Traditional Chinese medicine in treating upper digestive tract cancers

IF 27.7 1区医学 Q1 BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Molecular Cancer Pub Date : 2024-11-08 DOI:10.1186/s12943-024-02149-x

Alexis Shiying Huang, Jiaying Wu, Aftab AMIN, Xiu-Qiong Fu, Zhi-Ling Yu

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Abstract

Upper digestive tract cancers, such as oral cavity, laryngeal, esophageal, and gastric cancers, account for 10% of cancer cases and 14.5% of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Conventional treatments often provide limited survival benefits and are frequently associated with adverse effects and drug resistance. Chinese herbal drugs (CHDs) are widely used in the Far East for managing these cancers. In this narrative review, we summarize current clinical studies (published up to June 2024) on the use of 138 CHDs in the treatment of cancers and precancerous lesions of the upper digestive tract. For cancer treatment, 126 CHDs were tested, all in combination with conventional therapies. Each CHD increased the clinical efficacy and/or reduced the adverse effects of conventional therapies. The five-year survival rate is a critical metric for evaluating the clinical benefits of cancer treatments. Four of the CHDs were reported to increase five-year survival rates of patients receiving conventional therapies. The four CHDs are Sishen Jiedu Decoction, Pingxiao Tablet, Fuzheng Guben Granule, and Buyang Huanwu Tang. For managing precancerous lesions, 12 CHDs were tested: six used alone and six in combination with conventional therapies. Zengshengping is one of the CHDs used alone and is the only one that has been proven to prevent the development of esophageal cancer with convincing evidence. This review provides information about the clinical benefits of CHDs and offers a reference for their rational application in treating upper digestive tract cancers. The reviewed studies have limitations: most trials had small sample sizes and were not multi-center; only one study investigated the mechanisms of action of the studied CHD; and the active components of CHDs were not explored. To promote international recognition of CHDs, rigorously designed studies on clinical outcomes, mechanisms of action, and active components are warranted. Moreover, the studied CHDs should be standardized.

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中药治疗上消化道癌症

上消化道癌症，如口腔癌、喉癌、食管癌和胃癌，占全球癌症病例的 10%，占癌症相关死亡人数的 14.5%。传统的治疗方法通常只能提供有限的生存益处，而且经常出现不良反应和耐药性。中草药在远东地区被广泛用于治疗这些癌症。在这篇叙述性综述中，我们总结了目前关于 138 种中药用于治疗上消化道癌症和癌前病变的临床研究（截至 2024 年 6 月发表）。在癌症治疗方面，共测试了 126 种 CHD，均与传统疗法相结合。每种 CHD 都提高了临床疗效和/或减少了传统疗法的不良反应。五年生存率是评估癌症治疗临床疗效的关键指标。据报道，有四种 CHD 提高了接受传统疗法的患者的五年生存率。这四种化学合成药物是四神解毒片、平消片、扶正固本颗粒和步阳黄五汤。在治疗癌前病变方面，测试了 12 种 CHD：6 种单独使用，6 种与传统疗法联合使用。增生平是其中一种单独使用的 CHD，也是唯一一种已被证实可预防食道癌发展并具有令人信服的证据的 CHD。这篇综述提供了 CHDs 的临床疗效信息，为合理应用 CHDs 治疗上消化道癌症提供了参考。综述的研究存在局限性：大多数试验的样本量较小，且不是多中心试验；只有一项研究调查了所研究的 CHD 的作用机制；没有探讨 CHD 的活性成分。为了促进 CHD 在国际上得到认可，有必要对临床结果、作用机制和活性成分进行严格设计的研究。此外，所研究的 CHD 应标准化。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Molecular Cancer 医学-生化与分子生物学

CiteScore

54.90

自引率

2.70%

发文量

224

审稿时长

2 months

期刊介绍： Molecular Cancer is a platform that encourages the exchange of ideas and discoveries in the field of cancer research, particularly focusing on the molecular aspects. Our goal is to facilitate discussions and provide insights into various areas of cancer and related biomedical science. We welcome articles from basic, translational, and clinical research that contribute to the advancement of understanding, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. The scope of topics covered in Molecular Cancer is diverse and inclusive. These include, but are not limited to, cell and tumor biology, angiogenesis, utilizing animal models, understanding metastasis, exploring cancer antigens and the immune response, investigating cellular signaling and molecular biology, examining epidemiology, genetic and molecular profiling of cancer, identifying molecular targets, studying cancer stem cells, exploring DNA damage and repair mechanisms, analyzing cell cycle regulation, investigating apoptosis, exploring molecular virology, and evaluating vaccine and antibody-based cancer therapies. Molecular Cancer serves as an important platform for sharing exciting discoveries in cancer-related research. It offers an unparalleled opportunity to communicate information to both specialists and the general public. The online presence of Molecular Cancer enables immediate publication of accepted articles and facilitates the presentation of large datasets and supplementary information. This ensures that new research is efficiently and rapidly disseminated to the scientific community.