Zhen Ai Station Launches Nationwide to Enhance Comprehensive Management System for Ovarian Cancer Patients
May 08, 2020 17:46
CST Updated
17:46
AstraZeneca
Biopharmaceutical Manufacturer
MSD
Pharmaceutical R&D and Manufacturer
On May 8, 2020, coinciding with the eighth World Ovarian Cancer Day, the national launch event of the “Zhen Ai Station” project was successfully held. The event was organized by the Beijing Aipu Cancer Patient Care Foundation, the Gynecologic Oncology Professional Committee of the China Anti-Cancer Association, and the Rehabilitation Committee of the China Anti-Cancer Association, with joint support from AstraZeneca China and MSD China. As a new initiative within the “Zhen Ai Series” focused on comprehensive management services for ovarian cancer patients, “Zhen Ai Station” will provide scientific and professional psychological rehabilitation support, establishing a closed-loop patient management system that integrates offline hospital channels with online follow-up platforms, thereby further advancing the upgrade of whole-disease-course management systems.
Empowering Comprehensive Ovarian Cancer Management Through Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration
Ovarian cancer is the most aggressive malignancy among gynecologic tumors, with the lowest 5-year survival rate of only 39%, and 70% of patients experience recurrence within three years. Over the past three decades, treatment for ovarian cancer has primarily relied on surgery and chemotherapy, with a notable lack of new breakthroughs. It was not until the approval of PARP inhibitors in 2018 that targeted therapy was introduced for ovarian cancer in China, bringing improved survival benefits to patients.
Although ovarian cancer treatment protocols in China are aligned with international standards, clinical awareness and adoption of targeted maintenance therapy as a novel approach still need to be enhanced. “Promoting greater awareness of maintenance therapy and comprehensive disease management for ovarian cancer is crucial to curbing its propensity for recurrence,” stated Professor Zhou Qi, Chief Physician at the Gynecologic Oncology Center of Chongqing University Cancer Hospital.
To promote patient adherence to the full continuum of care—spanning surgery, chemotherapy, and maintenance therapy—and to collaborate with healthcare institutions in providing superior long-term follow-up, management, and rehabilitation guidance for ovarian cancer patients, the Beijing Aipu Cancer Patient Care Foundation and the Rehabilitation Branch of the China Anti-Cancer Association jointly launched the China Ovarian Cancer Patient Care Center Project in August 2019, introducing the “Zhen Ai” (True Love) series of initiatives. At the core of this project is the “Zhen Ai Plan,” which has established a convenient and efficient internet-based follow-up platform via WeChat Official Account. This platform bridges direct communication between doctors and patients and effectively improves patients’ quality of life by providing professional guidance on treatment, disease management, and rehabilitation.
“Addressing the most urgent needs of ovarian cancer patients and providing timely, effective support is the original intent behind our nationwide rollout of the ‘Zhen Ai Initiative’ and the ‘Zhen Ai Stations.’ Moving forward, we will continue to collaborate with multiple stakeholders, leveraging synergistic efforts to integrate more medical resources, thereby helping more ovarian cancer patients lead healthier and better lives,” said Professor Shi Anli, Chairman of the Beijing Aipu Cancer Patient Care Foundation and Director of the Rehabilitation Committee of the China Anti-Cancer Association.
Focusing on Psychological Support Needs: The “Zhen Ai” Closed-Loop System Safeguards Patients
Studies have shown that at least 30%-35% of cancer patients suffer from mental disorders, and the types of mental disorders vary depending on the type of cancer. For ovarian cancer patients, the treatment pressure and financial burden caused by repeated recurrences of the disease make them prone to psychological issues such as anxiety and depression. Meanwhile, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic at the beginning of the year has somewhat affected the diagnosis and treatment process, causing significant psychological impact on these patients, who urgently need care and support from all sectors of society.
Professor Wang Zhen from the Mental Health Center Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine pointed out: “Psychological rehabilitation is crucial for the prognosis and survival of patients. To alleviate psychological stress in ovarian cancer patients, efforts should be made from multiple perspectives, including the patients themselves, their families, and healthcare providers, to form a combined force that provides personalized psychological support services. This helps reduce the adverse effects of psychological factors on the disease, thereby contributing to prolonging survival time and improving quality of life.”
Against this backdrop, the Beijing Aipu Cancer Foundation, in collaboration with multiple partners, launched the “Zhen Ai Station” project. The initiative invites senior psychological experts to provide ovarian cancer patients with targeted and interactive psychological support, nutritional counseling, and other services, helping them rebuild confidence in treatment and significantly advancing the upgrade of whole-disease-course management systems for ovarian cancer patients. It is reported that the first batch of “Zhen Ai Stations” will be established in more than 50 hospitals across China.
