People often ask when to take Chinese medicine when they are suffering from tumor. In fact, Chinese medicine should be taken at any stage of tumor treatment, only the purpose of taking Chinese medicine is different. Sometimes it should be to support the righteousness, and sometimes it should be to support the righteousness and dispel the evil at the same time. Despite the outstanding achievements of modern western medicine in tumor treatment, there are some shortcomings, such as comorbidities, side effects, bottlenecks in the treatment of advanced tumors, etc. The remedy of these defects is exactly where the advantages of Chinese medicine lie. Thus, modern tumor treatment advocates comprehensive treatment, taking the strengths of each to avoid its weaknesses. 1. Chinese medicine combined with radiotherapy has always occupied a dominant position in tumor treatment, but radiotherapy, while fighting tumor, will affect the digestive function and damage the spleen and stomach, causing nausea and vomiting, and affecting the operation of qi and blood, causing dizziness and fatigue, as well as causing damage to liver function and decreasing the immunity of the body. The use of Chinese medicine during radiotherapy reduces the side effects of radiotherapy and ensures the smooth implementation of radiotherapy. Chinese medicine can regulate the function of spleen and stomach, improve sleep, enhance physical strength and improve immunity, thus enhancing the treatment effect. 2. Chinese medicine combined with surgery Surgery has eradication effect for most early tumor lesions, but it is more invasive and due to the spread of tumor metastasis, radiotherapy is still needed after surgery to consolidate the efficacy or treat metastasis. Palliative treatment of advanced tumors sometimes requires surgery in combination with radiotherapy. The trauma of surgery coupled with the adverse effects of radiotherapy, while treating tumors, the trauma to the patient’s body should not be underestimated, which requires the systemic conditioning of Chinese medicine. Before surgery, Chinese medicine is used to support the righteousness, improve the patient’s nutritional status and strengthen the body to lay the foundation for the surgery; after surgery, Chinese medicine is taken to regulate the spleen and stomach, nourish the yin and produce fluid, improve the quality of life and promote the recovery of the body. 3. Late stage patients Many late stage patients, as the internal organs and yin and yang have been seriously imbalanced, undergoing radiotherapy and surgery will often aggravate the imbalance and lead to adverse consequences. At this time, patients can adopt Chinese medicine treatment. Chinese medicine uses the view of balance to guide the treatment, and the patient’s organism can reach a relative stability, which in turn can carry the tumor to survive for a long time, and the quality of life will be better. 4.Avoid and reduce the recurrence and metastasis of tumor According to Chinese medicine, the key to the recurrence and metastasis of tumor is “the positive does not suppress the evil”. After radiotherapy, surgery and other treatments, it is not guaranteed that all tumors in the body are cleared, coupled with the weakening of immune ability of the body after treatment, the positive and the evil are still confronting each other in the body. Therefore, during the recovery period of tumor patients, taking traditional Chinese medicine can help the positive and eliminate the evil, enhance the body’s immune ability and resist the recurrence and metastasis of tumor, so that some patients with residual tumor lesions can still survive for a long time and have a better quality of life. 5. Chinese medicine has less toxic side effects and lower price Both radiotherapy and surgery have their side effects, and the side effects are sometimes very serious, even beyond the effect of treatment, so they cannot be used for a long time. Chinese medicine is mild, with little toxic side effects, and even if taken for a long time, it will not harm the function of the body. Moreover, the price is much lower than other treatments, so most patients can afford it. A large number of clinical studies and clinical experiences show that the best way to treat tumors is through the integrated treatment of Chinese and Western medicine. Chinese medicine treatment should be a reflection of “orderly treatment” and “holistic treatment”, that is, according to patients’ specific conditions, different treatment strategies should be adopted in different stages. The advantages of Chinese medicine in treating tumor and tonifying the body are as follows: (1) Post-surgical patients: due to surgical injury, patients mostly show deficiency of both qi and blood, often showing symptoms such as weakness, spontaneous sweating, night sweating, dullness and abdominal distension, insomnia and dreaminess, etc. Using Chinese medicine can nourish qi and blood, reduce surgical complications, and facilitate patients’ quick recovery; (2) Through Chinese medicine to support the righteousness and eliminate the evil, consolidate the therapeutic effect, and reduce the recurrence and metastasis of tumor (3) Taking Chinese medicine during radiotherapy and chemotherapy can reduce the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, leukopenia, anemia, insomnia, pain, dry mouth and thirst; (4) Patients with advanced stage or lesions not suitable for surgery or radiotherapy treatment: taking Chinese medicine can control tumor growth, reduce symptoms, improve quality of life and prolong survival.