Editor’s Note: The 2024 CACA Integrative Gastric Cancer Conference was held in Wuhan from October 18-19, bringing together domestic and international experts across multiple disciplines in gastric cancer. Oncology Frontier had the privilege to interview Dr. Kaixiong Tao, Executive Chair of this year’s conference and Professor from Wuhan Union Hospital of China. Prof. Tao discussed the core principles of integrative medicine and highlighted the conference's major themes. His profound clinical expertise and insights offered invaluable guidance for advancing gastric cancer treatment.

Oncology Frontier: As the Executive Chair of the 2024 CACA Integrative Gastric Cancer Conference, how do you interpret the concept of “integrative medicine”? What are the main highlights of this conference?

Dr. Kaixiong Tao: The concept of “integrative medicine” was first introduced and implemented internationally by Academician Fan Daiming, President of the Anti-Cancer Association, in 2010. In a narrow sense, integrative medicine considers the human body as a whole, combining the most advanced knowledge and theories from various medical fields with the most effective experiences and techniques from clinical specialties. This approach synthesizes data and evidence into facts, elevates understanding and consensus into experience, and distills technique and artistry into medical skills. These elements are then cyclically validated at levels of facts, experience, and skills, and adjusted according to social, environmental, and psychological factors. This approach is people-centered and reflects a harmonious integration of humanity and nature, forming a novel medical knowledge system for health preservation and disease prevention.

In a broader sense, integrative medicine is not a specialty, nor is it a technical field. It is a knowledge-based approach to medicine, aimed at exploring the essential characteristics and methods of forming medical knowledge, guiding medical professionals in the correct research and prevention of disease, and using existing medical knowledge to create a higher-level medical knowledge system.

The 2024 CACA Integrative Gastric Cancer Conference in Wuhan, Hubei, was named “Integrative” to reflect its comprehensive coverage of the entire gastric cancer treatment process, encompassing drug therapy, physical therapy, surgical treatment, and rehabilitation. In oncology, whole-process management is essential, particularly in the integrative treatment of gastric cancer, one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive tract with generally poor prognoses. Early gastric cancer can often be cured through surgical resection, while advanced gastric cancer requires a combination of treatment modalities. However, each treatment method has its advantages and limitations, and the key is determining the most appropriate treatment plan based on the patient’s disease stage and molecular profile, while also considering the synergistic effects of various treatments to achieve optimal efficacy and reduce side effects.

This conference highlighted multidisciplinary integrative treatment, where a multidisciplinary team formulates a personalized treatment plan based on each patient’s disease characteristics. A significant highlight of the 2024 CACA Integrative Gastric Cancer Conference was its comprehensive integration of diagnostic techniques, the latest advances, and clinical research, showcasing achievements in gastric cancer integration across prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.

Oncology Frontier: The new generation of young doctors represents the future of the medical profession. How do you think we can better instill integrative thinking in young doctors to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and innovation? What advice would you give to young doctors attending this conference?

Dr. Kaixiong Tao: The rapid pace of medical development has led to increasingly specialized fields. In oncology and many other areas, diseases are classified into very detailed subfields, which have given rise to specialized treatment approaches and physicians. In the case of gastric cancer, treatment involves multiple specialties, including internal medicine, surgery, and radiotherapy. However, as specialists, especially those focusing on gastric cancer, we must not limit ourselves to our field of expertise. For example, a surgeon cannot be satisfied with only surgical skills. Modern gastric cancer treatment requires a comprehensive understanding of disease progression, diagnostic methods, research developments, and clinical applications, along with a deep knowledge of various treatment options.

For a surgeon, proficient surgical skills are foundational, but a holistic understanding of the disease is equally important and can only be achieved through continuous learning. Young doctors today might enter specialized fields relatively early, leading to a narrower knowledge base. I suggest that while specializing, young doctors should also broaden their perspectives and grasp the foundational principles and latest developments in oncology treatment. As a surgical oncologist, one should strive to become an “internist with a scalpel,” which means mastering not only surgical techniques but also the latest advances in internal oncology treatment and clinical research. This way, we can manage the entire treatment process comprehensively, helping patients achieve the best possible outcomes. I firmly believe that success in oncology treatment lies in integration. This is my advice to young doctors and reflects my deep understanding of medical advancement.

Dr. Kaixiong Tao

• Chief Physician, Professor (Second-tier), and Doctoral Supervisor
• Director of General Surgery and Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Medical College
• Deputy Director of the Digestive Diseases Research Institute
• Member of the Gastroenterology Group, Chinese Society of Surgery, Chinese Medical Association
• Standing Committee Member of the Surgery Branch, Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Deputy Leader of the Minimally Invasive Surgery Expert Working Group, Deputy Leader of the Transanal Endoscopic Surgery Expert Group, Deputy Leader of the Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Expert Working Group, and Member of the Obesity and Diabetes Surgery Expert Working Group
• Vice Chairman of the Peritoneal Tumor Committee, Standing Committee Member of the Gastric Cancer Committee, Standing Committee Member of the Colorectal Cancer Committee, and Standing Committee Member of the Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Committee, Chinese Anti-Cancer Association
• Vice Chairman of the Robotic and Laparoscopic Surgery Committee and Vice Chairman of the Colorectal Surgery Committee, Chinese Research Hospital Association
• Vice Chairman of the Organ Function Preservation Committee, Chinese Medical Doctor Association, and Deputy Leader of the Minimally Invasive Anatomy Group
• Chairman of the General Surgery Branch, Wuhan Medical Association
• Chairman of the Laparoscopic Surgery Branch, Hubei Medical Association
• Vice Chairman of the General Surgery Branch, Hubei Medical Association

Dr. Kaixiong Tao has extensive experience in gastrointestinal oncology surgery and is widely recognized for his contributions to advancing integrative approaches in cancer treatment.