Discussion on Human Primordial Qi and Cancer Prevention and Treatment Based on the Theory of Primordial Qi

: More and more attention has been paid to the prevention and treatment of tumor.Primordial Qi is the initial link of tumorigenesis, and the study of Primordial Qi theory will provide TCM wisdom for the prevention and treatment of tumors. Since ancient times, Chinese physicians have attached great importance to the role of primordial qi in the prevention and treatment of diseases, and paying attention to the theoretical research of traditional Chinese medicine is the realistic demand of the development of contemporary traditional Chinese medicine, and also a concept change from treating tumors to treating people. In the process of cancer prevention and treatment, we should not only use external forces to help the human body prevent and treat cancer, but also give full play to the initiative of the human body itself to actively fight against cancer. Deficiency of primordial qi is the main pathogenesis of tumor. Contemporary TCM research needs to start from its own characteristics-people-oriented, study the theoretical connotation of the theory of primordial qi, and apply it to the prevention and treatment of tumors, so as to play a role in the prevention and treatment of tumors.


Introduction
Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history and unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of tumors. Oncology of traditional Chinese medicine has now developed into an independent discipline. Tumors belong to internal injuries and miscellaneous diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. At the same time, as a systemic consumptive disease, the vitality of the human body will inevitably be consumed for a long time [1]. Internal medicine of traditional Chinese medicine believes that tumors are caused by deficiency of primordial qi, qi, blood, phlegm and toxin, and accumulate over time. The basic pathogenesis of tumor is deficiency of primordial qi, deficiency in origin and excess in superficiality, that is, "phlegm, blood stasis and toxin deficiency" is the common pathogenesis of tumor. The causes of tumor in traditional Chinese medicine include: six exogenous pathogens, dietary overstrain, emotional internal injury, and deficiency of body endowment. Although there are many reasons, the deficiency of vital qi plays a major role in the occurrence of tumors. Traditional Chinese medicine has such viewpoints as "the elimination of evil and the recovery of vital qi", "the theory that all diseases are caused by the emptiness of primordial qi", "all diseases are caused by qi" and "healthy qi is stored in the body, and evil can not do it". The theory of primordial qi has always been valued by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, who believe that the root cause of tumor formation is related to the deficiency of primordial qi.

The concept of vitality
Primordial Qi belongs to the ideological system of natural science and ancient Chinese philosophy. In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the sages made bold assumptions about the origin of human life [2]. Primordial Qi and Primordial Qi in TCM first appeared in Classic on Medical Problems. Through the development of later physicians, the concept and connotation of primordial qi in traditional Chinese medicine gradually extended from the narrow sense of innate qi to the broad sense of innate and acquired qi [3]. Around the Eastern Han Dynasty, the theory of primordial qi in traditional Chinese medicine had been initially formed, from the initial philosophical concept to the discussion of life itself [4]. In the Jin and yuan Dynasties, "yuanqi" was changed to "yuanqi" and elaborated. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is often said that the primordial qi is the primordial qi of human life activities [5].

Source of primordial qi
Primordial Qi originates from the kidney and is subject to the invisible and moving subtle substances generated by the innate essence of the parents [6]. Man is one of all things, and the same is true. The primordial qi is born at the moment when the sperm and egg of the parents are combined, and it is the innate qi [7] All life activities are based on the body of innate primordial qi, and manifest in the use of acquired flesh and blood [8]. People with congenital deficiency can promote the generation of primordial qi by tonifying the spleen and stomach. "Primordial Qi" has the function of regulating the overall function of the human body, so it can also be called "healthy Qi" after the extension of its function in the prevention and treatment of tumors. "Healthy Qi is stored in the body, and evil cannot do it" is the essence of Li Dongyuan's theory of primordial Qi [9]. Li Dongyuan believed that the normal function of the spleen and stomach could make the vitality of the body inexhaustible, and whether the vitality was abundant or not was the fundamental cause of the disease, so he put forward the view that "the internal injury of the spleen and stomach is the cause of all diseases", which was not only the core of Li Dongyuan's thought, but also the inheritance and development of the theory of primordial qi, which provided the possibility of practical application for the theory of primordial qi.

