I. Prevention of recurrence and metastasis after radical tumor surgery Most solid malignant tumors in the early and middle stages, radical surgery is the main treatment means. However, due to the biological characteristics of tumors, especially some low-differentiated cancers, they are easily metastasized through blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, or locally invaded, and clinically prone to recurrence, or distant metastasis, leading to patients’ death in a relatively short time, which is the key reason why the long-term survival rate cannot be effectively improved. For example, 70% to 80% of gastric cancer patients die from local or distant metastasis after surgery, and even for early gastric cancer, there is still a recurrence rate of 30% to 40% 10 years after surgery; among patients who underwent surgery for esophageal cancer, even for patients with very early stage (T1), nearly 50% of them still recur within 5 years. Although some patients can undergo radical surgery after diagnosis, the overall 5-year survival rate is still only 50-60%, and about 2/3 of patients who have undergone radical surgery can have recurrence or distant metastasis, and 85% of recurrence and metastasis occur within two years after surgery. Therefore, for tumor patients, prevention of recurrence and metastasis after surgery is a very important aspect of tumor treatment. In this regard, clinically, we often encounter some painful lessons, for example, Guo, a 63-year-old female, was treated locally for middle and lower esophageal cancer in March 2007, postoperative pathology: squamous carcinoma of middle and lower esophagus, grade II differentiation, tumor invaded the outer membrane of esophagus, negative surrounding lymph nodes, negative upper and lower margins, after surgery, the patient did not perform other treatments or regular checkups, in April 2008, due to upper In April 2008, the patient came to us for consultation because of upper abdominal distension and loss of appetite, and CT of upper abdomen showed: multiple metastases in the liver. We were saddened that the patient did not receive timely treatment after surgery and lost a very good time for treatment. When we asked the patient why he did not continue treatment after surgery, the patient said that he thought he would be well if he had been operated. This situation still exists in primary units, and patients have no understanding of the complexity of tumor and the need for comprehensive treatment. After radical tumor surgery, patients should receive continued treatment by TCM or combined Chinese and Western medicine, and the principle of staged treatment is adopted clinically. For example, for patients after radical surgery of gastrointestinal tumor, early treatment is often used with addition and subtraction of Er Chen Tang, Si Jun Zi Tang, Xiang Sha Liu Jun Tang, etc.; for patients in the middle stage of postoperative period, we should try to get rid of the evil qi as much as possible, i.e. to control and destroy the tumor cells, on the premise that the patient’s positive qi is not excessively damaged. In the design of the treatment plan, we advocate a combination of Chinese and Western medicine under the guidance of TCM theory. The third stage is mainly for patients who do not have any tumor occurrence for a longer period of time after surgery, and the main task is to prevent local recurrence, distant metastasis and the emergence of duplex cancer. This stage often takes a long time and is the key stage of prevention and treatment. In this stage, TCM adopts a multi-step, multi-link and multi-path holistic prevention and treatment, unlike Western medicine which only blocks a single metastatic step or pathway in a single link. The development and metastasis of any disease has a pattern. In clinical work, we combine the metastatic pathways of common tumors and give certain protective treatment to the internal organs that are prone to metastasis, so as to “protect the place that has not yet been affected by the evil”, to protect the parts that may be affected in advance and enhance their ability to resist evil, thus reducing the metastatic rate of tumors. In this way, the rate of tumor metastasis can be reduced. It is pointed out in “The sequential diseases of the internal organs and meridians” that “when one treats the disease of the liver, one knows that the liver transmits the spleen, so one should first strengthen the spleen.” This is a measure to cure and prevent metastasis by applying the law of the five elements. According to the above Chinese medicine theory, we should pay special attention to strengthening the spleen and draining the liver, tonifying the qi and benefiting the lung in the treatment of colon cancer patients to prevent liver and lung metastasis. The development of malignant tumor