Abstract: The incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer are high. Surgery， radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the main methods of esophageal cancer. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has the advantages of improving symptoms， synergism and detoxification， improving immunity and quality of life of patients with esophageal cancer in terms of postoperative complications and toxic side effects caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. This paper reviews the understanding and treatment of esophageal cancer in traditional Chinese and Western medicine， focusing on the research progress in the treatment of postoperative complications， postoperative comprehensive treatment and postoperative rehabilitation of esophageal cancer， in order to provide a reference for the clinical treatment of esophageal cancer.