Function of primordial qi
Primordial Qi is the source power to supply life activities of human body, and is also the most basic substance to maintain life activities of human body [10]. The function of primordial qi is similar to that of kidney qi [11]. Primordial qi has two functions: one is to promote the growth of human body and the development of reproductive function, and the other is to stimulate and promote the normal activities of tissues and organs such as viscera and meridians. If the vitality is full, the functions of the tissues and organs of the human body will be normal, and the body will be strong and not susceptible to disease [12]. In addition, the qi in all parts of the body is abundant and functionally complete due to the abundance of primordial qi, so primordial qi has the function of commanding the qi of the upper and lower viscera and meridians. Its stimulation and promotion function maintains the normal function of all systems of the human body. The stimulation, inspiration, promotion and warming of primordial qi correspond to modern medical research. It is the ability of the human body to repair, defend and improve, and it is also the key internal cause of disease recovery [13]. Once the vitality is insufficient, the efficacy of any traditional Chinese medicine, the application of anti-tumor drugs in Western medicine, as well as biological therapy, acupuncture and other treatment methods will get half the result with twice the effort.

Effect of primordial qi on tumor
If the vitality is abnormal, the disease will be changeable and will not be cured for a long time [14]. Primordial Qi is closely related to the normal functions of the five zang-organs and six fuorgans. It is mentioned in the Canon of Internal Medicine: "Where the evil gathers together, its qi will be deficient." It is mentioned in Yi Lin Gai Cuo: "Since the primordial qi is deficient, it cannot reach the blood vessels. If the blood vessels have no qi, they will stay and become stagnant."."The Huashi Zhongzang Sutra" also says: "The accumulation of diseases and miscellaneous insects is caused by the loss of true qi in the five zang-organs and six fu-organs and the combination of pathogenic qi, thus giving birth to them." Therefore, the influence of primordial qi on the prevention and treatment of tumors is omni-directional, because the operation of normal physiological functions of the human body and the transportation, transformation and distribution of Qi, blood and water necessarily require sufficient primordial qi, otherwise, even if phlegm, dampness and blood stasis are finally eliminated, they can not maintain the situation that the human body has no reality, resulting in the newly recovered body, and brewing Qi stagnation, blood stasis, phlegm and dampness, once again."Eventually, the human body will continue to decline and die in this kind of deficiency and reality.
In the early stage of tumor, the pathogenic factor is excessive but the healthy qi is not deficient, so qi stagnation, blood stasis, water retention and toxin retention are the main causes. In the middle and late stages, because of the consumption of primordial qi by tumors, the function of spleen and stomach is impaired, transportation and transformation are out of balance, acquired generation is insufficient, congenital primordial qi can not be supplemented in time, and the condition is getting worse and worse.

