Guangzhou, China, July 26, 2025 — In a significant move to advance global efforts in the fight against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association Liver Cancer Committee (CACA-LCC) and the International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) have pre-signed a Strategic Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This landmark event took place on July 25, 2025, during the CACA-LCC International Forum (Guangzhou), the 4th Greater Bay Area International Forum on Liver Cancer, the 15th Annual Meeting of the Guangdong Medical Association Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Branch, and the 9th Annual Meeting of the Guangdong Medical Association Liver Cancer Branch, hosted by Professor Ming Kuang from The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.The pre-signing ceremony was graced by the presence of eminent hepatology experts, including Academician Jia Fan, Academician Gaojun Teng, Professor Jian Zhou, Professor Feng Shen, Professor Ming Kuang, Professor Weiping Zhou, and international luminaries such as Prof. Dan G. Duda, Prof. Goro Honda, Prof. Masatoshi Kudo, Prof. Yury Popov, and Prof. Carmen Chak-Lui Wong. The official signing ceremony is scheduled to take place in November 2025 at the ILCA 2025 Annual Meeting in Hong Kong, China.
A New Era of Global Collaboration
This strategic partnership aims to foster global cooperation in HCC prevention and treatment, promote academic exchange and resource sharing, and jointly address the global health challenge posed by liver cancer. The collaboration marks the first institutionalized partnership between CACA-LCC, a central force in China’s HCC prevention and treatment efforts, and ILCA, the world’s premier organization dedicated to liver cancer research.
About the Partners
International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA): Established in 2007 by leading experts in the field, ILCA is the only global organization exclusively devoted to liver cancer research. The association comprises over 400 members from more than 40 countries, representing a multidisciplinary network of professionals in epidemiology, gastroenterology, hepatology, molecular biology, oncology, pathology, radiology, and surgical/transplantation disciplines.
Chinese Anti-Cancer Association Liver Cancer Committee (CACA-LCC): As a pivotal force in China’s HCC prevention and treatment, CACA-LCC has achieved remarkable success in promoting integrated HCC diagnosis and treatment under the leadership of its current chair, Professor Huichuan Sun. The society has fostered a multidisciplinary collaborative model that integrates various specialties to provide comprehensive care for HCC patients.
Strategic Collaboration Areas
The pre-signed MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration:
- Academic Activity Synergy: Establishing a conference information sharing mechanism to avoid scheduling conflicts, facilitating the exchange of experts to participate in each other’s annual meetings, organizing joint special sessions, and exploring the co-hosting of regional academic conferences.
- Research Resource Sharing: Promoting the establishment of a transnational multicenter clinical research network and exploring mechanisms for data and sample sharing within ethical guidelines.
- Talent Cultivation and Exchange: Implementing scholar exchange programs and training initiatives for young physicians, establishing joint training mechanisms to cultivate international professionals.
- Future Collaboration Expansion: Conducting biennial evaluations of the collaboration’s effectiveness and renewing the agreement, as well as exploring potential partnerships with other international organizations.
A New Chapter in Global Hepatocellular Carcinoma Research
This historic collaboration is poised to accelerate innovation and clinical translation in the field of HCC prevention and treatment. It will also position Chinese HCC experts from participants to leaders on the international stage, bringing new hope and opportunities for patients worldwide. The partnership embodies the shared goal of “Global Sharing, Human Health.”
Professor Huichuan Sun, Chair of CACA-LCC, stated, “This strategic partnership with ILCA represents a significant milestone for CACA-LCC and Chinese hepatology. By joining forces with the world’s leading liver cancer research organization, we aim to enhance our contributions to global HCC research and treatment, ultimately improving patient outcomes and advancing the field.”
CACA-LCC will leverage this opportunity to uphold its philosophy of “Winning in Integration for Cancer Prevention and Treatment,” driving the high-quality development of China’s HCC prevention and treatment efforts. This initiative will contribute significantly to the ‘Healthy China’ initiative and the global fight against liver cancer.
