Editor’s Note: The 20th Shanghai International Breast Cancer Symposium (SIBCS), jointly hosted by the Shanghai Anti-Cancer Association and the Breast Cancer Committee of the China Anti-Cancer Association, was held from November 13–15, 2025 in Shanghai. During the meeting, Professor Jun-jie Li from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center delivered a keynote lecture entitled “Two Decades of Shared Progress: The Journey of China’s Original Innovation and the Rise of SIBCS.” Following the presentation, Oncology Frontier interviewed Professor Li to further discuss the latest advances of China’s original innovative drugs in breast cancer, and to explore how SIBCS enables cross-generational academic exchange and fosters synergistic development between Chinese innovations and the SIBCS platform. 

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Oncology Frontier:

Over the past 20 years, SIBCS has witnessed China’s leap from “follower” to “peer competitor” in the breast cancer field. As someone who experienced this transition firsthand, at which key milestones did China’s original drugs and technologies achieve breakthrough progress? And how have these breakthroughs enriched the academic ecosystem of SIBCS?

Professor Jun-jie Li:

SIBCS started as a conventional academic meeting and has gradually grown into a comprehensive platform for learning, communication, and scientific exchange among breast cancer professionals. Through its official WeChat channels and publications, SIBCS disseminates the latest evidence, expert discussions, and guideline updates in a timely manner, making cutting-edge knowledge easily accessible to clinicians across the country. Today, the mission of SIBCS goes beyond sharing knowledge—we must also leverage this platform to reach the world and drive greater innovation.

When we speak of innovation, I often use the concept of “timing, environment, and people.”

• Timing refers to the collective need within the field to discover effective anti-cancer weapons and address real unmet clinical needs. Over the past two decades, China’s original drugs have indeed made steady and meaningful progress.

• Environment refers to our responsibility as local clinicians to integrate global knowledge and design clinical studies that are more efficient, more relevant for Chinese patients, and capable of generating results faster. Conventional clinical trials may require 5–10 years, but with optimized design, a study may now be completed in just 2–3 years. Clinicians must shoulder this responsibility.

• People refers to collaborative strength. As I emphasized in my lecture, progress requires experts across disciplines to work together. SIBCS plays a crucial role in bringing people together, enabling synergy, and supporting mutual growth.

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Oncology Frontier:

This year’s SIBCS theme, “20 Years of Progress, A Future of Continuity,” honors both the pioneering spirit of senior experts and the growth of younger scholars. How can China’s original innovation forces leverage the SIBCS platform to achieve cross-generational transmission of experience? How should young investigators identify differentiated innovation pathways?

Professor Jun-jie Li:

In medicine, mentorship—passing knowledge from one generation to the next—is an enduring principle, and this responsibility never changes.

The evolution of the SIBCS agenda in recent years reflects this well. In the past, the stage was largely dominated by well-known senior experts. Today, more and more speaking opportunities are intentionally given to mid-career and early-career investigators.

Young experts now have the opportunity to present their research and innovative findings on the SIBCS stage, followed by discussion and commentary from senior leaders. This model not only strengthens academic exchange but also transforms SIBCS from a platform focused mainly on broad reviews into a showcase for original data and innovation. This shift injects vitality into the meeting and ensures its long-term sustainability.

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Oncology Frontier:

Looking forward, as precision medicine, big data, and artificial intelligence increasingly shape breast cancer care, how do you envision future collaboration between China’s original innovations and the SIBCS platform? And what are your expectations or suggestions for the upcoming 2026 guideline edition?

Professor Jun-jie Li:

The development of China’s original drugs is primarily driven by innovative pharmaceutical companies, each with its own pressures, competitive landscape, and quality standards. On the clinical side, our responsibility is to design, implement, and complete clinical studies quickly and rigorously. SIBCS, as a platform, must ensure that innovative findings are disseminated to clinicians and patients as rapidly and accurately as possible, enabling the entire ecosystem to stay up-to-date.

Regarding the 2026 edition of the breast cancer guidelines—commonly referred to as the “Little Red Book”—it will be officially released on December 20. Our guideline drafting committee has invested a significant amount of effort in its preparation. The aim is to enable clinicians—whether in outpatient clinics, ward rounds, or self-directed learning—to access clear diagnostic and treatment algorithms supported by strong evidence at any time.

Certain sections will also include scannable QR codes that link to animated instructional videos, making the guidance more intuitive and easier to apply in daily practice. Our hope is that the new guideline will standardize care more effectively and help clinicians make evidence-based decisions with confidence.

Expert Biography

Jun-jie Li, MD, PhD Associate Chief Physician, Associate Professor Department of Breast Surgery Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center Master’s Supervis