Clinical significance of primordial qi in the prevention and treatment of tumors
First of all, clear up a train of thought: when the primordial qi is deficient, it first affects the gasification of the human body and the functional metabolism of the human body, that is, in traditional Chinese medicine, it first damages its qi (functional diseases, acute diseases), then damages its shape (physical diseases, chronic diseases that do not heal), and then leads to the accumulation of various pathological products, leading to the final formation of tumors.After the formation of tumors, the patient's vitality is further consumed, which makes the treatment of this disease very difficult.
Cancer prevention and treatment is generally based on prevention before disease and prevention of change after disease. First of all, we should prevent diseases before they occur. The key to TCM treatment of precancerous diseases is to eliminate pathogenic factors. In the initial stage of pathogenic factors, "attacking pathogenic factors is to tonify deficiency, and eliminating pathogenic factors is enough to strengthen the body resistance" [15]. Su Wen sums up some principles of health preservation: suiting measures to three factors, diet, work and rest, abstinence and sperm preservation. If these are done, the primordial qi can be maintained, and the body's ability to resist pathogens and prevent and treat tumors can be enhanced. This requires us in the prevention and treatment of cancer, for sub-healthy people, precancerous lesions or convalescent patients to live regularly, moderate diet, work and rest.The deficiency of primordial qi is also related to the invasion of the six evils, which is also closely related to the prevention and treatment of tumors, especially in the period of precancerous lesions and tumor recovery. If the six evils exist all the time, or people are exposed to the six evils for a long time (geographical factors, occupational factors, environmental factors and other water and soil reasons), their own primordial qi is insufficient, which will increase the deficiency and consume the primordial qi. Accelerate the occurrence and development of tumors. It is mentioned in Treatise on Febrile Diseases that pathogenic cold can consume Yang qi, and the theory of meridians and collaterals also mentions that the bladder and kidney are interior-exteriorly related, so whether in prevention or treatment, we should put the prevention and treatment of exterior syndrome in the first place, which is also the key to Treatise on Febrile Diseases. Therefore, after radiotherapy and chemotherapy, it is vulnerable to the destruction of the six exogenous pathogens, which is not conducive to the recovery and excretion of the body.
Secondly, we should prevent the disease from changing. Li attached great importance to the role of spleen and stomach in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, and believed that spleen and stomach were the foundation of primordial qi. Injury of the spleen and stomach leads to the decline of primordial qi, and the decline of primordial qi leads to all kinds of diseases. We can think that in patients with precancerous lesions, cancer patients and convalescent patients, it is very necessary to cultivate the healthy qi of the spleen and stomach of patients, and it must be placed in a priority position, so as to nurture the innate, drive out the evil with the healthy qi, and make the evil not born. Special attention should be paid to the recovery of the patient's primordial qi after surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and other treatments to eliminate local tumors, through moxibustion, diet therapy, traditional Chinese medicine, biological therapy and other methods to promote the normal function of the spleen and stomach and the recovery of primordial qi. Using the theory of primordial qi to guide the treatment of tumors, the deficiency of the spleen and stomach leads to the dysfunction of transportation and transformation, and the inability of water and grain to transport and transform leads to the generation of pathological products such as phlegm, blood stasis and toxin, which ultimately act on the human body comprehensively, resulting in accumulation and various syndromes, which not only aggravates the damage to human body function, but also causes chronic loss of human primordial qi. Therefore, in the prevention and treatment of tumor diseases, it is of great significance to pay attention to the normal transportation and transformation function of the spleen and stomach in the treatment of tumors, which is directly related to the progress of tumor lesions and the therapeutic effect, which determines that the method of regulating the spleen and stomach must run through the whole process of tumor treatment.

