Editor’s Note: Promoting collaboration through exchange, and seeking mutual success through cooperation — on October 24, 2025, the 13th Federation of Asian Clinical Oncology (FACO) Annual Conference was grandly held in Shanghai. This year’s meeting was themed “Asian Clinical Oncology — Collaboration and Innovation,” focusing on cancers with high incidence and complex treatment challenges across Asia. The conference featured numerous frontier topics designed to inspire academic exchange and cross-disciplinary discussion, providing an important platform for oncology experts from China, Japan, and South Korea, as well as participants from other Asian countries and Europe and the United States, to communicate and collaborate. Notably, a large number of young and mid-career experts formed the “main force” of academic presentations, complementing the summaries and insights delivered by world-leading masters — together creating a remarkable, vibrant, and intellectually rich academic event.
On October 24, 2025, the 13th FACO Academic Conference officially opened in Shanghai. The conference was jointly organized by FACO, the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO), the Beijing Xisike Clinical Oncology Research Foundation, and the Eastern Clinical Oncology Center (ECCO). Its goal was to promote collaborative drug research and new drug development among China, Japan, and South Korea — integrating surgical and/or radiotherapeutic approaches to jointly explore more effective treatment strategies and elevate the overall standards of cancer care in Asia.
The meeting invited over 100 experts from Japan, South Korea, and other Asian countries, who engaged in academic exchange and discussion with more than 400 domestic oncology professionals. More than half of the Chinese participants were young and mid-career specialists, reflecting FACO’s commitment to nurturing emerging talent and encouraging active international collaboration — filling the conference with energy and innovation.
Since its founding in February 2012, FACO — jointly initiated by CSCO, the Japanese Society of Clinical Oncology (JSCO), and the Korean Society of Medical Oncology (KSMO) — has conducted a series of productive collaborations, including research projects in lung, gastric, and liver cancers. It has now become one of Asia’s most dynamic platforms for clinical oncology cooperation.
In his opening remarks, Professor Jin Li, current FACO Chair and Chinese Co-Chair of the meeting, as well as Professor at Shanghai Gaobo Oncology Hospital, China Pharmaceutical University, emphasized that clinical oncology in Asia possesses unique characteristics and faces enormous unmet clinical needs due to its large patient population. He noted that FACO has already contributed significantly to Asian evidence-based medicine and the development of “Asian treatment paradigms.” Looking ahead, he stated that FACO must set more ambitious goals — by incorporating additional oncology societies across Asia, initiating registration studies and high-level collaborative research, and strengthening its regional influence — to ensure that Asia’s clinical oncology voice is heard globally and its research achievements gain wider international recognition.
Professor Koji Kono, Japanese Co-Chair of the FACO meeting and Vice President of JSCO, as well as Professor at Fukushima Medical University, expressed that JSCO hopes to leverage the FACO platform to strengthen collaboration with China, South Korea, and other Asian nations in conducting clinical research. Through such regional cooperation, he said, patients with shared genetic backgrounds across Asia could benefit more effectively, ultimately creating a brighter future for Asian clinical oncology.
Professor Joon Oh Park, Korean Co-Chair of FACO, President-Elect of FACO, and Professor at Samsung Medical Center, stated that CSCO, JSCO, and KSMO have already established a solid partnership. They will continue to shape the future of cancer treatment through collaboration, exploration, and collective effort. He also announced that the next FACO Conference will be held in conjunction with the 2026 KSMO Annual Meeting.
The first plenary session featured keynote speeches moderated by Professor Zefei Jiang (PLA General Hospital), Professor Jun Liang (Peking University International Hospital), and Professor Joon Oh Park. Professor Yongmei Yin (Jiangsu Provincial People’s Hospital) opened the session with a presentation titled “Advances in Antibody–Drug Conjugates (ADCs) in Metastatic Breast Cancer,” interpreting the latest pivotal clinical data and summarizing the therapeutic value and strategies of ADCs.
Professor Sun Young Rha (Yonsei University College of Medicine, Korea), who joined remotely, delivered a lecture titled “First-Line Treatment Strategies for Metastatic Gastric Cancer,” highlighting the latest progress in precision treatment for this high-incidence cancer shared across China, Japan, and South Korea.
Professor Tetsuya Mitsudomi, former President of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and Professor at Kindai University Faculty of Medicine (Japan), presented on “Novel Therapeutic Pathways and Clinical Outcomes in Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC),” focusing on perioperative immunotherapy and targeted therapy strategies that have recently entered clinical practice.
The following panel discussion brought together leading experts from China, Japan, and South Korea, who shared national clinical perspectives and explored actionable steps for advancing cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The second plenary session turned its focus to gastrointestinal oncology, chaired by Professor Shukui Qin (Nanjing Tianyinshan Hospital, China Pharmaceutical University), Professor Ying Yuan (The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine), and Professor Koji Kono (Fukushima Medical University).
Invited speakers delivered a series of high-impact academic talks: Professor Ian Chau (The Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK) presented “Consensus and Controversies in Liquid Biopsy and Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) Assessment in Colorectal Cancer,” sharing the latest progress in MRD detection and clinical utility. Professor Heinz-Josef Lenz (University of Southern California, USA) gave a keynote address on immunotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer, discussing breakthrough strategies and key clinical data. Professor Bairu Ma (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) presented “New Therapeutic Advances in BRAF-Mutant Colorectal Cancer,” outlining how developments in BRAF-targeted therapy are reshaping treatment paradigms and improving patient outcomes
With this, the first day of the FACO Academic Conference concluded successfully. Academic exchanges among leading experts from China, Japan, and South Korea together with distinguished international speakers — centered on major advances in the diagnosis and treatment of prevalent malignancies in Asia, providing attendees with profound insights and practical inspiration.
Tomorrow, the conference will continue with four parallel sessions focusing on gastrointestinal tumors, breast cancer, lung cancer, and hepatobiliary-pancreatic malignancies. Under the guidance of senior experts’ keynote lectures, numerous young and mid-career scholars will present diverse, cutting-edge research updates. Oncology Frontier will continue to provide comprehensive coverage of FACO — stay tuned for more highlights!
