Application of peri-tumoral acupuncture in tumor treatment from the perspective of "tumor collateral stasis"

Based on "collateral disease," this paper proposes the theory of "tumor collateral stasis" as the core pathogenesis of tumors, taking tumor localization as the research object, tumor blood vessels as the structural basis, and tumor microenvironment as the biological basis. "Tumor collateral stasis" is a generalization of tumor pathogenesis and a pathological product of the tumor. With the aging of the population, malignant tumors in older individuals have become a common problem worldwide. Older patients with malignant tumors are often frail, with declined organ physiological function and several comorbidities. Most of them find it difficult to tolerate the standard treatment of western medicine and require individualized diagnosis and treatment plans. Recently, traditional Chinese medicine has been explored and practiced in the treatment of older patients with malignant tumors and has achieved good therapeutic effects. Peri-tumoral acupuncture can dredge meridians, activate collaterals, warm and promote yang qi, strengthen local defenses, and promote blood circulation to resolve stasis. Under the guidance of the "tumor collateral stasis" theory, we applied peri-tumoral acupuncture to treat cancer pain, low anterior resection syndrome in rectal cancer, tumor suppression, recurrence prevention, and organ preservation, achieving excellent results. This study provides novel insights for clinical tumor treatment, especially in the treatment of older patients with malignant tumors.