ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: "Collateral disease theory", as an important theory of traditional Chinese medicine, is often used in the clinical treatment of tumors, showing a remarkable effect, especially in advanced malignancies with blood stasis and toxin. METHODS: In this study, we analyzed 5 cases of advanced malignancies, and discussed the efficacy of collateral disease theory in advanced malignancies with blood stasis and toxin. The 5 cases were suffered from right lung squamous cell carcinoma, left lung squamous cell carcinoma, stage IV endometrial carcinoma, right submandibular lymphatic follicular lymphoma and right lower lung cancer, respectively. Combining with the pathogenesis of collateral disease in traditional Chinese medicine dialectically and taking insect medicine as an example, traditional Chinese medicine was prescribed. Furthermore, the application effect of "collateral disease theory" in malignancy with blood stasis and toxin was explored. RESULTS: After treated with traditional Chinese medicine, the tumor lesions in the 5 cases were reduced to varying degrees. CONCLUSION: The treatment based on "collateral disease theory" is effective for advanced malignancy with blood stasis and toxin, but this finding needs to be verified by prospective studies.