Traditional Chinese Medicine Body Constitution Theory Reveals Links Between Specific Constitutions and Cancer Risk
Cancer has always been one of the major diseases threatening human health. With advances in modern medicine, attention to early cancer prevention is increasing. Based on its concept of “preventing disease,” traditional Chinese medicine demonstrates unique advantages in cancer risk prediction and health intervention. TCM body constitution theory, by identifying individual constitutional characteristics, provides a new direction for cancer risk assessment.
The Potential Link Between Body Constitution and Disease Susceptibility
Registered TCM Cherry Guo experts point out that each person’s body constitution is different, including physical structure, functional operation, and psychological traits. These physical characteristics are influenced by innate genetics and acquired factors, are usually relatively stable over a period, and can affect the body’s resistance or susceptibility to diseases. According to the Classification and Determination Standards of TCM Body Constitutions, body constitutions are divided into a balanced constitution and eight other imbalanced constitutions. These imbalanced constitutions may increase the risk of disease occurrence. Research shows that body constitution theory is not only applied in disease diagnosis and treatment but is also gradually being used for disease risk assessment.
Dr. Wendy Wong, a Adjunct Associate Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, cited a mainland survey covering 388 high-risk cancer individuals aged 40 to 69. Researchers analyzed the associations between five major cancers (lung cancer, upper gastrointestinal cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer) and TCM body constitutions, and discovered several statistically significant observations.
Preliminary Research Results
| Cancer Type | Body Constitution Type | Risk Multiple | Conclusion |
| Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer | Yin-Deficiency Constitution | 1.84 times | Risk significantly increased |
| Liver Cancer | Dampness-Heat Constitution | 3.32 times | Risk substantially increased |
| Liver Cancer (Male) | Dampness-Heat Constitution | 3.84 times | Risk significantly increased in males |
| Liver Cancer (Female) | Blood Stasis Constitution | 7.97 times | Risk significantly and substantially increased in females |
| Colorectal Cancer (Female) | Blood Stasis Constitution | 5.52 times | Risk significantly increased in females |
| Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer (Female) | Balanced Constitution | 0.45 times | High risk for those with a balanced constitution |
Additionally, a study published in the international journal Pharmacophore indicates that women with a Qi-Stagnation constitution in traditional Chinese medicine face a substantially increased risk of breast cancer. The research team compared 30 breast cancer patients with 311 healthy women and found that the proportion of Qi-Stagnation constitution among the cancer patients was significantly higher, approximately 3.2 times that of the general population. If Qi-Stagnation coexists with a “Dampness-Heat constitution” or a “Blood Stasis constitution,” the risk of breast cancer rises to 4.6 times and 3.3 times respectively, suggesting that multiple imbalanced constitutions may have an additive effect.
Starting from Constitution – Preventing Cancer
Dr. Wendy Wong points out that the core concept of TCM constitution theory is “preventing disease.” She believes that by regularly undergoing TCM constitution identification, high-risk groups can understand their constitutional status early and adopt targeted health interventions. The public can analyze their own constitutional tendencies through TCM constitution questionnaires, which can help adjust lifestyle habits or undertake TCM interventions.
