From July 5 to 7, 2024, the highly anticipated 2024 Annual Progress Seminar on Chinese Clinical Oncology (BOC) and Best of ASCO 2024 China was grandly held in Guangzhou. The conference focused on the "Annual Research Advances in Chinese Clinical Oncology 2023," selected by the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO), aiming to delve into the latest research achievements in China's oncology field. Given the actual situation of cancer incidence in China, the conference specially invited authoritative experts in the field of oncology to comprehensively and deeply interpret outstanding papers from the 2024 ASCO meeting across various oncology disciplines. During the conference, Oncology Frontier - Hematology Frontier invited Professor Jun Zhu from Peking University Cancer Hospital for an exclusive interview to share his profound insights and unique academic perspectives on the conference.01 Significant Progress, Continuous Breakthroughs, and Rising International Reputation
Over the past year, China’s hematologic oncology field has made remarkable strides. These achievements have been fully showcased and reported at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, and the European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Meeting. Notably, the number of Chinese scholars attending these meetings has significantly increased, and the quality of participation has also markedly improved, especially in conference reports, academic exchanges, and poster presentations. Therefore, we can truly feel these substantial advances, particularly in innovative methods that incorporate the Chinese perspective, highlighting China’s influence and contributions.
For example, China’s CAR-T cell therapy has achieved significant success in treating leukemia, multiple myeloma, and lymphoma. The application of CAR-T cell technology in Chinese patients, whether in combination therapies, bridging treatments, or clinical data presentations, has gained global recognition. Especially the long-term follow-up clinical data demonstrate the reliability and efficacy of China’s CAR-T cell therapy. These achievements not only showcase China’s innovation in hematologic oncology treatment but also make significant contributions to the global development of hematologic oncology therapy.
Furthermore, China has made notable progress in the development of new drugs for hematologic oncology. Innovative drugs introduced from abroad, such as monoclonal antibodies, bispecific antibodies, and ADCs, have been recognized in domestic clinical data and have successively received approval in China, providing more precise and effective treatment options for domestic patients. Notably, China’s independently developed new drugs are also emerging, such as the JAK1 inhibitor golixitinib, approved in June for adult patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (r/r PTCL) who have received at least one prior systemic therapy.
In summary, China’s achievements in new drug development have significantly bolstered confidence in the field of hematologic oncology. Through in-depth exchanges and discussions at international conferences, we have also gained a clearer understanding of current gaps and deficiencies, which will undoubtedly inspire continuous efforts from Chinese experts and scholars to advance medical research and achieve more breakthroughs.
02 Standardized Diagnosis and Treatment Rising, Golden Era Emerging
Historically, China’s medical field lagged behind Western developed countries, mainly due to a relatively late start and weaker foundational conditions. Additionally, the vast geographic diversity in China has resulted in uneven medical development across regions, posing significant challenges to comprehensive progress in the medical field. However, over the past two to three decades, dedicated medical professionals have made substantial progress in promoting standardized diagnosis and treatment of hematologic and lymphoid malignancies in China. They have unwaveringly strengthened multidisciplinary cooperation, advancing the development and construction of specialized fields. With the support of CSCO, the Leukemia Expert Committee and Lymphoma Expert Committee have successfully pushed forward various initiatives, striving to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of hematologic malignancies in China, ensuring that patients receive more scientific and systematic medical services.
Amidst the growing emphasis on standardized diagnosis and treatment, China is entering a golden era of robust anti-cancer drug development. Numerous domestic experts and scholars are actively participating in clinical trials of new drugs, aligning with international standards, strictly adhering to international norms, and promoting the development and approval of new drugs. In this process, China continuously enriches and improves guidelines related to hematologic oncology, ensuring scientific and standardized clinical practices.
In April this year, the 2024 CSCO Guidelines Conference was successfully held, recommending a series of cutting-edge new drugs or combination therapies to clinical practitioners, including antibody drugs, small molecule drugs, and cell therapies. These recommendations closely follow the latest international research progress while also addressing the actual clinical needs of Chinese patients. The guidelines and norms have been revised and improved to provide authoritative diagnostic and treatment references and guidance to medical practitioners nationwide, aiming to better serve Chinese hematologic oncology patients, enhance cure and survival rates, and significantly improve their quality of life.
03 Flourishing New Drug Development, Chinese Wisdom Blossoming
In the field of lymphoma, new drug development is flourishing, showcasing remarkable innovation and diversity. In recent years, the speed at which international enterprises introduce new drugs into Chinese clinical practice has significantly increased. Chinese and foreign new drug development is now almost synchronized, with foreign new drugs quickly entering China upon their release, signifying the continuous optimization and international alignment of China’s drug evaluation and approval system.
Moreover, what is particularly exciting is the comprehensive prosperity of China’s independently developed new drugs. From being a follower to now running parallel with global leaders, and even achieving a leading position in certain areas, this transformation is truly gratifying. For instance, in the field of antibody drugs, from monoclonal antibodies to ADCs and trispecific antibodies, China has been closing the gap with foreign advancements in development speed and progress, reaching synchronization in some cutting-edge areas. In the development of small molecule drugs targeting cell signaling pathways and the tumor microenvironment, China has made notable progress, with no significant technical gap compared to international levels. Additionally, the speed and quality of clinical trials in China have been continuously improving, with new small molecule drugs emerging to provide patients with increasingly diverse treatment options.
In recent years, China’s cell therapy field has also been thriving, particularly in CAR-T cell therapy for hematologic malignancies, where China and the United States lead globally, with China even surpassing the US in some aspects.
So far, China has officially approved two CAR-T therapies for lymphoma, bringing hope of a cure to Chinese lymphoma patients. As innovative treatment methods in hematologic oncology continue to gain approval, we are eagerly hopeful that these advances will further enhance the convenience and diversity of treatment options for Chinese patients, offering them broader therapeutic prospects.
In conclusion, the diversified treatment methods, including antibody drugs, small molecule drugs, and cell therapies, indicate that China’s hematologic oncology field is maintaining a leading position in precision treatment and is poised to continually pioneer new therapeutic strategies. Looking ahead, we anticipate that more Chinese experts and scholars will actively showcase and promote uniquely Chinese treatment approaches on the international stage, contributing Chinese wisdom and strength to the development of global medicine, and providing more diverse and effective solutions for patients worldwide.
