Exploring Pathogenesis and Treatment of Gastric Cancer Metastasis Based on Blood Harmonizing Method
10.13422/j.cnki.syfjx.20261127
- VernacularTitle:基于“和血法”探讨胃癌转移病机及治法
- Author:
Zhongbo ZHU
1
;
Wenying YANG
1
;
Fangni LI
1
;
Yujie YANG
1
;
Jungang DONG
2
;
Xiping LIU
1
Author Information
1. Engineering Laboratory for New Traditional Chinese Medicine Product Development of Gansu Province， Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Exploration and Innovation Transformation of Chinese Medicine Prescriptions， Gansu University of Chinese Medicine， Lanzhou 730000，China
2. Gansu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine， Lanzhou 730000，China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
harmonizing blood;
gastric cancer metastasis;
peritoneal metastasis;
blood vessels;
therapeutic method
- From:
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae
2026;32(20):63-73
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Metastasis in gastric cancer is a key factor contributing to poor prognosis. Its pathogenesis is complex， characterized by a combination of underlying deficiency and superficial excess， cold and heat in complexity， and stagnation in collateral Conventional aggressive treatment methods tend to exacerbate the depletion of healthy Qi and Zang-Fu organ dysfunctions. The harmonizing method in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） emphasizes holistic regulation and reinforcing healthy Qi while expelling pathogenic factors. The blood harmonizing method is grounded in the core TCM theory of blood vessel transmission and Zang-Fu organ accumulation of cancerous toxins. It closely addresses the essence of metastasis-where cancerous toxins spread through the bloodstream and accumulate in the collaterals-thereby providing a unique and feasible diagnostic and therapeutic approach for clinical intervention in gastric cancer metastasis. This paper systematically reviews relevant TCM theories such as transmission and Zang-Fu organ accumulation of cancerous toxins and accumulation-gathering and provides an in-depth explanation of the core pathogenesis of gastric cancer metastasis. Specifically， cancerous toxins circulate throughout the body via the blood vessels and accumulate in the collaterals of target organs such as the liver， peritoneum， lymph nodes， and lungs. The occurrence and development of this process are consistently centered on the key mechanism of disharmony in blood-related syndromes. On this basis， the paper explicitly proposes three major therapeutic approaches centered on harmonizing the blood. The first is harmonizing the blood to restore ascending and descending functions， thereby invigorating the spleen and regulating the middle energizer to restore the mediating function of the middle energizer and block the generation of phlegm and blood stasis at the root. The second is harmonizing the blood to balance cold and heat， using pungent herbs to open and bitter herbs to descend to harmonize the Yin-Yang balance and improve the homeostasis of the tumor microenvironment. The third is harmonizing the blood to unblock collaterals and resolve stasis， thereby gradually dissipating stasis and nodules， gently clearing obstructions in the collaterals， and breaking the critical link of collateral stagnation forming masses caused by metastasis. The article further summarizes modern pharmacological research findings on representative formulas such as Banxia Xiexintang， Weichang'an， Yangzheng Sanjie decoction， and Sijunzitang， confirming that they can inhibit the proliferation， invasion， and metastasis of gastric cancer cells， as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transition， through multiple targets and pathways， to regulate angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis， modulate the immune microenvironment， and induce tumor cell apoptosis and ferroptosis， thereby blocking the metastasis process at multiple levels. This paper discusses the theoretical basis， pathogenetic mechanisms， therapeutic systems， and modern mechanisms of the blood harmonizing method for the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer metastasis. It fully embodies the TCM principles of targeting balance， reinforcing healthy Qi without aiding the pathogen， and eliminating the pathogen without harming the healthy Qi， providing a solid theoretical foundation and practical pharmacological references for the prevention and treatment of gastric cancer metastasis with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in clinical practice.
