Haematology

Since its establishment in 1972, the Hematology Department of Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine has consistently upheld the development philosophy of giving equal emphasis to Chinese and Western medicine. It is one of the earliest institutions in China to carry out integrated Chinese-Western medicine treatment of hematological diseases and one of the largest integrated Chinese-Western hematology specialties in the country. In 2005 it was among the first group of hospitals designated by the China Marrow Donor Registry as a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and collection hospital; in 2008 it became a National Clinical Research Base for TCM (Hematology); in 2018, a National Regional TCM Center for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Diseases; and in 2024, a National TCM Advantageous Specialty Construction Unit. It is also a key discipline and key specialty in hematology of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the lead unit of the national Aplastic Anemia Collaboration Group. In the first Academic Influence Evaluation Report on Disciplines (Specialties) of TCM Hospitals, released in 2021, it ranked first nationwide. The department currently has 5 wards with 258 beds and 21 sterile laminar-flow clean rooms. Its team of hematology experts in TCM, Western medicine and integrated Chinese-Western medicine includes 2 nationally renowned TCM mentors, 2 academic successors of national veteran TCM experts, 2 famous Zhejiang Province TCM doctors and a number of other talents at or above the provincial and ministerial level.

Technical Advantages

The department has distinctive expertise in the integrated Chinese-Western diagnosis and treatment of various types of anemia (including aplastic anemia and hemolytic anemia), acute and chronic leukemia, thrombocytopenia, lymphoma, myelodysplastic syndromes, multiple myeloma and other diseases.

1. Aplastic anemia: As a key disease of the National TCM Clinical Research Base for Hematology, aplastic anemia has given rise to the hospital's complete TCM intervention system for aplastic anemia, which combines syndrome differentiation, disease differentiation and stage-based treatment and is used together with Western medicine, achieving outstanding results and recognition nationwide. In 1954 the department achieved the first successful case in China of integrated Chinese-Western treatment of aplastic anemia. It has successively led multicenter clinical studies across the province and the country, confirming that combined TCM treatment can effectively improve clinical efficacy, reduce the toxic and side effects of drugs such as immunosuppressants and androgens, regulate immune abnormalities and reduce transfusion dependence. Innovations include the three-stage, four-pattern differentiation and treatment of acute aplastic anemia ("cooling–warming–heating"), and, for chronic aplastic anemia, the theories of "tonifying the kidney and activating blood", "treating phlegm and stasis together" and "latent toxin causing disease". The department has successively won the Zhejiang Provincial Science and Technology Progress Second and Third Prizes. It was the first to propose the "marrow-origin" theory of aplastic anemia transplantation and apply it clinically, clarifying the evolution of TCM syndromes and the material basis during transplantation; stage-by-stage TCM treatment can effectively improve stem cell engraftment and reduce transplant rejection and viral reactivation. Innovative application of the kidney-tonifying, blood-activating and stasis-removing method for intervention before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for severe aplastic anemia and in the early post-transplant period achieved an engraftment rate of 94.1%, transplant-related complication mortality of 5.8% and an incidence of severe GVHD of 5.8%.

2. TCM combined with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: The department has explored TCM combined with stem cell transplantation for refractory hematological diseases for more than 30 years and established a complete model of TCM combined with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; it was the earliest institution in Zhejiang Province to carry out this highly difficult technique. The transplant center can perform the most advanced haploidentical transplantation, unrelated-donor transplantation, cord blood transplantation and other highly difficult transplants, and applies hematopoietic stem cell transplantation not only to benign and malignant hematological diseases but also to refractory and relapsed immune-related disorders such as refractory-relapsed lupus erythematosus and myasthenia gravis, winning the Provincial Government Science and Technology Progress Second and Third Prizes and the Third Prize of the China Association of Chinese Medicine. It innovatively explored the TCM theoretical foundation of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, was the first to propose the concept of "marrow origin" during transplantation, and used TCM theory to explain transplantation-related issues and clarify the evolution of syndromes during transplantation. More than 100 transplants of various types are performed each year, with a success rate above 98% and disease-free survival above 60%; the transplant success rate has reached the internationally advanced level, giving many patients with malignant hematological diseases a new lease on life.

3. Cytopenia: For the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of cytopenia — including cytopenia caused by tumor radiotherapy and chemotherapy, drugs, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and acute and chronic liver disease — the hospital's precision laboratory for integrated Chinese-Western hematology relies on genetic testing, AI-assisted systems and joint Chinese-Western scientific research, uses flow cytometry and chromosome karyotype analysis to identify malignant clones, while TCM experts simultaneously differentiate syndromes (such as dual deficiency of qi and blood and spleen-kidney yang deficiency), achieving three-dimensional correlation of "disease–symptom–syndrome", deeply integrating precise Western diagnosis with holistic TCM regulation, continuously promoting innovation in diagnostic and treatment technology, and providing patients with personalized, full-cycle medical plans.

