The first Tencent Medical ME Conference (TMMEC) opened in Beijing on November 4th, 2019, with the theme of “Decoding Life” Jointly developed by Tencent and Tencent Medical Code, and in conjunction with two of the world’s top medical journals—the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and NEJM Frontiers in Medicine (both under NEJM Group).
TMMEC hosted several global medical experts and special guests to contribute breakthroughs and discoveries on cancer research, AIDS, translational medicine and other pioneering medical fields, share cutting-edge medical theories, and share clinical prevention & treatment experience. These experts included eminent physicians such as Professor Andrew Zhu and Dr. Tibor Kovacs from Shanghai Jiahui International Cancer Center, and Professor Xiao Rui-Ping, Chair Professor and Director of Institute of Molecular of Medicine (IMM) at Peking University, Associate Editor of New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), and Managing Editor of NEJM Frontiers in Medicine.
Andrew Zhu: The targeted treatment plan for liver cancer is progressing rapidly
Andrew Zhu is Director of Jiahui International Cancer Center (JICC), Director of JIH Clinical Research, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, an internationally recognized expert in liver cancer and bile duct cancer. He has led several important breakthrough clinical studies, offering new therapeutic hopes for patients with hepatobiliary cancer. When asked about the current state of liver cancer treatment in China, he shared: "China's liver cancer patients account for half of the world’s total. Precision medicine and targeted therapy have been put into application. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have become the standard treatment regime of liver cancer; immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with anti-angiogenesis inhibitors have made breakthroughs in liver cancer; the latest advances in bile duct cancer are based on their genetic characteristics and newly discovered therapeutic targets, and new targeted drugs have been developed, which will bring more hope for survival to patients worldwide.”
Tibor Kovacs: How to train a cancer surgeon
Tibor Kovacs is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at King's College London, President of the European Society of Surgical Oncology, and an international leader in breast cancer clinical care. He has extensive experience in breast cancer treatment, breast reconstruction and related surgeries. In January 2020, Tibor Kovacs will formally join Jiahui Health to bring international expertise in the treatment of patients with breast cancer.
Besides being a breast cancer physician, Dr. Kovacs also leads a team focusing on education, training and certification in breast cancer surgery. The training to become a cancer surgeon is very long and complex; comprehensive knowledge is required: there is a need to standardize this training pathway through a Global Curriculum in Cancer Surgery to become a certified cancer surgeon.
Tibor Kovacs also talked about the "Global Oncology Surgery Program" in collaboration with the American Society of Surgical Oncology, highlighting the theoretical knowledge and practical skill competencies needed. According to Dr. Kovacs’ introduction, there must be high-quality training, skilled and experienced trainers and TTT courses. The certification process should address also communication skills, confidence, judgement via an objective certification and accreditation process.
In addition, Dr. Kovacs also discussed projections on medical development over the next 20 years, predicting growth in minimally invasive and less invasive surgical techniques and even better outcomes, as well as more personalized treatments. The role of the surgeon will be changed, including an increased focus on data analysis and bioengineering, and the technologies used will become increasingly complex and precise.
Finally, Tibor Kovacs stated, that surgeons "should not simply focus on the technology. The surgeon should be a true scientist who can understand the results of these basic and clinical medicines (as well as) a far-sighted vision.”
Xiao Rui-Ping: Chronic disease has become the number one killer of mankind
Xiao Rui-Ping, has established a two-way communication bridge between China and international exchanges, especially in her work on chronic diseases. Of this, she said: "Chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and stroke, have become the number one killer of public health in China. In recent years, as the level of clinical research in China is improving significantly, we hope to introduce the most advanced international medical research and clinical practice to China—not only to medical professionals, but also to the public by “translating” professional information through reliable popular science platform(s).”
At the end of the conference, Professor Xiao put forward higher expectations for the future of Chinese medical development, stating: “(We) hope that the advancement of science and technology can greatly promote the development of human medicine. We expect safer and more effective drugs and instruments emerge in Chinese and international markets and that, in the near future, human beings can conquer the major chronic diseases like cardiovascular tumors. Also, we hope that China can produce more original drugs to serve all members suffering from disease.”
Dr. Xiao is Chair Professor and Director of Institute of Molecular of Medicine (IMM) at Peking University, Associate Editor of New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), Managing Editor of NEJM Frontiers in Medicine.
Linking the Whole Society to Build a New Ecological Science
Fundamentally, the exploration of cutting-edge medicine drives human cognition and improves the experience of human life and health. Equally important is how to bring these pioneering discoveries of medical knowledge to the public.
Even now, there exists many new medical achievements still unheard of by patients and even grassroots doctors with the power to change lives. Certain forms of leukemia, a once-feared disease, now has diagnostically significant therapies available with CAR-T immunotherapy. Lupus erythematosus, otherwise known as the "undying cancer", is now also controllable with the advancement of new therapies.
Yet along with these wondrous new therapies, technology has also brought great challenges. False medical advertisements and pseudo-science rumors propagated mainly by the Internet not only harm public health, but also exacerbate the conflict between doctors and patients. Internet medical science needs to be reshaped and developed towards these "deep water areas by bridging the gap between real medicine and popular awareness. As the public’s most powerful tool for obtaining information, ensuring the quality and accuracy of medical information on the Internet will be a critical task of medical science going forward.
A new vision of internet medicine should strive for these principles; for doctors to become as the authors of medical knowledge, commitment to scientific principles as the core, a professional attitude as the spirit, and rational thought as the cornerstone. Real medicine, in this way, will remain the foundation of health and the shield against panic in the face of disease.
Such is the public’s demand for medical knowledge, that a clear call for the participation of more medical experts and social forces has sounded. Jiahui Health will continue to export high-quality, digestible, and reliable medical science content as well as making due contributions to the improvement of national health literacy.
To find out more about JICC service offering, look at our website Jiahui International Cancer Center
Please contact 021-5339 3128, or send email to Cancerhub@jiahui.com
