Personalized Traditional Chinese Medicine in Oncology: Bridging the Macro State with Micro Targets

Cancer continues to pose significant challenges to global health systems due to its substantial disease burden and complex pathogenesis, and current therapies often demonstrate unsatisfactory outcomes. The inherent problems of tumor heterogeneity and individual variability lead to diverse responses to identical interventions, and result in uncertainty in treatment outcomes. Concomitant factors such as stress, mental health and diet also collectively impact patients’ overall health, and thereby affect cancer progression in turn. Therefore, the comprehensive evaluation of patients’ multidimensional profiles and the implementation of personalized treatments is imperative. This integrated approach not only enhances prognostic outcomes, but also improves quality of life. As a complementary therapeutic option, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has good efficacy in symptom alleviation and quality-of-life improvement. This holistic approach emphasizes the interconnectedness of human physiological systems and their harmonious balance with the external environment. TCM interventions are tailored to individual clinical manifestations, which enables the development of personalized treatment regimens. This review elucidates the clinical applications of TCM in individualized cancer treatment, and delineates its strategic framework for oncology management. It incorporates the innovative concept of “State-target differentiation and treatment” (Bianzheng Lunzhi) proposed by academician Tong Xiaolin, which integrates macro and micro perspectives into the diagnostic and therapeutic framework. The aim of this review is to advance evidence-based TCM approaches for the treatment of malignant tumors, and provide a more scientific and systematic methodology for individualized cancer treatment in TCM.