Research Progress on Gastric Cancer Prevention and Treatment Guided by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Concept of "Treating Disease Before Its Onset"

Abstract

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in clinical practice and is characterized by high incidence and high case-fatality rates. Advanced-stage disease is a major contributor to the rising mortality rate and poses a substantial threat to human health. Although conventional medical treatments have continued to advance, comprehensive gastric cancer management remains challenging. The TCM concept of zhì wèi bìng, commonly translated as “preventive treatment” or “treating disease before its onset”—was first proposed in the classic TCM text Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon). As a distinctive theoretical principle of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it continues to provide important guidance for clinical practice and offers valuable insights into modern medical practice, particularly the development of strategies for gastric cancer prevention and treatment. This review summarizes the current application of the TCM concept of zhì wèi bìng in gastric cancer prevention and treatment. The findings indicate that this concept has shown promising benefits in preventing the initial development of gastric cancer, managing disease progression, improving quality of life in patients with advanced gastric cancer, and reducing the risk of recurrence and metastasis.