Reply To: Biomedical Bootcamp
I see what you are saying!
Remember that in TCM, you will always treat the pattern. You will see that many (not all) cancer patients have purple on their tongue (often spots), and even lips or the moons of their nails (which would represent the lower jiao – often uterus in women) + some kind of severe pain depending on the stage and type of cancer. So, this most likely means a mass of some kind with the purple + severe pain (often stabbing). If you see that on the exam, then you can say Blood Stasis, which is probably a mass. If you don’t see those symptoms, then you do not treat that pattern. Does this help?