Mr. Zhao, a 78-year-old male patient from Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, was admitted to Jiaozuo Zhonghai TCM Cancer Hospital for the treatment of gastric cardia cancer. Half a month prior, he had visited a local hospital due to difficulty swallowing. An examination by gastroscopy and pathology confirmed a diagnosis of well‑differentiated adenocarcinoma of the lower esophagus and gastric cardia. Given his advanced age and physical condition, his family decided, after discussion, to pursue conservative treatment with traditional Chinese medicine. Upon the recommendation of a close friend, they came to our hospital for treatment.
At the initial consultation, Mr. Zhao presented with:
• Difficulty swallowing (able to take only soft or liquid foods)
• General fatigue
• A pale-red tongue with tooth marks
• A thin, white tongue coating that was slightly greasy at the root
• A slippery pulse at the right guan position and a string‑thin pulse at the left guan position
The TCM diagnosis was “ye ge” (dysphagia/obstruction), with a syndrome pattern of spleen-stomach weakness complicated by intermingled phlegm and qi stagnation. The treatment principle was to invigorate the spleen and harmonize the stomach, resolve phlegm, and relieve stagnation. After carefully evaluating Mr. Zhao’s condition, Director Zhang formulated a treatment plan centered on the hospital’s proprietary medicine “Chuye Powder,” prescribing a 10‑day trial course to observe the effects.
After 10 days of treatment, the patient reported significant improvements:
• His ability to eat had improved dramatically, and he could now swallow noodles, meat, steamed buns, and other foods smoothly
• His fatigue had decreased noticeably
Mr. Zhao highly praised the treatment results achieved by Professor Zhang’s team, expressing his sincere gratitude: “Thank you, Professor Zhang, for giving me a second life!” He is currently continuing with TCM treatment to consolidate his recovery.