is a gradual process. In the process of developing into cancer, there is often a period of precancerous lesions, which are some benign lesions with potential cancer. Although there is a tendency of cancer, not all precancerous lesions will develop into cancer. Most precancerous lesions stay at this stage and are stable for a long time, and some of them either heal on their own or recede and recover after treatment, while only a small percentage of precancerous lesions continue to develop and eventually develop into cancer. For example, precancerous lesions such as colonic villous adenoma, colonic polyp, vulvar leukoplakia, atrophic gastritis with intestinal adenosis, atypical hyperplasia of breast epithelium, and severe atypical hyperplasia of cervix are all precancerous lesions. As early as in the “Nei Jing”, Chinese medicine has the idea of “not treating the disease, but treating the disease before it occurs”. We believe that the treatment of this stage should never be taken lightly, because after proper treatment, most precancerous lesions can be restored to normal, i.e. “reversed”, or their development can be stopped. As stated in Su Wen? As stated in “Yin Yang Ying Xiang Da Lun”, “those who are good at treatment treating skin and hair, followed by skin, followed by tendons and veins, followed by six internal organs, followed by five organs, and those who treat five organs, are half dead and half alive”. Tumor disease should be eliminated in the budding stage to prevent it from light to heavy, from small to large, and from local to other organs to spread. For example, in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis with atypical hyperplasia, a precancerous lesion of gastric cancer, Chinese herbal treatment based on the method of strengthening the spleen has not only reduced the clinical symptoms of patients, but also reduced the degree of atypical hyperplasia as indicated by gastroscopy after six months, thus achieving the efficacy of stopping its transformation into gastric cancer. We have further proved through animal experiments that herbal medicines mainly for strengthening the spleen can effectively protect the gastric mucosa, prevent gastric mucosal lesions and prevent the development of precancerous lesions atypical hyperplasia. The following are a few examples: 1. Heteromorphic hyperplasia of esophageal squamous epithelium, Barrett’s esophagus is a precancerous lesion of esophageal cancer, which can be reversed by herbal compound treatment of strengthening spleen and benefiting qi, clearing heat and detoxifying, softening and resolving phlegm. Patient Lin, male, 48 years old, came to the clinic in 2002 because of epigastric discomfort and acid reflux, which was suggested as Barrett’s esophagus by local gastroscopy. After six months, the symptoms basically disappeared, and the gastroscopy was repeated once a year, and the esophagus basically returned to normal after 3 years of treatment. 2. Chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal epithelial hyperplasia or atypical hyperplasia is considered as precancerous lesion of gastric cancer, which can be downgraded and the possibility of gastric cancer can be reduced through treatment with Chinese medicine compound to strengthen spleen and benefit qi, clear heat and detoxify, and soften phlegm. 3. Single or multiple adenomas of colon, especially villous adenomas, larger than 1CM, are prone to carcinoma, although they can be treated by electrosurgery under colonoscopy, the patient’s intestinal environment and genetic background are prone to produce such adenomas, so it is necessary to apply herbal compound treatment, which can reduce the number of adenomas produced or retard their growth. Patient Zhang, male, 53 years old, was examined by colonoscopy in March 2002 due to bleeding hemorrhoids, and was found to have one internal hemorrhoid in the rectum and five polyps in the descending and transverse colon, the largest being 1x1cm, which were electrically excised, and the pathology report was that of villous adenoma, after which the patient was examined by colonoscopy every 9 months or a year with adenomas or polyps, and sought medical advice in January 2005. After one and a half years of treatment, the patient’s colon polyps gradually decreased and adenomas basically disappeared, and still regular checkups. 4. Patients with hepatitis B and cirrhosis are the high-risk group of liver cancer. When there is a gradual increase of serum alpha-fetoprotein, the risk of liver cancer further increases. At this time, we advocate that the occurrence of liver cancer can be prevented or postponed by combining the Chinese herbal medicine compound to strengthen the spleen and dredge the liver, clear heat and detoxify the liver, and soften the hard nodules while closely following up the examination.