4. Immune thrombocytopenia: TCM treatment of immune thrombocytopenia has been carried out since the 1970s, gradually forming the treatment principle of "purpuric disease — treating from qi and yin". The hematology department led the special ITP research project of the Ministry of Science and Technology, demonstrating the advantages of the hospital's proven prescription "Zengxue Decoction" in raising platelet counts and reducing hormone use. On this basis, further studies explored the role of Chinese herbal intervention in assisting hormone withdrawal in "purpuric disease", fully recognizing the advantages of Chinese medicine in relieving patients' clinical fatigue and bleeding and improving the overall response to treatment. The department participated in formulating the TCM clinical diagnosis and treatment plan and the clinical pathway for "purpuric disease" of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

5. Lymphoma: In the integrated Chinese-Western treatment of lymphoma, the department focuses on reducing toxic and side effects and enhancing efficacy during the peri-chemotherapy period, on maintenance treatment and relapse prevention during follow-up, and on intervention during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, with syndrome differentiation based on the pathogenic characteristics of lymphoma. Treatment takes "phlegm" as the main focus, with differentiation into five syndrome patterns combined with Western medicine, achieving remarkable results. In particular, the department's self-developed "Jiedu Xiaoluo Formula", modified according to clinical syndromes, can significantly improve tumor burden indicators such as lactate dehydrogenase and β2-microglobulin.

6. Leukemia: In 1976 the department first reported cases of acute granulocytic leukemia successfully treated with the "Anti-Leukemia Seven-Ingredient Decoction", with survival of 20 years. On this basis, the "Anti-Leukemia Longevity Decoction" was newly created. In addition, the discipline pioneered clinical research in China on treating leukemia with the Chinese herb harringtonine, and the pioneering HA regimen has become one of the standard regimens for acute non-lymphocytic leukemia in China. Using the "Anti-Leukemia Longevity Decoction" combined with a low-dose HA regimen, the department has basically clarified that TCM combined with low-dose chemotherapy can significantly improve patients' chemotherapy completion rate and quality of life, improve disease prognosis and prolong survival.

7. Multiple myeloma: In the integrated Chinese-Western treatment of multiple myeloma, upholding the concept of "staged precise intervention and synergistic enhancement of Chinese and Western medicine", multiple myeloma is classified into different syndrome patterns according to different symptoms and constitutions — such as the qi-blood deficiency pattern, liver-kidney yin deficiency pattern, spleen-kidney yang deficiency pattern, phlegm-stasis obstruction pattern and kidney deficiency with blood stasis pattern — and corresponding Chinese herbal formulas are used for the different patterns. During treatment, emphasis is placed on combining support of healthy qi with elimination of pathogenic factors: on the one hand, reinforcing qi and nourishing blood, strengthening the spleen and tonifying the kidney to enhance the body's own resistance; on the other hand, using herbs that clear heat and detoxify, activate blood and resolve stasis, and transform phlegm and soften hardness to remove pathogens and reduce tumor burden. This strategy of giving equal weight to supporting healthy qi and removing pathogens helps improve symptoms and quality of life and prolong survival. On the basis of Western treatment, TCM can effectively reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and targeted therapy (such as peripheral neuropathy).

8. Myelodysplastic syndromes: Since the 1990s, MDS patients have been treated in a stratified manner according to WHO guidelines, with several effective regimens combined with Chinese medicine developed, aiming to support the healthy qi and consolidate the constitution, improve patients' immunity, ameliorate the disease and raise quality of life. For younger middle- and high-risk patients, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation combined with TCM has been applied, accelerating engraftment, improving transplant success and reducing relapse with very good results; for elderly patients or those unable to tolerate standard-dose chemotherapy, the department's combined Chinese-Western regimens that promote hematopoiesis and reduce cell apoptosis have achieved fairly good results.

Academic Standing

The Hematology Department of Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of TCM is a key discipline and key specialty in hematology of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the lead unit of the "Eleventh Five-Year" key disease program's Aplastic Anemia Collaboration Group, the National Clinical Research Base for TCM (Hematology) since 2008, the National Regional TCM Hematology Diagnosis and Treatment Center since 2018, and a National TCM Advantageous Specialty since 2024, as well as the chair unit of the Hematology Branch of the Zhejiang Provincial Associations of TCM and of Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine. In the Academic Influence Evaluation Report on Disciplines (Specialties) of TCM Hospitals issued by the China Association of Chinese Medicine together with the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, the discipline's comprehensive academic influence ranks first nationwide.

Research Achievements

The department led 11 institutions nationwide in revising the TCM diagnosis and treatment guideline for aplastic anemia and organized and completed 2 national TCM industry research special projects (with total funding of 15.20 million yuan); it pioneered research in China on TCM combined with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for aplastic anemia and formed a complete set of standardized technical plans for treating aplastic anemia. It led the formulation of the TCM diagnosis and treatment guideline for acute leukemia and the consensus on integrated Chinese-Western diagnosis and treatment of lymphoma, participated in establishing the TCM clinical pathways for 4 diseases including "leukemia", "purpuric disease", "purpuric wind" and "consumptive disease (leukocytopenia)", and took part in formulating the guideline for TCM treatment of myeloma, which has been implemented and promoted as an industry standard. It has won 12 awards at or above the provincial and ministerial level, including the Provincial Government Science and Technology Progress Second and Third Prizes and the Third Prize of the China Association of Chinese Medicine; it holds 25 patents and 5 software copyrights and has 2 in-hospital preparations, and it organized two batches totaling 29 base capacity-building research special projects with an open fund of 6.05 million yuan, covering 16 provinces and cities nationwide.