Clinical Research Advances in the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer Using Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive gastrointestinal malignancy with a very high mortality rate, representing a significant medical challenge. This chapter systematically reviews the literature to introduce the advantages and recent research achievements of both Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western medicine in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Regarding TCM, this chapter primarily covers the etiology and pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer, syndrome differentiation and treatment, clinical experience of renowned physicians, common herbal formulas, and external therapies, highlighting the strengths of TCM in addressing both the root cause and symptoms, as well as its approach of treating the disease based on syndrome differentiation. Regarding Western medicine, the chapter briefly introduces the current status of comprehensive treatment centered on surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, as well as targeted and immunotherapy. Subsequently, this paper focuses on methods that integrate TCM therapeutic approaches with surgical treatment, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and minimally invasive interventional therapies to improve treatment efficacy, reduce adverse effects, prolong survival, and enhance quality of life. The author believes this represents the mainstream direction for future development in this field and will be a key focus of future research.