integrated With Traditional Korean Medicine in Patients With Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer: A Single-Center Retrospective Study
Boswellia
–Hydrodistilled essential oil of Boswellia sacra was investigated for its effect against Pancreatic cancer cell lines. All fractions of the oil suppressed cell viability and induced apoptosis with the high-molecular weight fractions being strongest (these containing higher levels of boswellic acid) (Ni et al., BMC Complement Altern Med, Dec 2012).
–Frankincense essential oil prepared from hydrodistillation of Boswellia sacra gum resins induces human pancreatic cancer cell death in cultures and in a xenograft murine model
–Earlier research also demonstrated boswellic acid to suppress growth and metastasis of human pancreatic tumors. (Park et al., PLoS One, 2011)
Calendula:
–Identification of antitumoral agents against human pancreatic cancer cells from Asteraceae and Lamiaceae plant extracts.
Cannabis
–Flavonoid Derivative of Cannabis Demonstrates Therapeutic Potential in Preclinical Models of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
–Potential Use of Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer
–Preclinical and Clinical Assessment of Cannabinoids as Anti-Cancer Agents
Mastic
–Gemcitabine combined with gum mastic causes potent growth inhibition and apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells
Poria:
–Pachymic Acid Inhibits Growth and Induces Apoptosis of Pancreatic Cancer In Vitro and In Vivo by Targeting ER Stress
–Triterpenes from Poria cocos suppress growth and invasiveness of pancreatic cancer cells through the downregulation of MMP-7.
–Triterpenes from Poria cocos suppress growth and invasiveness of pancreatic cancer cells through the downregulation of MMP-7
Rabdosia
–Oridonin inhibits BxPC-3 cell growth through cell apoptosis.
–Oridonin induces apoptosis in SW1990 pancreatic cancer cells via p53- and caspase-dependent induction of p38 MAPK.
Rheum, Rhubarb
–Emodin and rhein decrease levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α in human pancreatic cancer cells and attenuate cancer cachexia in athymic mice carrying these cells.
–Effects of emodin on the demethylation of tumor-suppressor genes in pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells.
Yarrow:
–Identification of antitumoral agents against human pancreatic cancer cells from Asteraceae and Lamiaceae plant extracts.
FORMULAS
–Utilising network pharmacology to explore the underlying mechanism of Wumei Pill in treating pancreatic neoplasms