The 19th St.Gallen Breast Cancer Conference (SGBCC 2025) was held from March 12–15, 2025, in the music capital of Vienna, Austria. The "Voice of China" session at this conference provided a platform for international exchange, where The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University showcased multiple posters, bringing China’s innovative ideas, research, and drugs to the global stage. Oncology Frontier had the privilege of interviewing Professor Cuizhi Geng from The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, who shared key poster insights and discussed the impact of China’s innovations on global breast cancer diagnosis and treatment development.Oncology Frontier: Your hospital presented multiple posters at this year’s SGBCC. Could you share some of the most notable advances? How will these posters contribute to the global development of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment?
Professor Cuizhi Geng: At this year’s SGBCC, our Breast Center at The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University presented several posters, engaging in academic exchanges with international scholars. Our research covers various aspects: from exploring the platinum resistance mechanisms in triple-negative breast cancer to addressing axillary treatment issues in patients with sentinel node micro-metastases, and identifying the circumstances under which bone metastases are likely to occur. These clinical questions we have focused on were selected for presentation at SGBCC, recognizing our center’s contribution. For us, this marks our step toward integrating clinical and basic research. As a regional team in China, we have been learning from the national teams, and we hope to continue improving our work, making it global. Our goal is to present our research achievements to global peers, showcasing our strength in both basic and clinical research.
Oncology Frontier: The SGBCC consensus plays a significant role in guiding Chinese clinical practice. How do you think we can balance “regional data characteristics” with “global experience applicability” in creating international consensus? For example, how can China’s innovative data be shared globally, and how can SGBCC consensus better guide clinical practices in China?
Professor Cuizhi Geng: I believe there are two main aspects to consider. First, we must delve deeper into the layered analysis and interpretation of data. When establishing consensus, the experts who lead the process can divide the evidence into core global standards and regional optimization strategies, ensuring it applies universally while respecting local contexts.
Second, the research design should be internationalized. In recent years, many Chinese enterprises, such as Zhengda Tianqing, have deepened their collaboration with pharmaceutical companies, actively developing innovative drugs and promoting clinical guidelines and updates. These companies, together with researchers, are leading clinical studies, incorporating innovative Chinese drugs into international multi-center studies or conducting international research focused on domestic innovations. Companies like Zhengda Tianqing are working towards internationalizing China’s innovative drugs. As we saw in the “Voice of China” session, many new Chinese drugs have already made a significant global impact, competing on par with those from international pharmaceutical giants. Therefore, I believe our domestic pharmaceutical companies should focus on standardization and cutting-edge approaches to prepare for global expansion.
Oncology Frontier: The SGBCC introduced the “Voice of China” session for the first time. In your view, what significance does this session hold in advancing Sino-foreign academic dialogue in breast cancer? How can we further deepen Sino-foreign cooperation?
Professor Cuizhi Geng: The “Voice of China” session has excellently showcased China’s strength. We have been attending SGBCC for over ten years, but it wasn’t until recently, with professors like Jiang Zefei, Shao Zhiming, Xu Binghe, and Yin Yongmei joining the SGBCC expert panel, that China’s influence has been increasingly recognized. The “Voice of China” session comprehensively highlighted China’s research strength and the clinical practicality of domestic drugs, showing the excellent effects of Chinese innovative drugs in breast cancer treatment. It also highlighted Chinese-led clinical research, molecular subtypes, and innovative drugs, bringing a significant impact to global breast cancer experts. Many international experts participated in this session and expressed their admiration.
Oncology Frontier: There have been several successful cases of Chinese innovative drugs making their way to the international market. In your view, how can China accelerate the globalization of innovative drugs and reshape the international breast cancer treatment landscape?
Professor Cuizhi Geng: The globalization of Chinese innovative drugs is crucial, but the foundation for this success is demonstrating strong efficacy and safety in clinical treatment. Many domestic pharmaceutical companies now possess this capability. For example, Zhengda Tianqing, a leading Chinese enterprise, is transitioning from generics to innovation. They have built a strong presence in the breast cancer field, preparing for global expansion. Zhengda Tianqing’s Bemozumab, already in clinical trials for triple-negative breast cancer under the leadership of Professor Xu Binghe, has shown initial success. In addition, they are preparing for the launch of other innovative drugs like CDK2/4/6 inhibitors, HER2 ADC, HER2 bispecific antibodies, and PAM pathway inhibitors, all of which will expand and enhance breast cancer treatment strategies. I believe our domestic pharmaceutical companies are steadily laying the groundwork for future international expansion, and soon, Chinese innovative drugs will be recognized and used globally.
Professor Cuizhi Geng
- Associate Professor, PhD Supervisor
- Breast Cancer Center, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University
- Board Member, Chinese Anti-Cancer Association
- Board Member, Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology
- Vice Chair, Breast Cancer Expert Committee, Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology
- Vice Chair, Clinical Oncology Division, Chinese Women Physicians Association
- Standing Committee Member, Clinical Research Management Subcommittee, Chinese Anti-Cancer Association
- Committee Member, Breast Cancer Subcommittee, Chinese Anti-Cancer Association
- Chair, Breast Cancer Professional Committee, Hebei Anti-Cancer Association
