Objective To observe the clinical effect of TCM Jianpi Yishen Method （treatment method for reinforcing the spleen and tonifying the kidney） on the postoperative patients of rectal cancer treated with chemotherapy. Methods Totally 210 rectal cancer cases after operation were randomized into optimization group and chemotherapy group with 105 in each. The chemotherapy group was treated with the conventional chemical drugs

based on which

the optimization group was administered the herbal medicines for reinforcing the spleen and tonifying the kidney. Twenty-eight days made one treatment course

and totally six treatment courses wer observed. Karnofsky scores （KPS）

immunological indices

anti-tumor effect

and adverse reaction of the patients of two groups were observed before and after treatment. Results After treatment

the KPS of the optimization group was significantly higher than that of the chemotherapy group （P<0.05）. The difference in the lymphocyte transformation rate

activity of natural killer cells

CD4+ and CD8+ of the optimization group was statistically significant （P<0.05）. The chemotherapy completion rate of the optimization group was 93.3% and that of the chemotherapy group was 82.8%

the difference between was statistically significant （P<0.05）. After treatment

the carcino-embryonic antigen （CEA） of the two groups were all significantly reduced （P<0.05）

and the between-group comparison showed significant difference （P<0.05）. The optimization group was significantly superior to the chemotherapy group in the 3-year survival rate （P<0.05） and in prolonging the average time of disease progression of chemotherapy patients （P<0.05）. Conclusion Jianpi Yishen Method together with chemotherapy for the postoperative patients of rectal cancer is effective in enhancing the therapeutic effect and reducing toxic substances

improving the immune function and quality of life of the patients

as well as prolonging life and delaying recurrence and metastasis of disease.