Therapy of Suppressing Yang and Astringing Yin for the Treatment of Cancer-Related Insomnia

Abstract

The pathogenesis of cancer-related insomnia (CRI) mainly includes, first, the flow of cancerous toxin leading to the disorder of visceral qi; second, cancer-related radiotherapy and chemotherapy belonging to “exogenous pathogenic factors” to a certain extent, which can further aggravate visceral disorders. The therapeutic principle of Chinese medicine is to tranquilize the mind on the basis of regulating viscera, suppressing yang, and astringing yin. On this theoretical basis, Professor Zheng Yuling created a representative prescription of Zhenjing Anshen Granules which can achieve the co-regulation of the heart, liver, and kidney, tranquilizing the mind and nourishing the blood. Clinically, the selection of prescriptions and medicines needs to be considered due to factors such as different treatment stages and differences in patients' constitutions.