Pathogenesis of Esophageal Cancer and Clinical Intervention of Traditional Chinese Medicine： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ABSTRACT

Esophageal cancer is a digestive tract malignancy with high morbidity and mortality and mainly occurs in males. The 5-year survival rate is lower than 20%. In China， the morbidity and mortality of esophageal cancer rank the first in the world， seriously threatening national health. The pathogenesis of esophageal cancer is diverse， which is generally considered as the consequence of environmental-genetic-gene interaction. In addition to genetic factors and regional characteristics， gene mutation， RNA interference， DNA damage repair， tumor microenvironment， dietary habit， chronic adverse stimulation， and inflammatory reaction are all involved in the occurrence and development of esophageal cancer. However， there is no unified and accurate conclusion. Clarifying the exact pathogenesis of esophageal cancer is of great significance for its early screening， diagnosis， prevention， treatment， and prognosis. Surgery， radiotherapy， and chemotherapy are the three effective methods for the treatment of esophageal cancer. However， due to the atypical early symptoms， most patients have missed the best operation period when diagnosed， resulting in poor clinical prognosis. Moreover， radiotherapy and chemotherapy will cause side effects such as loss of appetite， low immune function， esophagitis， pneumonia， and malnutrition， which is not conducive to the prognosis and treatment maintenance of patients. With definite efficacies on esophageal cancer， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， which is flexible and diverse in the treatment， can primarily or alternatively be involved in the treatment of esophageal cancer. TCM can eliminate postoperative complications and postoperative infections and relieve adverse gastrointestinal reactions， weakened immune function， and organ damage caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. It can enhance clinical efficacy and improve the quality of life of patients. Therefore， it is necessary to systematically summarize the clear pathogenesis or risk factors of esophageal cancer and review the clinical characteristics of TCM in the prevention and treatment of esophageal cancer to facilitate the early screening， diagnosis， and treatment of esophageal cancer and promote the application of TCM in the prevention and treatment of esophageal cancer and related adverse reactions.