At the 2024 Breast Cancer Standardized Diagnosis and Treatment & Quality Control Conference (November 8–10, Beijing), Dr. Ying Fan from the Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, presented the key updates to the 2024 Chinese Advanced Breast Cancer Clinical Guidelines (ABCC). The updated ABCC guidelines include treatment recommendations for different breast cancer subtypes and introduce a new chapter on managing adverse events. Below is a summary of the key updates to the guidelines.

The 2024 Chinese Congress of Holistic Integrative Oncology (CCHIO) and the 4th Asian Oncology Summit (AOS), hosted by the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association (CACA) in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Integrative Medicine and the Shaanxi Anti-Cancer Association, took place from November 14–17 in the ancient city of Xi'an. This prestigious event featured specialized summits co-organized by CACA and global cancer organizations, including the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), Society of Latin American and Caribbean Oncology (SLACOM), and International Society of Breast Disease (SIS), to foster international collaboration in cancer prevention and treatment.

The 27th National Conference of Clinical Oncology and 2024 CSCO Academic Annual Meeting, jointly organized by the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology and the Beijing Xisike Clinical Oncology Research Foundation, was successfully held in Xiamen from September 25 to 29, 2024. The conference included multiple sessions on lung cancer, which brought together the latest advances and frontiers in lung cancer research from both domestic and international perspectives. During the conference, Oncology Frontier invited Dr. Wenhua Liang from The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University to share new clinical developments in immunotherapy combinations for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and recent breakthroughs in precision diagnostic pathways.

At the 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Meeting, in the session dedicated to basic science and translational research, researchers presented groundbreaking findings on driver mutations in pancreatic cancer and their role in predicting patient prognosis and treatment response. The research highlighted significant differences in the diversity of driver gene mutations between healthy pancreatic tissue and tumor tissue, suggesting these differences play a crucial role in the formation and progression of pancreatic cancer. These findings also provide an important basis for personalized treatment. Dr. Francisco Martínez-Jiménez from Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus , Spain, interpreted the main research findings and discussed their clinical implications.

The 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Meeting was held from September 13 to 17 in Barcelona, Spain, where several significant advances in lung cancer research were presented. Dr. Antonio Passaro from the European Institute of Oncology Division of Thoracic Oncology in Milan, Italy, shared insights on the safety and antitumor activity of Zipalertinib in previously treated NSCLC patients with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations. Oncology Frontier had the opportunity to interview Professor Passaro on-site, where he discussed the latest advances in EGFR-targeted therapies.

The field of cancer treatment has made substantial progress, entering an era of multi-faceted, comprehensive approaches. With the government’s focus on major diseases, traditional cancer treatments like surgery, interventional therapy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy have evolved into multidisciplinary approaches. Yttrium-90 (Y-90) selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) is now emerging as a key treatment option for liver cancer. On October 12, the Radiotherapy and Immuno-Oncology Symposium successfully took place. Oncology Frontier invited Prof. Lin Zhang, the first certified Y-90 supervisor in mainland China and an expert from Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, to discuss the clinical applications and precision surgical principles guiding Y-90 therapy.

The PERLA trial results demonstrated that Dostarlimab plus chemotherapy achieved better overall survival (OS) compared to pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with a median OS of 20.2 months vs. 15.9 months.

The treatment of resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) continues to evolve, with debates focusing on whether patients should receive adjuvant immunotherapy following successful neoadjuvant immunotherapy and surgery. This topic was a highlight of discussions at the 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) hosted by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). Dr. Mark G. Kris from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center shared his insights on this matter.

Editorial Note: Quality control has become an increasingly critical focus in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. As China enhances its cancer prevention and control framework, the standardization of breast cancer care is receiving growing attention. At the 2024 Conference on Standardized Diagnosis and Quality Control in Breast Cancer, Dr. Jin Yang from The First Affiliated Hospital Xi'an Jiao Tong University presented a comprehensive report titled Quality Control in Breast Cancer Care and National Performance Indicators. In an exclusive interview with Oncology Frontier, Professor Yang provided in-depth insights into the content, significance, and implementation challenges of these quality control measures, illuminating the path forward for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in China.

Breast cancer poses a significant global challenge to women’s health. In China, unprecedented efforts are being made to advance standardized diagnosis and quality control in breast cancer care. During the 2024 Conference on Standardized Diagnosis and Quality Control in Breast Cancer, Oncology Frontier interviewed the conference chair, Dr. Fei Ma from the Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences . Professor Ma shed light on the core values and profound significance of quality control in breast cancer care, offering a clear direction for future advancements. In the interview, he shared the latest achievements, ongoing challenges, and the pivotal role of quality control in bridging gaps between urban and rural areas and promoting equitable access to high-quality medical resources. He emphasized that comprehensive quality control and the standardization of breast cancer care are critical steps toward achieving the Healthy China 2030 goals.