Posts by Peter W. PENG

The 2024 CACA Integrated Lung Cancer Conference, organized by the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association and the CACA Lung Cancer Integration Committee, was held in Zhuhai from October 25 to 26. Under the theme “Gathering Strength and Leading the Future,” the conference brought together top experts in lung cancer to discuss key challenges and advancements. Oncology Frontier interviewed Prof. Li Zhang from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, who shared insights on the clinical applications, development, and future prospects of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in lung cancer treatment.

The 18th International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) Annual Conference took place in Toronto, Canada, from October 17-19, 2024. During the conference, Prof. Richard S. Finn of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA presented subgroup data from the real-world REFINE study, highlighting that patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) who received transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or transarterial radioembolization (TARE) in addition to regorafenib had better survival trends. Oncology Frontier invited Dr. Yunfei Yuan from the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center to discuss and provide insights on this study.

The final results of the KEYNOTE-522 trial confirm the potential of pembrolizumab to change patient management, though careful patient selection and toxicity monitoring are essential.

From October 24-27, 2024, the 9th Academic Symposium of the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA) China Chapter took place in Wuhan. In the field of liver cancer adjuvant therapy, Dr. Minshan Chen from the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center presented new treatment strategies. Oncology Frontier invited Prof. Chen for an in-depth interview, where he shared insights on this topic. Prof. Chen highlighted that traditional postoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is becoming outdated, as it shows limited efficacy in addressing large liver tumors and residual micro-lesions. In contrast, hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC), validated through a decade of clinical research, has proven highly effective for advanced liver cancer. HAIC not only shrinks tumor size for resectability but also shows promising results for large tumors and patients with vascular invasion. Prof. Chen emphasized that in liver cancer treatment, patient survival and quality of life should be prioritized over the focus on recurrence alone.

Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) is a validated treatment for liver cancer, yet the influence of the immune microenvironment on treatment response and survival remains unclear. At the 18th International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) Annual Conference, a recent study shed light on the complex relationship between the immune microenvironment in liver cancer patients prior to SIRT and its impact on treatment response and survival. Oncology Frontier invited Dr. Lin Zhang, from the Hepatobiliary Interventional Radiology Department at Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, to provide an expert analysis. With a detailed breakdown of the data and expert interpretation, this study offers valuable insights into the role of the local immune state in liver cancer treatment, paving the way for personalized and combination therapy strategies.

From September 25 to 29, 2024, the highly anticipated 27th Chinese Clinical Oncology Annual Conference and CSCO Annual Meeting took place in Xiamen. Dr. Rongbo Lin of Fujian Cancer Hospital shared key findings from his team’s research in gastric cancer. During the conference, Oncology Frontier conducted an in-depth interview with Professor Lin, discussing the clinical applications of the POFI and POF regimens for advanced gastric cancer.

At the 2024 SIBCS conference, Dr. Li Ma from The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University presented on the topic “Advances and Controversies in Breast Surgery and Pathology.” He addressed various hot topics, including: “Can axillary dissection be completely avoided in patients with 1–2 positive sentinel lymph nodes? Can axillary dissection be omitted after downstaging lymph nodes with neoadjuvant therapy? Does bilateral mastectomy lower the risk of contralateral cancer but not improve mortality rates? Is screening necessary for HER2-ultra-low expression? What factors influence the accurate diagnosis of HER2-negative and HER2-ultra-low expression?” Following the presentation, Oncology Frontier interviewed Dr. Ma to discuss these advancements and controversies and invited him to share his insights on potential updates in the breast surgery and pathology sections of the 2025 “Little Red Book.”