Amid rapid advancements in bioinformatics collection technology, artificial intelligence, and life sciences, the wave of precision medicine is sweeping across the globe.
Given the complexity and diversity of human diseases, precise diagnosis and treatment must rely on massive data and multi-parameter characterization. Refining accurate assessment and personalized therapy will become critical tasks in cancer prevention and treatment.
Against this backdrop, at the 2021 Health Summit's High-Quality Forum, attendees explored future medical trends centered on precision medicine driving high-quality development in cancer prevention and treatment. This academic session was specially supported by Geneseeq.
Facing the severe cancer prevention and control landscape, how can an integrated tumor prevention and treatment system be established?
Top left: Cheng Xiangdong, Party Secretary of Zhejiang Cancer Hospital; Top right: Bao Jun, President of Jiangsu Cancer Hospital; Bottom left: Cui Shuzhong, President of Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University; Bottom right: Zhao Yan, Vice President of Liaoning Cancer Hospital
In recent years, with socioeconomic development, treatment and diagnostic capabilities for malignant tumors have significantly improved.However, according to the latest 2020 data, China has 4.57 million cancer patients, ranking first globally.
Simultaneously, cancer incidence and mortality rates in China are gradually rising, with a five-year survival rate of 34.8% for male patients and 56.8% for female patients. Cancer has become a public health issue severely threatening the nation's well-being.
Cheng Xiaodong, Party Secretary of Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, presented on "Building an Integrated Cancer Prevention and Treatment System to Achieve Early Prevention, Early Detection, and Early Treatment." He emphasized that the ideal approach to combating cancer involves modifying living environments and lifestyles to reduce incidence rates. If complete eradication remains unattainable for now, the goal is to achieve early detection, diagnosis, and treatment through secondary prevention.
China has established a three-tiered cancer prevention system: the first tier focuses on raising health awareness to reduce or eliminate carcinogenic factors affecting the human body; the second tier emphasizes early detection, diagnosis, and treatment, including regular health checkups; the third tier involves preventing cancer recurrence and metastasis during treatment, while mitigating complications and sequelae.
Among these, secondary prevention stands as the most effective and widely implemented approach. Zhejiang Province aims to increase its early cancer diagnosis rate to 60% by 2025 and further to 65% by 2030.
To enhance early cancer screening rates, Zhejiang has established a three-tiered tumor prevention network at provincial, municipal, and county levels. This network is structured around eight key initiatives—risk factor control, prevention capacity enhancement, information technology development, standardized diagnosis and treatment protocols, among others—forming a comprehensive integrated prevention and control system.
During the roundtable discussion, Zhang Shutian, Deputy Party Secretary of Beijing Friendship Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, emphasized the importance of early screening, noting that general hospitals must also prioritize tumor screening.
Cui Shuzhong, President of Guangzhou Medical University Cancer Hospital, pointed out that epidemiological studies indicate major cancer risk factors include tobacco and alcohol consumption, chronic infections, and occupational diseases.
Regarding secondary prevention systems, Cui noted that countries like the United States have established mature cancer screening and early diagnosis/treatment frameworks, but China still faces gaps in policy support, equipment availability, public awareness, and medical insurance coverage.
Consequently, China's Healthy China strategy emphasizes early cancer diagnosis, treatment, and scientific prevention, shifting focus from disease cure to health management.
"We must remain confident. First, public health awareness is rising; second, policy guidance is strengthening; third, new technologies like genetic testing are advancing. If we apply the same intensity to cancer prevention as we did to pandemic control, early screening rates will undoubtedly increase," Cui stated.
The "Hot" and "Cold" of Precision Cancer Therapy
Left: Zhao Jiajun, President of Shandong Provincial Hospital; Right: Teng Lin, Vice President of Genscript
Looking ahead, while traditional cancer treatment emphasized early screening and standardized therapy, the advancement of precision medicine has introduced numerous new technologies, methods, and concepts to cancer treatment.
"Cancer prevention and control is a systematic endeavor that relies on technological innovation," stated Teng Lin, Vice President of Geneseeq, during her address. She emphasized that advancing precision medicine requires deep interdisciplinary integration of genomics, modern imaging technology, artificial intelligence, and big data to achieve precise cancer prevention and diagnosis, ultimately delivering treatment strategies aligned with human physiological patterns.
As a strategic partner of this conference, Geneseeq focuses on cancer genomics research and application, offering products and services spanning the entire cancer lifecycle—including early screening, drug guidance, post-treatment monitoring, and novel drug development support. The company aims to provide precision treatment solutions for more patients and jointly advance the sustainable development of cancer prevention and treatment.
Bao Jun, Party Secretary of Jiangsu Provincial Cancer Hospital, presented "New Advances and Critical Reflections on Precision Cancer Therapy." He emphasized that precision therapy relies on genetic testing and bioinformatics big data to conduct in-depth analyses of specific populations and disease categories, enabling personalized coverage of different targets and drugs.
Consequently, precision medicine is gaining momentum in three key areas: First, precision diagnosis. Through genetic testing and precision medicine, we not only transform treatment plans but also enable accurate disease identification and prevention, addressing limitations in imaging and pathological diagnostics.Selecting and guiding drug use based on genetic differences to choose appropriate therapeutic agents. Reducing drug toxicity and minimizing resistance to targeted therapies represent the future direction of healthcare.
Third, providing personalized solutions for rare diseases and intractable conditions.
However, Bao Jun also notes that precision diagnostics and treatment remain in an exploratory phase, facing numerous challenges. Despite technological advancements, a "cool-headed assessment" is still necessary:
First, all equipment and instruments rely on imports, with limited domestic R&D and production capabilities. Few domestic medical institutions independently conduct genetic testing, and there is a shortage of specialized professionals in this field.
Second, while precision targeted therapies demonstrate good efficacy and lower toxicity, accurate testing is a prerequisite for precision treatment. However, tumor testing costs are not covered by medical insurance, placing significant financial pressure on patients.
Third, national standards and industry regulations for genetic testing techniques and procedures—including specimen collection, testing processes, and result quality control—are absent. These practices lack integration into a unified platform, compromising the quality and accuracy of genetic test results. Furthermore, genetic testing data remains uninterconnected. Significant gaps also exist in patient privacy protection, technical support, and information upgrades, requiring further development and refinement.
Precision medicine has been elevated to a national strategy
High-Level Dialogue
Left 1: Wang Kunhua, President of the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University; Left 2: Bao Jun, President of Jiangsu Cancer Hospital; Left 3: Zhang Shutian, President of Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University; Left 4: Cui Shuzhong, President of Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University;Left 5: Luo Yingwei, Vice President, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University; Left 6: Zhao Yan, Vice President, Liaoning Cancer Hospital
"Precision medicine is an urgent medical necessity. While statistics can detect differences in new therapies during malignant tumor treatment, without precise molecular subtyping, most patients still receive standardized treatment."
Zhao Yan, Vice President of Liaoning Cancer Hospital, emphasized that precision medicine must be supported by clinical databases. It does not exclude physician experience or previous imaging/laboratory findings; rather, it enriches medical knowledge.
As databases gradually mature, all diseases will undergo renewed understanding and classification. While previous diagnoses relied on pathology, future approaches may utilize molecular subtyping for refinement, shifting treatment pathways from tumor drug efficacy to tumor gene-targeted drug efficacy.