Maintenance of primordial qi
Primordial Qi, as the root of healthy Qi in the human body, especially requires the human body to pay attention to maintenance and consolidation, that is, "healthy Qi is stored in the body, and evil can not do it" [16]. For the maintenance of primordial qi, we should not only focus on the regulation of human spleen and stomach and drugs, but also pay attention to the regulation and health preservation at ordinary times.Improper diet, work and rest disorders, and mental stimulation are the three major causes of damage to the spleen and stomach in modern times [17]. Among them, dietary regulation is the most important. Usually we should develop good living habits, do not overeat, advocate vegetarian food, green plant food can not only accelerate intestinal peristalsis, but also reduce blood lipids and cholesterol; Greasy meat and fishy food should be eaten as little as possible so as not to damage the spleen and stomach and supplement the vitality. To improve the physical condition of the social population, we should give priority to tonifying the spleen and stomach and strengthening the primordial qi [18]. The transportation and transformation of food essence by the spleen and stomach is the source power for the normal operation of various tissues and organs of the body. Li also believed that dietary labor was most likely to damage the spleen and stomach and weaken the healthy qi, thus causing a variety of diseases. If the spleen and stomach are weak and do not pay attention to diet, the qi of the spleen and stomach will be more damaged, and the primordial qi will not be full, so all kinds of difficult diseases will occur from then on.In terms of diet, we use the five elements theory of traditional Chinese medicine to guide the reasonable collocation, and the five flavors are reasonably coordinated through the theory of Neijing, which can not only maintain the normal function of the viscera, but also coordinate the balance of yin and Yang of the human body, so as to achieve the balance of yin and Yang, and the primordial qi can be supplemented [19].
In Treatise on the Spleen and Stomach, the basic etiological viewpoint of "all syndromes of deficiency" is the theory of primordial qi. Contemporary physicians also emphasize "strengthening the body resistance to treat cancer" in the treatment of malignant tumors [20]. Its description of primordial qi: Primordial qi is actually the source of qi of the human body and the source of healthy qi of the human body, and it is believed that all other qi in the human body are derived from water and grain. Only when the vitality is abundant can the body's Qi activity be relaxed, so that the evil can have a way out. Therefore, we should conform to the changes of Yin and Yang in the four seasons, sleep sometimes, work and rest moderately, avoid the unhealthy Qi in the four seasons, stay away from epidemic areas, unclean food and water sources, and pay attention to diet, so as to protect people's vitality and achieve the purpose of preventing and treating tumors from the perspective of health preservation. According to Zhu Qi in Jing Yue Quan Shu, all diseases are caused by qi, and the deficiency of primordial qi will inevitably lead to the occurrence and progress of tumors. "Zhongxing Lun" holds that all kinds of bad habits of people lead to the occurrence of various diseases, and puts forward that "the injury is caused by people", and then gives the solution answer that "the way to save is not by people", from the clinical and life point of view, patients themselves do not pay attention to physical maintenance and act arbitrarily. Illness is not accomplished in a day, but in the accumulation of injuries. Su Wen Yin Yang Ying Xiang Da Lun points out that if people understand the seven losses and eight benefits, they can adjust the balance of Qi, blood, Yin and Yang, which is also of great significance in the prevention and treatment of cancer.
Su Wen Ling Lan Mi Dian Lun holds that the disharmony of seven emotions will lead to the disorder of qi, blood, yin and Yang in the viscera, and then affect the development of diseases, which is particularly evident in the impact of tumors. Traditional Chinese medicine has used human emotional therapy in ancient times. After a long period of development, human psychology has made a breakthrough in modern times: any psychological change will affect any cell of the human body, then affect the body's response and human secretion and metabolism, and finally magnify to the whole to affect human health. Positive and optimistic attitude can relax the vitality, enhance human immunity, prevent the occurrence and development of tumors, improve the therapeutic effect in the process of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and even prolong the life time of patients. On the contrary, long-term pessimism and negativity will slow down the vitality, weaken the immune function of the body, accelerate the occurrence and development of tumors, affect the process of radiotherapy and chemotherapy of tumors, and ultimately reduce the life time of patients [21]. People with excessive negative emotions generally have poor tumor treatment effect, while patients with positive and optimistic attitude can get twice the result with half the effort in tumor treatment and recovery. Therefore, tumor psychotherapy is also the top priority in clinical application. It not only affects the smooth flow of qi, but also damages human qi and blood, so it should be paid attention to separately. "Baopuzi Nei Pian" also lists many bad habits that damage the vitality of the human body: excessive use of the brain, excessive work and rest, emotional disorders, irregular diet, frequent sexual life and so on. Of course, the above mentioned are all based on the theory of "nurture and nurture" to consider the maintenance of vitality.

