Traditional Chinese medicine in China used to provide more options for the treatment of tumor patients. However, due to the influence of traditional concept, it is always thought that TCM, as a “slow-medium”, is only suitable for some conditioning and other work. Therefore, the traditional positioning of TCM in tumor prevention and treatment does not really reflect the advantages of TCM. (1) Traditional role In traditional thinking, the role of Chinese medicine in anti-cancer is mainly reflected in the following aspects: it can improve the success rate of surgery, reduce complications and secondary diseases, reduce toxicity and increase effectiveness when combined with radiotherapy, improve the internal environment of the body, adjust immunity, and effectively prevent tumor recurrence and metastasis. For more than half a century, people have consciously and unconsciously positioned TCM as a kind of drug treatment. Just like the treatment of inflammation, which puts antimicrobial agents in the only position, the treatment of tumors also only sees cancer tumors but not living people, and only regards anti-cancer and tumor suppression as the only goal, and inappropriately compares the short-term temporary efficacy of TCM treatment with chemotherapy, requiring the so-called “efficiency” of complete remission and partial remission. Is this not a comparison of the shortcomings of Chinese medicine with the strengths of Western medicine? So that for a long time traditional Chinese medicine seems to be mainly located in the supporting role in the combined treatment of Chinese and Western medicine, or to prevent the comorbidity of the three major treatments of Western medicine, in order to reduce the decline of blood picture, to relieve the side effects of vomiting, diarrhea, impaired liver function, etc., or when the patient’s condition enters the middle and late stage, when the three major treatments of Western medicine can no longer be administered, and retreat to Chinese medicine as a “palliative “In short, in the treatment of cancer, there is no need to use Chinese medicine. In short, in cancer treatment, traditional Chinese medicine can only play a supplementary role. (2) Fundamental changes in medicine Over the past 20 years, various changes have occurred or are occurring in medicine, including changes in medical outlook, medical model, the enhancement of human values, the deepening of the understanding of the shortcomings of pure biomedical methods, and the fact that cancer is still rampant, including the sublimation of the understanding of the development and various aspects of tumor, have prompted people to start thinking about many medical problems again, especially the exploration of such persistent diseases as tumors. It is believed that the whole strategy of tumor prevention and treatment should be adjusted. In view of this, the strategic position of TCM in cancer prevention and treatment should change or need to be adjusted with the change of the overall cancer prevention and treatment strategy. (3) Adjustment of Chinese medical oncology At present, basic research and clinical exploration on Chinese medicine against cancer are very active. However, the goals and objectives of cancer prevention and treatment have fundamentally changed from the original single cancer treatment to “prevention-oriented” and “human-centered”. This fundamental conceptual change involves many aspects, for example, some insightful people have long recognized that the so-called “efficiency” of tumors may not really reflect the best clinical interests of patients. For example, long-term survival with tumor, although the “efficiency” may not be high, but a better quality of life and a significantly longer period of quality survival are not only the desire and gospel of patients. Therefore, inhibition of tumor progression and progression-free survival with tumor can also well reflect the interests of patients. From these perspectives, the strategic position of traditional Chinese medicine in cancer prevention and treatment is bound to change accordingly. This will be reflected in three major aspects: 1. Effective prevention of tumor occurrence It is not the specialty of Chinese medicine to treat “tumors in shape”, but to prevent the occurrence of cancer tumors that have not yet “taken shape”, and to prevent recurrence of cancer tumors after they have been removed, or to live with cancer and survive with tumors. Chinese medicine has a wide scope of application and may take the leading role. Chinese medicine emphasizes the holistic viewpoint of “human being” and the core of its treatment is to adjust yin and yang. The occurrence of cancer has a long process from the involvement of carcinogens in human metabolism, cancer initiation and promotion, to DNA damage and repair, and then to the stage of precancerous lesions. It takes about 5 to 20 years to develop from precancerous atypical proliferating cells to carcinoma in situ, and then from carcinoma in situ to progressive carcinoma with infiltration or metastatic ability. “In other words, we can effectively prevent the occurrence of tumors. This will likely become an important strategic position of Chinese medicine in cancer prevention and treatment. Unfortunately, there is not enough awareness of this in the past, so there is a lack of targeted efforts to explore and accumulate corresponding, convincing information and experience. 2.Promotion of the original advantageous areas Chinese medicine should still be devoted to the original advantageous areas – such as improving the success rate of surgery, reducing complications and secondary diseases; cooperating with radiotherapy to reduce toxicity and increase effectiveness; improving the internal environment of the body and adjusting immunity; or using Chinese medicine to prevent recurrence or metastasis of tumor patients after they have received surgery or radiotherapy, or chemotherapy remission, and consolidating their treatment. When a tumor patient has received surgery or radiotherapy, or after chemotherapy is in remission, Chinese medicine can be used to prevent its recurrence or metastasis and consolidate its curative effect. A lot of work has been done in this regard, so there is no need to elaborate. 3. Direct treatment of refractory tumors Based on years of exploration and rich accumulation, we believe that, in addition to the above, Chinese medicine can play an important or major role in the direct treatment of tumors, which is the third point. In the treatment of many cancers that are difficult to be treated by modern Western medicine – such as pancreatic cancer, bile duct cancer, liver cancer, brain tumor, sarcoma, and mid- to late-stage tumors that have recurred or metastasized – we can strive to gain an important “voice” by exploring. In our experience, it seems that these tumor patients are not at the end of their rope; if they have the right idea, the right response and the right combination, the profound Chinese medicine has the possibility to make them “see the light again”. In particular, it is a remarkable field to search for effective anti-cancer components from natural drugs, enhance the body’s immune function, and induce differentiation and apoptosis of cancer cells. In this regard, Chinese medicine will have a great role to play in the comprehensive treatment of cancer. Our practice in the past two decades has fully demonstrated this. In conclusion, there is an extremely important place for Chinese medicine in reducing the morbidity and mortality of cancer. It should not be limited to the present-day adjuvant aspects such as reducing complications of radiotherapy or palliative care for patients with incurable advanced cancer. In view of this, we should clearly recognize the differences between Chinese medicine and Western medicine in the world health landscape and their different advantages, accurately position the role of Chinese medicine in cancer treatment, and formulate a strategic direction suitable for the development of Chinese medicine.