IOncology

Breast cancer surgery is undergoing a profound transformation, shifting from “maximum tolerable surgery” toward “minimum effective treatment.” How to precisely “do less” while maintaining oncologic efficacy, and how to redefine the role of surgery throughout the disease course, have become major topics of clinical discussion. Recently, at the 2026 Lingnan Breast Cancer Academic Forum, Oncology Frontier interviewed Prof. Liang Huang of Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. Drawing on his extensive clinical experience, Prof. Huang shared his insights into individualized surgical decision-making, the evidence supporting axillary de-escalation strategies, and the transformation of surgeons into “whole-course disease managers,” offering practical perspectives on balancing established principles with innovation in breast cancer surgery in the era of precision medicine.

Breast cancer is a malignancy that poses a serious threat to women's health worldwide. Establishing a whole-life-cycle management system covering prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation has become a key consensus and development direction in the global breast health community. Recently, the 23rd World Breast Health Congress was held in Tianjin from May 8 to 10, 2026. During the meeting, Oncology Frontier interviewed Prof. Jin Zhang of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, who provided an in-depth interpretation of China's overall progress in breast cancer prevention and control, the achievements of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, and the significance of this international academic exchange.

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies affecting women worldwide. With the widespread adoption of early screening and diagnosis and continued advances in comprehensive treatment, survival rates among patients with breast cancer have improved significantly. As a result, the need for postoperative quality of life and physical and psychological rehabilitation has become increasingly important. Recently, the 23rd World Breast Health Congress was held in Tianjin from May 8 to 10, 2026. During the congress, Oncology Frontier interviewed Prof. Jian Yin of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, who provided a systematic overview of the current adoption and standardization of breast reconstruction techniques in China, key technical challenges and future directions, China's advances in integrating oncologic safety with functional and aesthetic outcomes, and the pathway for Chinese breast reconstruction techniques to reach the international stage and contribute Chinese solutions to patients worldwide.

Breast cancer has become the most commonly diagnosed malignancy among women worldwide. In recent years, China has continued to explore new approaches to breast cancer screening, clinical diagnosis and treatment, rehabilitation management, and public health education, accumulating extensive experience and steadily improving its overall prevention and treatment capabilities. Recently, the 23rd World Breast Health Congress was held in Tianjin from May 8 to 10, 2026. During the congress, Oncology Frontier interviewed Prof. Ying Wang, Vice President of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association (CACA) and Executive Chair of the Congress, who shared her perspectives on the international significance of the congress, pathways for translating new concepts into practice, psychological support for young patients, and talent development, offering insights into the progress and breakthroughs of China's breast health initiatives.

The 2026 Beijing Breast Cancer Forum and Beijing Breast Reconstruction Forum was held in Beijing from June 23 to 28, 2026. The meeting brought together leading breast surgery experts from China and abroad to discuss advances in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, breast reconstruction, and oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery. As part of the “International Perspectives · Academic Summit” program, Prof. Sadia Khan from the Hoag Breast Center in the United States delivered a presentation entitled Bridging the Learning Curve: Building a Comprehensive Training Curriculum for Oncoplastic Breast Surgeons, systematically introducing the US experience and ongoing efforts in developing training programs for oncoplastic breast surgeons. In an interview with Oncology Frontier, Prof. Khan further shared her perspectives on the development and training of oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery in China and the United States.

From trastuzumab opening the door to HER2-targeted therapy, to dual-targeted regimens becoming the cornerstone of first-line treatment, and now to ADCs reshaping survival outcomes, the treatment history of HER2-positive advanced breast cancer reflects the continuous evolution of precision oncology. The 2026 Northern Breast Cancer Forum was successfully held in Qingdao from July 25 to 26. During the meeting, Oncology Frontier interviewed Prof. Xueli Mo from Peking University Shougang Hospital, who discussed the major milestones in HER2-targeted therapy for advanced breast cancer, the current three-way first-line treatment landscape, and the clinical value and impact of domestically developed ADCs, providing practical insights for clinical decision-making.

Hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer accounts for approximately 70% of all breast cancer cases. From the early exploration of ovarian ablation more than a century ago, to tamoxifen ushering in the era of endocrine therapy, and then to CDK4/6 inhibitor-based combinations reshaping the treatment landscape of advanced disease, each major therapeutic breakthrough has profoundly altered the survival trajectory of patients. However, treatment resistance remains a major clinical challenge. The discovery of resistance mechanisms such as PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway alterations and ESR1 mutations has subsequently driven the development of increasingly precise targeted strategies. The 2026 Northern Breast Cancer Forum was successfully held in Qingdao from July 25 to 26. During the meeting, Oncology Frontier interviewed Prof. Yunjiang Liu from the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, who provided an in-depth overview of the major milestones in HR-positive breast cancer treatment, precision strategies following CDK4/6 inhibitor resistance, and the new opportunities created by domestically developed innovative therapies.

Recently, the China Association of Chinese Medicine (CACM) Group Standard, Integrated Evaluation of Evidence on the Efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine was officially released in Beijing. As the world’s first guiding standard for the integrated evaluation of evidence on the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the standard was jointly developed under the leadership of Researcher Xiao Xiaohe, Professor Wang Jiabo, Academician Tian Jinzhou, Academician Chen Xiangmei, and Professor Dai Aiguo, with the participation of more than 60 leading experts from 13 universities, research institutes, medical institutions, and pharmaceutical companies across China, including the Chinese PLA General Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, and Hunan University of Chinese Medicine.