The study on use of traditional Chinese medicine in perioperative management of breast cancer is still in the beginning phase. With the emergence of new understanding about the biological characteristics of breast cancer, the concept of treatment has changed. For instance, the resection extent is tending to be narrower, large doses of radiotherapy may be adopted during the operation, and early use of adjuvant chemotherapy is advocated after the operation. These have bought about changes to the intervention factors in the perioperative period for breast cancer. Some related problems about the participation of traditional Chinese medicine in perioperative management of breast cancer are discussed in this article, so as to make the perioperative management perfect.

Key words: Breast cancer, Perioperative period, Integrated Chinese-Western therapy