IOncology

On July 12-13, the 2024 CACA Integrated Breast Cancer Conference was held in Kunming, hosted by the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association (CACA) and the CACA Integrated Breast Cancer Committee, and organized by the China Academy of Integrated Medicine and Strategy Development, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, and ten professional committees. "Oncology Frontier" invited Dr. Jiong Wu, Chairman of the conference and from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, to elaborate on the concept of "Winning in Integration for Tumor Prevention and Treatment." He discussed the challenges in breast cancer treatment under the integrated medicine philosophy and shared suggestions for better implementation of integrated breast cancer treatment in primary healthcare institutions.

The "2024 CACA Integrated Breast Cancer Conference," hosted by the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association and the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association's Breast Cancer Committee, was held in Kunming, Yunnan, from July 12-13, 2024. The conference, under the theme "Cancer Prevention and Treatment: Winning Through Integration," focused on new concepts, knowledge, and technologies in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, discussing strategies for precise and standardized treatment. During the event, the 10th Committee of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association's Breast Cancer Professional Committee (referred to as the Committee) was elected. Dr. Jin Zhang from Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital was elected as the Chair of the 10th Committee. In an interview, Professor Zhang shared her vision for the future work of the Committee and her insights on integrating breast cancer prevention and treatment efforts.

With the continuous advancement of cancer treatment technologies, the survival rate of cancer patients has significantly improved, but the issue of cardiac safety during antitumor therapy has increasingly become a clinical focus. In this context, cardio-oncology has emerged as an important interdisciplinary field. At the "2024 CACA Integrated Breast Cancer Conference," during the breast cancer integration and rehabilitation session, Dr. Fengqi Fang from The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University shared her insights on "Cardiac Safety Management in Antitumor Therapy for Breast Cancer." After the session, "Oncology Frontier" interviewed Professor Fang on the latest research and future directions in cardio-oncology.

At the 2024 ASCO Conference, the progress in breast cancer ADC (antibody-drug conjugate) research was remarkable. T-DXd demonstrated excellent efficacy in HER2-positive breast cancer, significantly extending patient survival and reinforcing the concept of using the best drugs first. In HR-positive and triple-negative breast cancer, Dato-DXd showed good safety and efficacy, laying the foundation for future combination therapy regimens. Additionally, domestic ADC drugs like ARX788 and SKB264 provided new treatment options for breast cancer patients. In this article, Dr. Songqing Ye from Fujian Provincial Hospital provides an in-depth analysis of the latest research findings on ADC drugs in HER2-positive, HR-positive, and triple-negative breast cancer presented at the 2024 ASCO Conference.

Head and neck tumors are common malignant tumors among Chinese residents, significantly impacting organ function, quality of life, and prognosis due to disease progression and treatment effects. The "2024 Annual Progress in Clinical Oncology Conference (BOC) and Best of ASCO 2024 China" was recently held in Guangzhou, showcasing the progress of clinical oncology research in China and sharing cutting-edge information from the ASCO conference. On this occasion, "Oncology Frontier" invited Dr. Ye Guo from Shanghai East Hospital , Tongji University to share key research insights related to head and neck tumors.

In a significant advancement in breast cancer research, Dr. Yongmei Yin and her team from The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital published the article "Unveiling Alterations of Epigenetic Modifications and Chromatin Architecture Leading to Lipid Metabolic Reprogramming during the Evolutionary Trastuzumab Adaptation of HER2-Positive Breast Cancer" in Advanced Science on May, 2024. This pivotal study investigates the epigenetic and chromatin structural changes that lead to metabolic reprogramming during the development of trastuzumab resistance in HER2-positive breast cancer. HER2-positive breast cancer is characterized by the overexpression of the HER2 protein, which promotes the growth of cancer cells. Trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody, targets the HER2 protein but is met with resistance in many patients over time. This study addresses the urgent need to understand the underlying mechanisms of trastuzumab resistance to improve treatment strategies.

Dr. Zefei Jiang from The Fifth Medical Center of  Chinese PLA General Hospital, along with his colleagues, published the groundbreaking article titled "Neoadjuvant-adjuvant pertuzumab in HER2-positive early breast cancer: final analysis of the randomized phase III PEONY trial" in Nature Communications  on March 9, 2024. This pivotal research examines the long-term efficacy and safety of incorporating pertuzumab, a monoclonal antibody, into the treatment regimen for HER2-positive early and locally advanced breast cancer. HER2-positive breast cancer is characterized by the overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), which promotes the growth of cancer cells. Pertuzumab targets the HER2 receptor, working synergistically with trastuzumab, another HER2-targeted therapy, to provide a more effective treatment approach.

The results of studies such as postMONARCH and Young-PEARL presented at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting have sparked a new round of discussions on treatment strategies for patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer. To gain deeper insights into the significance of these studies and their implications for clinical practice, Professor Shaohua Zhang from The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital provided a detailed analysis of the relevant research at the 2024 BOC/BOA Annual Meeting.

The 8th Yunling Breast Cancer Summit Forum, hosted by the Yunnan Anti-Cancer Association and the China Medical Education Association and organized by Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan Hospital/Yunnan Cancer Hospital/The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University/Yunnan Cancer Center, Yunnan Breast Cancer Clinical Research Center, Yunnan Anti-Cancer Association Breast Cancer Professional Committee, Yunnan Medical Association Breast Cancer Professional Committee, and China Medical Education Association Breast Disease Professional Committee, will be held on July 14, 2024, in the beautiful spring city of Kunming. "Oncology Frontier" interviewed Professor Jianyun Nie, the chairman of the conference, to share the highlights of this event.