Chinese doctors frequently combine western and Chinese medicine while treating  patients. Toad venom, they say, is an effective drug in targeting tumors.

The beginning of traditional Chinese medicine dates back more than 2,000 years. But it was not until the 17th century A.D. that westerners first heard about those ancient treatments from Jesuit missionaries who traveled to Asia.

Now, an American doctor has traveled to China to study the effectiveness of an unusual source of medicine - toad venom. VOA's Melinda Smith reports.