In a concerted effort to address the escalating global burden of cancer, leading medical experts from China and the United States gathered in Guangzhou from March 7 to 8 for the "Innovations in Cancer Care Symposium" (ICCS).
The event was jointly hosted by the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (FAH-SYSU) and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.
Photo: Chen Jinxia
Photo: FAH-SYSU
In his opening address, Professor Xiao Haipeng, President of FAH-SYSU, underscored the severity of the global cancer crisis, citing data from The Lancet that new cancer cases have doubled since 1990, reaching 18.5 million in 2023, while cancer deaths have risen by 74 percent to 10.4 million.
Against this backdrop, Professor Xiao highlighted the strategic nature of the collaboration with Dana-Farber. Since the partnership's inception in 2021, seven clinical departments from FAH-SYSU have been deeply involved, with over 100 Dana-Farber experts contributing to joint projects.
"By combining our strong clinical foundation, vast patient resources, and regional experience with high-incidence cancers with Dana-Farber's leading advantages in frontier research and precision oncology, we are advancing translational research, clinical trials, and talent development," he said.
He emphasized that the ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between scientific progress and clinical accessibility, particularly benefiting populations in medically underserved areas.
Photo: FAH-SYSU
Jeffrey Meyerhardt, Chief Clinical Research Officer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, lauded the outcomes of the collaboration. He emphasized the mutual learning opportunity, noting, "To tackle cancer, we need to learn from each other—how it behaves and responds to treatment differently around the world. This is a wonderful forum to learn and work together."
Photo: FAH-SYSU
The exchange of knowledge was highlighted as a two-way street. David Read, Vice President of Ambulatory Care Operations and Medical Oncology at Dana-Farber, expressed admiration for FAH-SYSU's technological advancements. "We've learned a lot from FAH-SYSU in their AI work. They have dedicated facilities for AI and computational biology."
Beyond the lab, he noted that China has done a lot to improve the environment and reduce the incidence of cancer, especially lung cancer. "Every time I come back, you have greater implementation of electric cars and your amazing high-speed rail. The US can learn from that."
Reporter | Chen Jinxia
