Traditional Chinese Medicine for Cancer Pain Management： A Review
10.13422/j.cnki.syfjx.20251735
- VernacularTitle:中医药治疗癌性疼痛的研究进展
- Author:
Lingyun WANG
1
;
Guangda ZHENG
2
;
Lu SHANG
1
;
Juanxia REN
1
;
Changlin LI
1
;
Dongtao LI
2
;
Haixiao LIU
2
;
Yaohua CHEN
3
;
Guiping YANG
3
;
Yanju BAO
2
Author Information
1. The First Clinical College， Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine， Shenyang 110847，China
2. Guang'anmen Hospital， China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences， Beijing 100053，China
3. Xining Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine， Xining 810001，China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
cancer pain;
tumor microenvironment;
central sensitization;
traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） compound prescription
- From:
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae
2026;32(5):114-123
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Cancer pain is one of the most common complications in patients with malignant tumors， severely affecting their quality of life. Its pathogenesis involves complex interactions among the tumor microenvironment， peripheral sensitization， and central sensitization. The tumor microenvironment initiates peripheral pain sensitization by secreting algogenic mediators， activating ion channels and related receptor signaling pathways， driving abnormal osteoclast activation， and mediating neuro-immune crosstalk. Persistent nociceptive input further triggers increased excitability of central neurons， activation of glial cells， and neuroinflammatory cascade reactions， ultimately leading to central pain sensitization. Although traditional opioid drugs can alleviate pain to some extent， they still have many limitations， such as incomplete analgesia， drug tolerance， and adverse reactions. In recent years， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） compounds have made continuous progress in the treatment of cancer pain. Studies have shown that they can not only effectively relieve cancer pain and reduce the dosage of opioids but also significantly improve patients' quality of life. TCM treatment of cancer pain follows the principle of syndrome differentiation and treatment. Based on this， targeted therapeutic principles have been proposed， including promoting blood circulation， removing stasis， regulating Qi， and unblocking collaterals； tonifying the kidney， replenishing essence， warming Yang， and dispersing cold， activating blood， resolving phlegm， detoxifying， and dispersing nodules， as well as strengthening the body， replenishing deficiency， and harmonizing Qi and blood. Modern research indicates that TCM compounds can exert synergistic effects through multiple pathways， inhibiting inflammatory responses， regulating nerve conduction， intervening in bone metabolism and related gene expression， thereby producing anti-inflammatory and bone-protective effects to achieve the goal of alleviating cancer pain. This article systematically elaborates on the pathogenesis of cancer pain， the clinical application of TCM in treating cancer pain， and its related mechanisms of action， aiming to provide a theoretical basis and new strategies for the integration of TCM into comprehensive cancer pain management.
