[Current status of clinical application and mechanism research of traditional Chinese medicine for resolving phlegm and detoxifying in anti-tumor treatment].
Malignant tumors, as a major public health issue facing the world, have extremely complex pathogenesis. Molecular biology features represented by acidic microenvironment and lipid metabolism disorders are closely related to tumor invasion and metastasis. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) holds that the diseases caused by phlegm toxicity are characterized by heaviness, turbidity, stickiness, and difficulty in resolving. Modern pharmacological research has confirmed that as a TCM for resolving phlegm and detoxifying to treat phlegm toxicity, it can not only exert anti-cancer effects by directly inhibiting tumor cell proliferation but also reshape the steady-state regulatory network of the tumor microenvironment, including downregulating the microenvironment of lactate accumulation mediated by hypoxia-inducible factor 1α(HIF-1α) and regulating fatty acid synthase(FASN)-related lipid metabolism reprogramming processes, thereby antagonizing tumor invasion and metastasis. The innovative TCM theory of cancer toxicity pathogenesis proposed by our team suggests that the pathogenic characteristics of phlegm toxicity are homologous to the pathological accumulation of abnormal metabolites in the tumor microenvironment. This study systematically reviews the relevant literature on the treatment of tumors with TCM for resolving phlegm and detoxifying, deeply analyzes the theoretical basis of TCM, summarizes the clinical experience of famous TCM practitioners, and explores the clinical efficacy of TCM for resolving phlegm and detoxifying against tumors. At the same time, this study objectively summarizes its active ingredients and anti-tumor mechanisms, so as to provide reference for the prevention and treatment of malignant tumors with TCM.