Published online Jan 15, 2023. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v15.i1.69
Peer-review started: September 28, 2022
First decision: October 21, 2022
Revised: October 28, 2022
Accepted: December 21, 2022
Article in press: December 21, 2022
Published online: January 15, 2023
Processing time: 103 Days and 21.9 Hours
Gastric cancer (GC) is a malignant tumor originating from the gastric epithelium, and its incidence and mortality rates rank third among all malignant tumors worldwide. It is also one of the most common cancers in China and is treated predominantly by Western medicine in clinical practice. However, with the advancements in medical technology and informatics, the values of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in preventing and treating GC and improving prognosis have increasingly been recognized. According to TCM, clinical manifestations of GC can be divided into Yege (dysphagia), regurgitation, stomach pain, and Zhengxia (abdominal mass). Due to the unbalanced distribution of health care resources in China, most GC patients already have progressive or advanced-stage disease at the first diagnosis. As a result, most GC patients have poor physical function, and surgery or chemotherapy alone will aggravate the impairment to the immune function and seriously affect the quality of life. In contrast, TCM therapies have shown promising efficacy in the management of these patients. Here we review the role of the integrated TCM and Western medicine in treating advanced GC.
Core Tip: The incidence and mortality rates of gastric cancer (GC) rank third among all malignant tumors worldwide. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been increasingly applied in the clinical treatment of GC. The integrated TCM and the modern medicine can, to a certain extent, improve the therapeutic effects and reduce the adverse reactions caused by the modern medication in cancer treatment.