Bladder Cancer

 
Bladder Cancer typically occurs in the Urothelial cells of the Bladder but can also form in other areas of the Urinary tract such as the Kidneys and Ureters. There are several types of Bladder Cancer:
  • Urothelial–most common, forms in the cell lining
  • Squamous cell–usually associated with chronic inflammation or infection including schistosomiasis infection
  • Adenocarcinoma–very rare

Primary signs of Bladder Cancer:
  • Blood in the urine
  • Frequent or Painful Urination
  • Back Pain

Risk factors include old age, being male, smoking, family history and a history of bladder infection. Exposure to certain chemicals has also been linked to Bladder cancer. Arsenic, chlorine and aristolchic acid, as well as various paints, dyes and petrochemicals increase risk of bladder cancer.

Typical modern western treatment involves surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

In Traditional medicine, Bladder cancer may be classed with Hematuria, or difficult and painful urination. Herbs with proven anti-cancer effect that work on the urinary system can be used. Long-term use of a Kidney tonic such as Liu Wei Di Huang Wan or Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan are beneficial and can be used along with western treatment.

Western Tradition

Simples
Barley
Agrimony
Asparagus root
Plantain seed
Black Nightshade
Pill Millipedes
Yarrow
Couch Grass
Marshmallow root
Sarsaparilla
Winter Cherry

Suggested Formulas

Tincture of Pill Millipedes
Tincture of Black Nightshade
Decoction of Dodder of Thyme (Mesue)
Decoction of Dodder of Thyme (Rhasis)
Decoction for Cancer (Fuller)
Decoction for Cancer (Model Botanic Guide to Health) Decoction Against Scrofula (Fuller)
Syrup of Fumitory Greater
Syrup of Fumitory Compound (Augustana)
Syrup of Dodder of Thyme (Mesue)
Syrup of Betony (Pharmacopoeia Augustana)
Powder for Bladder Abscess of Alexander Benedictus
Troches for Abscess and Ulcer of the Kidneys
Troches of Nightshade
Powder of Gum Lacca Greater (Dialacca Maj.) (Mesue)
Powder of Montagnana for Kidney Ulcers (Nicholas)
Troches of Winter Cherry (Trochisci Alkekengi) (Mesue)
Troches of Winter Cherry (Unani)

Indian Pills (Mesue)
Pills for Melancholy (Unani)
Arab Confect Purging Melancholy (Confectio Hamech)

Cardamon 10 (Sug smel bcu pa) (Tibetan Medicine)
Mandala of the Sun (Se bru nye dkyil) (Tibetan Med)

Chinese Classification

Simples
Poria Fu Ling
Phellinus
Scutellaria Bai Zhi Lian
Smilax Tu Fu Ling
Semiaquilaegia Tian Kui

Polyporus Zhu Ling
Plantain seed (Che Qian Zi)
Hedyotis
Solanum nigrum Long Kui


Formulas

Damp-Heat
Long Dan Xie Gan Tang
Xiao Chai Hu Tang


Supportive in chronic or advanced cases
Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang
Liu Wei Di Huang Wan
Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan


Special Formula

Proven Combination
    Heyotis Bai Hua She She Cao
    Scutellaria barbata Bai Zhi Lian
This combination has been shown to inhibit Bladder Cancer. (see here)

Kuan Sin Yin Decoction
    Poria Fu Ling
    Codonopsis Dang Shen
    Licorice
    Atractylodes Bai Zhu
    Astragalus Huang Qi
    Ligustrum Nu Zhen Zi
    Pogostemon Huo Xiang
This has been used in China for Bladder Cancer (see here)

Qi Ci San Ling Decoction
    Astragalus Huang Qi              10 qian
    Sagittaria sagittifolia Ci Gu    10 qian
    Polyporus Zhu Ling                5 qian
    Poria Fu Ling                            5 qian
    Paeonia Bai Shao                    5 qian
    Zedoary (E Zhu)                      5 qian
    Cinnamon twigs (Gui Zhi)      3 qian
    Licorice (Gan Cao)                  2 qian
    Rehmannia Shu Di Huang     5 qian
    Smilax Tu Fu Ling                     5 qian
This has been studied and proven to promote Apopotosis in Bladder Cancer cells (see here)

Zhu Ling Ji Sheng Decoction
    Astragalus Huang Qi
    Polyporus Zhu Ling     
    Taxillus Sang Ji Sheng
    Cremastra Shan Ci Gu
    Heyotis Bai Hua She She Cao
This has been studied and found to work via multiple pathways against Bladder Cancer cells.

Formula used successfully in Matastatic
Lung Cancer from Bladder Cancer

    Ginseng
    Cordyceps militaris
    Myrrh
    Boswellia
    Notoginseng San Qi
    Cremastra Shan Ci Gu
    Bezoar
    Pearl
See case history here.


