The Institute of Chinese Medicine (ICM) of Chinese University of Hong Kong and Tai Shan Charitable Association on Tuesday announced at a press briefing their cooperative study project about using Chinese medicine as a remedy for cancer.

According to Tai Shan Charitable Association, the study project, which focuses on lung cancer, rectum cancer and cancer spread to bone, aims to provide to patients suffering from cancer with Chinese medicine treatment which acts as a supporting remedy.

A Professor of the ICM P C Leung said that the project targets to two categories of patients. One category will comprise patients who have already received chemical or radiotherapy treatment and recovered. They will be given Chinese medicine treatment with the aim to prevent the relapse of cancer. For patients from the other one category whom the doctors judged to be cureless, they will also receive similar treatment aiming at trying to soothe the pain caused by cancer and lengthen their lives.

Leung said that the treatment may not be suitable for patients who are suffering from serious heart and lung diseases, allergic to Chinese medicine and those who are too old. It is expected that the project will be completed in one year and around 600 to 700 patients will be benefited.

The ICM of Chinese University of Hong Kong advocates the combining of Chinese and Western medicine and concentrates on developing the healing method of chronic diseases, contagious diseases and allergy etc.

Tai Shan Charitable Association is a non-profit making charity in Hong Kong, with the mission to help conquer cancer with love.

(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2003)