Different traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners have different strategy in the treatment of cancer. Some of them focus on killing cancer cells in the early stage of cancer when the overall condition of the patients is still good, and emphasize tonic only when the patients are very weak in the late stage of cancer. Practical effect is the only way to judge these ideas. From my clinical experience over half century, I believe that whether cancer is in the early, middle and late stages, Chinese medicine treatment should follows four principles throughout the all stages of cancer. The four principles are Anti-cancer, using tonic, symptomatic management and sustained treatment. In this presentation, the four principles are analyzed in theory as well as in clinical cases. Chinese medicine treatment emphasizes to toning up the body and improving immunity, not just attacking cancer cells. The purpose of treatment is to help the patients survive longer and improve their quality of life. Killing cancer cells is not a purpose but a way to reach the purpose. A lot of facts show that Chinese medicine itself has an impressive effect in the treatment of cancer compared with the outcome of western medical treatment described in the authoritative literatures of western medicine, Science needs open mind and respect facts. Traditional Chinese and Western medicine have their own strengths and weaknesses, and need to cooperate rather than exclude each other. The cooperation of TCM and western medicine may further improve the cancer treatment.
