Editor’s Note: The 2024 Chinese Congress of Holistic Integrative Oncology (CCHIO) opened grandly in the ancient city of Xi’an on November 16, focusing on the theme "Winning Against Cancer Through Integration." This conference brought together global medical elites to strategize for global health solutions. During the event, conference chair and President of the China Anti-Cancer Association (CACA), Academician Daiming Fan, shared insights in an interview with Oncology Frontier. He delved into the pivotal role of integrative medicine in advancing global medical progress and its profound impact on the future of healthcare.Oncology Frontier: What role do you think integrative medicine will play in the future development of medicine, and how will it drive global medical progress?
Academician Daiming Fan: Integrative medicine, also known as Holistic Integrative Medicine, was proposed by Chinese medical experts in 2010 and has since gained international recognition. Its goal is to address challenges arising from the increasing specialization and fragmentation of medical knowledge, which can hinder the comprehensive management of patients’ health. While modern medicine has significantly advanced human health, it still faces challenges, such as the global socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the persistent burden of chronic diseases as leading causes of mortality worldwide.
Integrative medicine emphasizes not only the “art of medicine” (techniques like surgery) but also the “ethics of medicine”—determining whether a particular treatment is appropriate by considering psychological, social, and economic factors. This dual focus on art and ethics has led to rapid global acceptance of integrative medicine. The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently developing a white paper outlining the background, content, and implementation plans for integrative medicine.
China has published a 25-volume series on integrative medicine, authored by over 100 academicians. The Chinese government has also issued plans to establish a healthcare system aligned with socialist modernization within the next 11 years. This system aims to be well-structured, functional, complementary, coordinated, efficient, and resilient to meet future medical challenges.
On June 22, 2024, 100 academicians and university presidents jointly signed and published the Integrative Medicine Declaration. This declaration, featured in 42 Chinese and six international journals, presents ten principles distinguishing integrative medicine from modern medicine. For instance, in treating chronic diseases and cancer, integrative medicine advocates leveraging the body’s natural healing powers rather than solely targeting microscopic causes. It promotes the “Ten Principles of Natural Power,” emphasizing that health relies on natural forces, with doctors playing a supporting role.
In oncology, integrative medicine has already achieved significant milestones. We organized 2,226 leading experts to compile the China Cancer Integrative Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines. Tailored to Chinese patients, these guidelines align with local characteristics and clinical data, offering a more suitable alternative to foreign guidelines. Given China’s substantial cancer burden but extensive clinical experience and the support of traditional Chinese medicine, these guidelines provide a holistic approach.
Covering all aspects of cancer care, the guidelines emphasize comprehensive strategies beyond pharmacological treatment, adhering to the “Prevention, Screening, Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery, Assessment, Support, Control, Care, and Life” framework. In terms of drugs, we prioritize domestically developed options that have undergone rigorous clinical trials in China, selecting those with proven efficacy, low toxicity, and affordability.
The guidelines, reflecting the collective expertise of CACA’s 830,000 members, are tailored to the Chinese patient population. Today, the CACA guidelines stand alongside those of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), complementing each other to advance global cancer care. Promoting these guidelines widely and encouraging clinical practice adherence can significantly benefit more Chinese patients.
Oncology Frontier: In 2024, CACA implemented several initiatives aligned with integrative medicine principles, such as hosting multidisciplinary conferences and establishing committees for various cancers and diseases. What are the goals of these initiatives, and how will they drive overall progress in cancer prevention and treatment?
Academician Daiming Fan: CACA comprises 830,000 members and over 200 high-level professional societies, each excelling in specific areas such as prevention, screening, treatment, recovery, traditional Chinese medicine, and nursing. However, the lack of synergy among these societies limits their collective impact. To address this, CACA adopted the integrative medicine approach, reorganizing and innovating its structure.
The “vertical-horizontal integration” strategy organizes related societies into approximately 40-50 committees for specific cancers, such as colorectal cancer, while horizontally connecting diagnostic and treatment methods like ultrasound, CT, MRI, PET-CT, and pathology to foster collaboration and learning.
This approach aims to consolidate resources effectively and extend them to grassroots healthcare providers and communities. CACA has established 309 functional bases across 30 provinces, integrating funding from governments, local organizations, charities, and diagnostic companies to reduce screening costs and enhance efficiency. For example, combining multiple diagnostic tests has reduced costs from 500–800 yuan to under 100 yuan per test. Each base operates under clear mandates and may face closure if it fails to perform within two years.
CACA is committed to normalizing and improving this integrative model. Despite initial challenges, implementing targeted screening and early intervention strategies can lead to earlier cancer detection, reduced costs, and improved cure rates. Achieving these goals requires robust support from governments, media, and the public. Government policies and resources must be mobilized, media outlets should intensify awareness campaigns, and citizens must shift their attitudes, actively participating in cancer screenings. Together, these efforts can contribute to building a healthier China.
About Academician Daiming Fan
Current Roles:
- President, China Anti-Cancer Association
- Academician, Chinese Academy of Engineering
- Foreign Member, U.S. National Academy of Medicine
- Foreign Member, French Academy of Medicine
- Lifetime Honorary President, World Federation of Integrative Medicine
- Director, National Key Laboratory for Digestive Tumor Integrative Prevention and Treatment
- Director, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases
- Director, National New Drug Clinical Trial Institution
Academician Daiming Fan continues to lead global and domestic efforts in integrative medicine, advocating for a holistic approach to health that merges science, practice, and compassion for better patient outcomes.
