Treatment of Esophageal Cancer Based on ZHANG Jiebin's "Water-Fire of Life Gate Theory"
10.13288/j.11-2166/r.2025.23.018
- VernacularTitle:从张介宾“命门水火观”论治食管癌
- Author:
Weicong ZHAO
1
;
Linglin HE
1
;
Xueyi HUANG
1
;
Yuheng JIN
1
;
Guangxing XU
1
Author Information
1. School of Basic Medical Science,Zhejiang Chinese Medical University,Hangzhou,310053
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
esophageal cancer;
dysphagia;
life gate (mìng mén);
water and fire;
kidney yang;
kidney water
- From:
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine
2025;66(23):2504-2508
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Guided by ZHANG Jiebin's "water-fire of life gate theory", this paper explored the etiology, pathoge-nesis, and syndrome differentiation-based treatment approach for esophageal cancer. It is proposed that the core pathogenesis of esophageal cancer, derived from the imbalanced state of water and fire in life gate, can be summarized into three manifestations. Firstly, decline of life gate fire leads to failure of qi transformation and accumulation of phlegm and blood stasis; secondly, fire fails to warm the earth resulting in dysfunctional ascending and descending, and qi stagnation and blood stasis; thirdly, deficiency of life gate water contributs to proliferation of cancerous toxins and physical deterioration. In terms of treatment, guided by ZHANG's treatment principles for dysphagia, three treatment methods are proposed, warming and tonifying kidney yang to promote qi transformation through steaming action, warming and nourishing the spleen and stomach to restore central pivot movement, and nourishing kidney water to replenish essence and blood, then support bodily nourishment. Clinical case examples are provided to illustrate the application of these methods.