Research


Aloe vera
Network Pharmacology-Based Study on the Mechanism of Aloe Vera for Treating Cancer.
Amygdalin (Bitter Almond)
Recent updates and future perspectives about amygdalin as a potential anticancer agent: A review.
Andrographis
Andrographolide Inhibits Proliferation and Promotes Apoptosis in Bladder Cancer Cells by Interfering with NF- κ B and PI3K/AKT Signaling In Vitro and In Vivo.
Angelica gigas
Anti-cancer and other bioactivities of Korean Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) and its major pyranocoumarin compounds.
Berberine (Barberry, Coptis Huang Lian, Scutellaria Huang Qin, Golden Seal)
Berberine suppresses bladder cancer cell proliferation by inhibiting JAK1-STAT3 signaling via upregulation of miR-17-5p.
Boswellia:
Differential effects of selective frankincense (Ru Xiang) essential oil versus non-selective sandalwood (Tan Xiang) essential oil on cultured bladder cancer cells: a microarray and bioinformatics study
Cancer Chemopreventive Effects of Boswellia sacra Gum Resin Hydrodistillates on Invasive Urothelial Cell Carcinoma: Report of a Cas
Frankincense oil derived from Boswellia carteri induces tumor cell specific cytotoxicity
Black Cohosh
Actein induces autophagy and apoptosis in human bladder cancer by potentiating ROS/JNK and inhibiting AKT pathways.
Cannabis
Systematic review of the potential role of cannabinoids as antiproliferative agents for urological cancers
Hedyotis diffusa
Hedyotis diffusa plus Scutellaria barbata Induce Bladder Cancer Cell Apoptosis by Inhibiting Akt Signaling Pathway through Downregulating miR-155 Expression.
Hypericum
The lipophilic extract of Hypericum perforatum exerts significant cytotoxic activity against T24 and NBT-II urinary bladder tumor cells.
Lycium Gou Qi Zi
Lycium barbarum polysaccharides inhibit proliferation and migration of bladder cancer cell lines BIU87 by suppressing Pi3K/AKT pathway.
Olibanum
Differential effects of selective frankincense (Ru Xiang) essential oil versus non-selective sandalwood (Tan Xiang) essential oil on cultured bladder cancer cells: a microarray and bioinformatics study
Cancer Chemopreventive Effects of Boswellia sacra Gum Resin Hydrodistillates on Invasive Urothelial Cell Carcinoma: Report of a Cas
Frankincense oil derived from Boswellia carteri induces tumor cell specific cytotoxicity
Paeonia
The multifaceted mechanisms of Paeoniflorin in the treatment of tumors: State-of-the-Art.
Paeonol inhibits proliferation and induces cell apoptosis of human T24 and 5637 bladder cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.
Paeoniflorin: a monoterpene glycoside from plants of Paeoniaceae family with diverse anticancer activities.
Paris
Polyphyllin II inhibits human bladder cancer migration and invasion by regulating EMT-associated factors and MMPs.
Paris polyphylla ethanol extract induces G2/M arrest and suppresses migration and invasion in bladder cancer.
Paris Polyphylla-Derived Saponins Inhibit Growth of Bladder Cancer Cells by Inducing Mutant P53 Degradation While Up-Regulating CDKN1A Expression.
Polyporus Zhu Ling
[Inhibitory effect of Chinese herb medicine zhuling on urinary bladder cancer. An experimental and clinical study].
Homogeneous Polyporus Polysaccharide Inhibit Bladder Cancer by Resetting Tumor-Associated Macrophages Toward M1 Through NF-κB/NLRP3 Signaling.
Homogeneous polyporus polysaccharide inhibits bladder cancer by polarizing macrophages to M1 subtype in tumor microenvironment.
Pueraria
Puerarin Inhibits the Progression of Bladder Cancer by Regulating circ_0020394/miR-328-3p/NRBP1 Axis.
Solanum nigrum
A network pharmacology perspective for deciphering potential mechanisms of action of Solanum nigrum L. in bladder cancer.
Solasonine Induces Apoptosis and Inhibits Proliferation of Bladder Cancer Cells by Suppressing NRP1 Expression.

Combinations / Formula
Hedyotis diffusa plus Scutellaria barbata Induce Bladder Cancer Cell Apoptosis by Inhibiting Akt Signaling Pathway through Downregulating miR-155 Expression.
Qici Sanling Decoction Suppresses Glutamine Consumption and Bladder Cancer Cell Growth through Inhibiting c-Myc Expression.
Effects of Buzhong Yiqi Decoction Combined with THP Bladder Perfusion on Postoperative Efficacy in Patients with Bladder Cancer.