Traditional Chinese Medicine in Gastric Cancer: A Narrative Review of Mechanisms, Clinical Evidence, Technical Advances, and Translational Challenges

Cancer research · Gastric cancer

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has shown potential in the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer remains a common malignant tumor worldwide and is associated with high disease burden. Its treatment faces challenges from multidrug resistance, an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and suboptimal postoperative recovery. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has shown potential in the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of gastric cancer. This narrative review discusses TCM’s basic theory, clinical practice, technical progress, epidemiological research, controversies, challenges, and future prospects. Experimental studies, clinical trials, cohort studies, randomized trials, meta‑analyses, guideline‑related studies and technical studies were included. TCM may exert anti‑gastric‑cancer effects through regulation of apoptotic pathways, modulation of signaling networks, and improvement of immune function. Clinical evidence suggests that TCM combined with chemotherapy may prolong survival in patients with advanced gastric cancer, and perioperative interventions such as transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation and herbal formulations may alleviate postoperative pain, promote gastrointestinal recovery, and regulate inflammatory responses.

Evidence level: Sejtvonalas. Laboratóriumi sejtekben vizsgálták.

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