Recovery of vitality
In terms of treatment, it is necessary to strengthen the primordial qi regardless of the deficiency or excess [22]. When the primordial qi is insufficient or damaged, we need to rely on the acquired essence to supplement. When the acquired essence is sufficient, it can also enable people to live a normal life, but it has a disadvantage, that is, it is easily affected by the seven emotions and six excesses or the deficiency of healthy qi and transformed into pathological products such as water, dampness, phlegm and blood stasis, while the primordial qi is not limited. However, it can not be separated from the supplement of acquired Qi. Therefore, in the process of preventing and treating tumors, we should not only pay attention to the recovery of primordial qi, but also pay attention to the various effects of the weather, so as to avoid that it is not used by the human body and in turn becomes a pathological product that damages the healthy qi of the human body. With the growth of age, the more deficient the primordial qi is, the more dependent it is on the acquired essence to supplement. If we only focus on tonifying rather than nourishing the primordial qi, we should be clear about another thing here: in the process of strengthening the body resistance, traditional Chinese medicine also acts as acquired qi, and tonifying qi and Yang is also tonifying acquired Yang. For the recovery of human vitality, it only plays a temporary supplementary and alternative role. In the end, we still have to focus on the recovery of human vitality, which is the fundamental Qi. This Qi can not be supplemented by tonification, but can only be recovered slowly by human recuperation. Therefore, the maintenance of vitality is the root of our righting, and it is also a fundamental principle for the prevention and treatment of cancer patients in all periods.
Traditional Chinese medicine treatment is a specific therapy determined under the guidance of therapeutic principles, which can improve the quality of life of patients, prolong their survival time, and achieve "coexistence of human and tumor", and the most important thing is to regulate the spleen and stomach [23]. Warming can benefit qi and sweet can invigorate the spleen, so the primordial qi can be restored [24]. Therefore, in clinical practice, we nourish the primordial qi by tonifying the spleen and kidney to nourish the primordial qi, so as to support and consolidate the overall function of the human body, and the comprehensive function of the patients with systemic hypofunction and decline will be improved [25]. Both the kidney and the spleen and stomach are the root of the body's primordial qi. Therefore, the spleen, stomach and kidney should focus on the acquired. The acquired spleen and stomach should be nourished, and the acquired root should be consolidated, so that the curative effect can be gradually achieved, so that the human body can exert its strength and dispel the evil. In our clinical guidance, regulating the spleen and stomach is an important principle of tumor inhibition. Prescription plays a great role in this process. It is a unique treatment method of traditional Chinese medicine. It can assist the human body to restore the function of the spleen and stomach, and has the function of strengthening the body resistance and eliminating pathogens. Compared with a single chemotherapy drug, it can better meet the needs of the human body in the treatment of tumors.
The tonifying method in the treatment of cancer refers to the purpose of preventing and treating cancer and improving the "deficiency" state of cancer patients.Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescriptions as modern research shows that spleen-invigorating prescriptions can enhance human immunity, strengthen human immune defense, monitor self-stabilization function, prevent and treat tumor occurrence, inhibit tumor growth and metastasis, improve complications of patients, protect human bone marrow structure and improve bone marrow hematopoietic function, and have attenuation and synergy effects before and after radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and ultimately achieve anti-tumor effect. This article will put our vision from the tumor itself to the human body itself. The effective means of tonifying primordial qi is to instruct patients to eat normally. Only when food is transported and transformed through the spleen and stomach, and then stored in the human body through the transmission of meridians and collaterals [26], should take the initiative to participate in appropriate physical exercise, and if necessary, add Taijiquan, standing pile, meditation and other Qigong therapies to tonify primordial qi. We should apply the principle of protecting stomach qi throughout all stages of tumor treatment. As long as stomach qi is generated continuously, the vitality can be generated continuously [27]. Moxibustion, as a characteristic therapy of traditional Chinese medicine, is often used by folk health enthusiasts to strengthen the body. It can dispel wind and cold, dredge meridians, promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and lift Yang Qi. These functions also meet all our needs for the prevention and treatment of tumors.Through modern practice, people have found that it can improve the monitoring ability of human immune cells, accelerate the apoptosis of tumor cells, inhibit the division of tumor cells, tumor metastasis and other effects, and regulate the overall physiological function of the human body by stimulating acupoints, so moxibustion as a therapeutic method in clinical practice can not be used in clinical practice. It is also used more and more frequently in the clinical prevention and treatment of cancer [28].

Summary
People's vitality itself is the best medicine, once people get sick, the vitality will spontaneously exorcise and resist evil. If the loss of primordial qi exceeds the compensation of qi and blood generated by the human body's transportation and transformation of water and grain, this loss will be reflected in the decline of human life function [29]. The key to prevention and treatment is to maintain the primordial qi and prevent the invasion of endogenous pathogens and exogenous pathogens to the human body, that is, the so-called "strengthening the body resistance and eliminating pathogens". With the deepening of the study of pathogenesis, the concept that cancer is a chronic cumulative disease has gradually penetrated into the hearts of the people. Patients begin to understand that cancer is not a day's work. Doctors also understand that removing cancer is not a force. The medical community no longer crudely emphasizes the use of radiotherapy and chemotherapy to "kill tumor cells" in treatment, but advocates and appeals to the human body to "survive with tumors". It also pays more attention to the psychological and humanistic care of patients [30] Bio-social psychotherapy, the newly advocated medical model, aims to pay attention to the whole treatment process of patients in an all-round way. We mention the theory of primordial qi here, hoping to pay attention to the recovery of patients' own healthy qi in clinical practice, and to promote the recovery of primordial qi of patients at all stages of cancer under the guidance of "medicine as a supplement, people-oriented". As a therapeutic and rehabilitative principle.