Stomach cancer belongs to the category of “accumulation” and “stomach pain” in traditional Chinese medicine, and there is no so-called special herbs for treating stomach cancer. Commonly used traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions include Ginseng-ling-White-Artemisia Powder, Chaihu-Sparing the Liver Powder, Jade Maiden Decoction, Er-Chen Soup, and Diaphragm-under-Diaphragm Blood Stasis Expelling Soup, and so on.
1. Ginseng Ling and Atractylodes Macrocephalae San: with the effect of benefiting qi, strengthening spleen, penetrating dampness and stopping diarrhea, it can be used for the disease of weak spleen and stomach, which is characterized by hidden pain in stomach and epigastrium, emaciation, yellowish color, fullness in epigastrium (abdomen) and loose stools.
2. Chai Hu Shu Hepatosan: with the efficacy of dispersing the liver and relieving depression, promoting qi and relieving pain (relieving pain by regulating the body’s qi), it can be used in this disease of liver-stomach disharmony syndrome, which is characterized by gastric and epigastric distension and fullness (stomach distension and discomfort), with pain at times, spreading to the two hypochondriums and frequent belching (hiccups).
3. Jade Maiden Decoction: with the effect of clearing stomach heat and nourishing kidney yin, it can be used for the syndrome of stomach heat and yin injury, which is characterized by noisy and burning heat in the stomach and epigastric region, fullness and acid swallowing (swallowing the acid in the stomach which rushes upward to the oropharynx), dryness of the mouth, and urinary and fecal congestion.
4. Er Chen Tang: It has the efficacy of drying dampness, resolving phlegm, regulating qi and harmonizing the middle, and can be used for the disease of phlegm-dampness obstruction of the stomach, which is characterized by epigastric and diaphragmatic constriction, vomiting of phlegm and saliva, nausea and vomiting.
5. Subphrenic Blood Stasis Expelling Soup: with the efficacy of activating blood circulation, eliminating blood stasis, promoting qi circulation and relieving pain, it can be used in the case of blood stasis obstruction, which is characterized by a lump in the abdomen under the coercion, or pain in the belly and abdomen with the pain not shifting, or lying down with a drop in the abdomen that seems to be with a substance.
Surgical resection and radiotherapy are the main measures for the treatment of gastric cancer, but traditional Chinese medicine treatment can be carried out throughout the whole treatment process to alleviate the related symptoms and promote the recovery of patients, and the specific medication should be administered under the guidance of physician’s diagnosis.