Editor’s Note: In early March, as the spring begins in Jiangcheng, the cherry blossoms bloom following the plum blossoms. The 4th Jiangcheng Breast Cancer Academic Forum was successfully held in Wuhan. Experts in breast cancer surgery, medical oncology, radiotherapy, and basic and translational research gathered to present numerous research advancements and clinical development trends. After the conference, Oncology Frontier invited the conference chair, Professor Jing Yao from Union Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, to share highlights of the conference and developments in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Q1: As the conference chair, could you introduce the highlights of this year’s forum?
Professor Jing Yao: The Jiangcheng Breast Cancer Academic Forum is an annual event in Hubei Province dedicated to breast oncology. Since its inception in 2019, we have consistently invited academic elites from the domestic and Hubei breast oncology fields to Wuhan to share their expertise, except during the pandemic. The conference covers new directions and trends in surgery, medical oncology, and radiotherapy. This year, we had distinguished guests such as Academician Jinming Yu and Professor Jiayi Chen sharing new advances in radiotherapy. Professors Kun Wang and Peifen Fu discussed new directions in surgical treatment, while Professors Zefei Jiang, Jian Liu, and other medical oncology experts shared the latest progress in systemic therapies. Unlike the elderly breast cancer patients commonly seen abroad, China has a higher prevalence of younger breast cancer patients, requiring treatment strategies tailored to their specific needs. In addition to clinical research, we also focus on future trends in basic and translational research in breast cancer. Therefore, each year, the Jiangcheng Breast Cancer Academic Forum features a dedicated session on basic and translational research, inviting leading researchers in the field such as Professors Ceshi Chen, Hongquan Zhang, Hai Hu, Saijun Fan, and Hongxia Wang to discuss new directions in breast cancer research. This has broadened our understanding of basic research in breast cancer, and I have personally gained a lot from these discussions.
Q2: The diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in China have developed rapidly, but regional disparities exist. How do you think we should standardize treatment and promote updates in clinical practice?
Professor Jing Yao: The development of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment is advancing rapidly, and domestic guidelines are continually updated. Currently, both the CSCO and CACA guidelines are updated annually. Additionally, the CACA and CSCO guidelines are voted on and discussed in national tours each year. This year’s Hubei Province CBCS&CSOBO guideline tour is one of the earlier sessions in 2024. We hope that through these tours, colleagues nationwide and in Hubei can quickly grasp the new changes in breast cancer treatment guidelines and implement them in clinical practice, allowing patients to benefit from the most advanced treatment models. Future CSCO guideline tours will also be held in Hubei to promote the application of the latest treatment models among primary care physicians. During each tour, we distribute concise versions of the CACA-CBCS guidelines (the “little red book”) to experts, encouraging them to quickly review and apply these guidelines in clinical practice. Similarly, CSCO guidelines will release “pocket guides” for quick learning and application. Through the dedicated efforts of experts, we aim to provide rapid access to the latest treatment guidelines for clinicians, hoping these updates will be promptly implemented in clinical practice, benefiting more patients.
Q3: Currently, patient-centered treatment models are recommended. How do you think we can further meet patients’ needs from disease cure to social rehabilitation?
Professor Jing Yao: This is a topic I am particularly passionate about. Nowadays, Chinese women increasingly value their quality of life, and given the younger demographic of breast cancer patients in China, they have both physical cure needs and psychological rehabilitation needs. Therefore, we should provide them with more attention and support. In our daily work, we can offer guidance through public education or patient education activities, although this leverages only individual physician efforts. Hence, we hope to use various platforms (including media and the internet) to help patients access more knowledge about rehabilitation. If possible, we will also engage in grassroots outreach, sharing health knowledge with primary care breast cancer patients who may have less access to information. Through public education or free clinics, we aim to support them. Additionally, we need to share relevant concepts with primary care physicians, encouraging them to guide patients in education and public activities, ensuring patients achieve comprehensive recovery from physical health to social functioning, ultimately leading to a cure.
Professor Jing Yao:
- Director of the Breast Tumor Department at the Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
- Member of the Youth Committee of the Breast Cancer Subcommittee, Chinese Medical Association Oncology Branch
- Member of the Tumor Molecular Medicine Professional Committee, Chinese Anti-Cancer Association
- Member of the Multidisciplinary MDT Professional Committee, Chinese Anti-Cancer Association
