herbalist diagnosis question

[ketchup]

Generally speaking, should a skilled chinese herbalist be able to detect, from feeling the pulses on both wrists and looking at a patient's tongue, the presence of cancer or a tumor? I.E, would these conditions manifest and be detectable in the pulse and/or tongue?

[vikinggoddess]

I've heard of Chinese docs being able to tell ectopic pregnacy, appendicitis, etc. from pulse. I would think that this kind kind of skill only comes with a lifetime of practice. There are some signs that would give Chinese medicine doc clues to cancer, but I don't think the average practitioner should necessarily be able to predict cancer or tumors. Here are some clues though: a purple dot on either side of the tongue near the tip is a potentially a warning to breast cancer (left side tongue corresponding to left breast, or purple tinged tongue (blood stagnation), or a thick tongue coat. thick tongue coat can be damp or phlegm accumulation. cancerous tumors are pretty much phlegm and blood stasis, so that is where those tongue clues come in. i think even if a practitioner cannot give a name to a pattern like "tumor," the signs of the overall disharmony (blood stagnation or phlegm or both) can be seen on the tongue/pulse/questioning and the appropriate herbs given which will then treat the cancer or tumor.

my husband found some tumors, under his armpit and arms, like lymph area. he found them at thanksgiving. this was very scary because 2 of relatives have lymphoma. i wasn't checking his pulse or looking at his tongue before that, but after he showed me i checked his tongue and there was a thick white tongue coat. i gave him herbs and needled the lumps (maybe 5x) and they are pretty much gone now. i don't see the point to tell him to go to the doctor for a diagnosis since i made the lumps go away. i am just continuing on an off to make him the herbs and i have him check his lymph nodes.

[ketchup]

thank you for your, as always, informative response