OBJECTIVETo explore the distribution characteristics of Chinese medicine (CM) syndromes and the rule of dynamic evolvement in patients with colorectal cancer at the perioperative period by applying a mathematical statistics methodology.

METHODSBy using the overall sample date, and cross-sectional descriptive and prospective researching methods, the clinical data of CM symptoms of patients with colorectal cancer from the first day of preoperative care to the third, seventh, and tenth days after the operation were collected. The distribution characteristics of CM syndromes and dynamic evolution were concluded upon by experts, and then by building up a database through the use of EpiData3.1 the frequency statistics and cluster analyses were applied utilizing SAS9.2 software.

RESULTSAmong 210 cases of patient, on the day before the operation, the main route of syndrome was blood deficiency (33.33%), followed by the syndrome of deficiency of both qi and yin (28.57%). On the third day after surgery, the main syndrome was qi deficiency (47.62%), followed by yin deficiency inner-heat. On the seventh day after surgery, the main syndrome was both yin deficiency inner-heat (33.33%) and phlegm-dampness (33.33%). On the tenth day after surgery, the main syndrome was a deficiency of both qi and yin (38.09%), followed by dampness and hot accumulative knotting (33.33%).

CONCLUSIONResearch in the field of the distribution characteristics of CM syndromes and dynamic evolution will provide an objective basis for syndrome differentiation for patients in the perioperative period, further advancing the study of preventing and decreasing relapse and metastasis in CM therapy.