Objective To research the TCM syndrome distribution and formula characteristics of primary lung cancer. Methods The articles of clinical research and personal experience in treating primary lung cancer with TCM and integrative medicine from Juanury 1977to July 2013were searched in China National Knowledge Internet（CNKI）.The syndromes

prescriptions and herbs were normalized and analyzed with frequency analysis

cluster analysis

principal component analysis and factor analysis. Results Totally 24articles were included.There were 56syndromes and the common syndromes were qi-yin deficiency syndrome

syndrome of endogenous heat due to yin deficiency

syndrome of phlegm-dampness due to spleen deficiency

intermingled phlegm and blood stasis syndrome

qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome

syndrome of phlegm-heat obstructing lung

fire-toxin syndrome

lung-spleen qi deficiency syndrome

syndrome of phlegm-dampness stagnating in lung and lung-kidney yin deficiency syndrome

accounting for 72.6%.The frequent 70symptoms of primary lung cancer could be clustered into six syndromes such as qi-yin deficiency syndrome

syndrome of phlegm-heat obstructing lung

syndrome of endogenous heat due to yin deficiency

intermingled phlegm and blood stasis syndrome

lung-spleen qi deficiency syndrome and syndrome of phlegmdampness stagnating in lung.The common pathogenesis factors were excessive pathogens such as turbid phlegm

fire-heat

blood stasis

water-damp

qi stagnation and heat-toxin

accounting for 58.33%.The deficient pathogens were yin deficiency and qi deficiency

accounting for 41.67%.Disease located mainly in the lungs

spleen

kidneys

stomach and liver.There were 1 162formulas and 569set formulas used.The commonly used formulas were supplementing formula

moistening formula

phlegm-expelling formula

heatclearing formula and blood-rectifying formula.There were 459herbs involved.The commonly used herbs were supplementing medicinal

heat-clearing medicinal

phlegm-transforming cough-suppressing panting-calming medicinal

blood-quickening stasis-transforming medicinal

diuresis and diffusing dampness medicinal and qi-rectifying medicinal.The frequent 54herbs could be clustered into 7formulas to treat primary lung cancer with qi-yin deficiency syndrome

yin-deficiency inner-heat syndrome

syndrome of phlegm-heat obstructing lung

fire-toxin syndrome

liver and kidney yin deficiency

intermingled phlegm and blood stasis syndrome

qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome and syndrome of phlegm-dampness due to spleen deficiency respectively. Conclusion The common syndromes of primary lung cancer are qi-yin deficiency syndrome

syndrome of endogenous heat due to yin deficiency

syndrome of phlegm-dampness due to spleen deficiency

intermingled phlegm and blood stasis syndrome and qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome.The commonly used formulas are phlegm-transforming dampness-removing formula

heat-clearing toxin-removing masses-resolving formula

qi-moving stasis-transforming formula

lung-spleen supplementing formula and qisupplementing yin-nourishing formula.