Editor’s Note: The Healthy China 2030 plan outlines a shift from a disease-centered approach to a health-centered development model, with a goal of increasing the five-year cancer survival rate by 15% by 2030. Against this backdrop, the 2024 Straits Breast Forum and the Annual Academic Meeting of the Breast Disease Division of the Fujian Medical Association were held from December 13 to 15, 2024. The event was co-hosted by the Fujian Cancer Hospital, the Breast Disease Division of the Fujian Medical Association, and the Oncology Physicians Division of the Fujian Medical Association. Oncology Frontier invited the forum's Chair, Dr. Yongchang Zhou, from the Organization for Oncology and Translational Research , to discuss the forum’s highlights and the latest advances in breast cancer organoid technology and precision therapy.1. Oncology Frontier: As the Chairperson of this forum, could you share the topics that you found most compelling during the event?
Dr. Yongchang Zhou: Absolutely. This year’s forum was incredibly rich in content, thanks to the meticulous planning and hosting by Co-Chair Professor Jian Liu from the Fujian Cancer Hospital. The event was a resounding success, with a wealth of cutting-edge academic discussions.
For instance, Academician Erwei Song from the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University delivered a fascinating talk on the application prospects of RNA vaccines in cancer treatment. This forward-looking topic could signal a significant breakthrough in the field of oncology.
Other standout presentations included insights into radiotherapy and advancements in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, all of which left a deep impression on me.
I hope that the Straits Breast Forum, as a high-level platform, can strengthen academic exchange and technical collaboration between both sides of the Taiwan Strait. It not only showcases the latest progress in medical research and technology in China but also fosters mutual understanding and cooperation, contributing to cancer prevention and treatment advancements in China and across Asia.
2. Oncology Frontier: Your presentation at the forum focused on “Breast Cancer Organoids and Precision Therapy.” Could you briefly explain the fundamental principles of organoid technology and how it compares to traditional cell cultures or animal models?
Dr. Yongchang Zhou: Organoid technology is a three-dimensional (3D) cell culture technique that allows us to replicate tissue structures highly similar to human tumors in vitro. Compared to traditional two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures or animal models, organoids are more accurate and practical.
The 3D structure of organoids enables us to study cancer progression in greater detail and evaluate how drugs affect cancer cells with higher precision. This, in turn, provides critical guidance for clinical decision-making and improves treatment outcomes.
While animal models can partially mimic the tumor microenvironment, they are time-consuming and expensive, making them less suitable for rapid clinical translation. Organoid technology, on the other hand, can provide accurate drug sensitivity testing results in a shorter timeframe, offering strong support for personalized treatment.
That said, organoid technology is still evolving. One current limitation is the lack of an immune system within the organoids, which makes it difficult to fully assess the effectiveness of immunotherapies. Addressing this challenge is essential for advancing the field.
3. Oncology Frontier: How is organoid technology progressing in clinical applications for breast cancer? What challenges remain in promoting its use in this field?
Dr. Yongchang Zhou: Although organoid technology holds immense promise for breast cancer research, several challenges remain in its clinical application.
First, as the technology is relatively new, many physicians and researchers are not yet fully familiar with it, and some even harbor doubts about its feasibility. For example, some oncologists believe that the costs of organoid technology are too high to be accessible to a wide range of patients.
However, as the technology continues to advance and costs decrease, these barriers are expected to diminish. Moreover, to increase acceptance in clinical settings, we need to conduct more studies to validate the accuracy and reliability of drug sensitivity testing using organoids.
Through these efforts, I am confident that organoid technology will play an increasingly pivotal role in the precision treatment of breast cancer.
About Dr. Yongchang Zhou
- Director, Breast Diagnosis and Treatment Center, St. Teresa’s Hospital, Hong Kong
- Former Honorary Secretary, Hong Kong Academy of Medicine
- Former President, Asian Breast Cancer Society
- Honorary Clinical Professor, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong
- Distinguished Professor, Macau University of Science and Technology
- Honorary Professor, Tohoku University, Japan