“As another upgrade in action for the ‘Zhen Ai’ series of projects, ‘Zhen Ai Stations,’ in collaboration with the ‘Zhen Ai Plan,’ have bridged the ‘last mile’ to create a closed-loop patient management system spanning from offline diagnosis and treatment to online follow-up.” stated Professor Zhou Qi, Chief Physician at the Gynecologic Oncology Center of Chongqing University Cancer Hospital. “We call on more healthcare professionals and members of society to pay attention to patients with ovarian cancer, ensuring standardized management throughout the entire journey—from standardized treatment to post-treatment rehabilitation and follow-up. This will safeguard high-quality long-term survival for more ovarian cancer patients, gradually reduce the mortality rate of this disease that severely threatens women’s life and health, improve patients’ quality of life, and contribute to the ‘Healthy China 2030’ initiative.”
Empowering Comprehensive Ovarian Cancer Management Through Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration
Ovarian cancer is the most aggressive malignancy among gynecologic tumors, with the lowest 5-year survival rate of only 39%, and 70% of patients experience recurrence within three years. Over the past three decades, treatment for ovarian cancer has primarily relied on surgery and chemotherapy, with a notable lack of new breakthroughs. It was not until the approval of PARP inhibitors in 2018 that targeted therapy was introduced for ovarian cancer in China, bringing improved survival benefits to patients.
Although ovarian cancer treatment protocols in China are aligned with international standards, clinical awareness and adoption of targeted maintenance therapy as a novel approach still need to be enhanced. “Promoting greater awareness of maintenance therapy and comprehensive disease management for ovarian cancer is crucial to curbing its propensity for recurrence,” stated Professor Zhou Qi, Chief Physician at the Gynecologic Oncology Center of Chongqing University Cancer Hospital.
To promote patient adherence to the full continuum of care—spanning surgery, chemotherapy, and maintenance therapy—and to collaborate with healthcare institutions in providing superior long-term follow-up, management, and rehabilitation guidance for ovarian cancer patients, the Beijing Aipu Cancer Patient Care Foundation and the Rehabilitation Branch of the China Anti-Cancer Association jointly launched the China Ovarian Cancer Patient Care Center Project in August 2019, introducing the “Zhen Ai” (True Love) series of initiatives. At the core of this project is the “Zhen Ai Plan,” which has established a convenient and efficient internet-based follow-up platform via WeChat Official Account. This platform bridges direct communication between doctors and patients and effectively improves patients’ quality of life by providing professional guidance on treatment, disease management, and rehabilitation.
“Addressing the most urgent needs of ovarian cancer patients and providing timely, effective support is the original intent behind our nationwide rollout of the ‘Zhen Ai Initiative’ and the ‘Zhen Ai Stations.’ Moving forward, we will continue to collaborate with multiple stakeholders, leveraging synergistic efforts to integrate more medical resources, thereby helping more ovarian cancer patients lead healthier and better lives,” said Professor Shi Anli, Chairman of the Beijing Aipu Cancer Patient Care Foundation and Director of the Rehabilitation Committee of the China Anti-Cancer Association.
Focusing on Psychological Support Needs: The “Zhen Ai” Closed-Loop System Safeguards Patients
Studies have shown that at least 30%-35% of cancer patients suffer from mental disorders, and the types of mental disorders vary depending on the type of cancer. For ovarian cancer patients, the treatment pressure and financial burden caused by repeated recurrences of the disease make them prone to psychological issues such as anxiety and depression. Meanwhile, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic at the beginning of the year has somewhat affected the diagnosis and treatment process, causing significant psychological impact on these patients, who urgently need care and support from all sectors of society.
Professor Wang Zhen from the Mental Health Center Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine pointed out: “Psychological rehabilitation is crucial for the prognosis and survival of patients. To alleviate psychological stress in ovarian cancer patients, efforts should be made from multiple perspectives, including the patients themselves, their families, and healthcare providers, to form a combined force that provides personalized psychological support services. This helps reduce the adverse effects of psychological factors on the disease, thereby contributing to prolonging survival time and improving quality of life.”
Against this backdrop, the Beijing Aipu Cancer Foundation, in collaboration with multiple partners, launched the “Zhen Ai Station” project. The initiative invites senior psychological experts to provide ovarian cancer patients with targeted and interactive psychological support, nutritional counseling, and other services, helping them rebuild confidence in treatment and significantly advancing the upgrade of whole-disease-course management systems for ovarian cancer patients. It is reported that the first batch of “Zhen Ai Stations” will be established in more than 50 hospitals across China.
“As another upgrade in action for the ‘Zhen Ai’ series of projects, ‘Zhen Ai Stations,’ in collaboration with the ‘Zhen Ai Plan,’ have bridged the ‘last mile’ to create a closed-loop patient management system spanning from offline diagnosis and treatment to online follow-up.” stated Professor Zhou Qi, Chief Physician at the Gynecologic Oncology Center of Chongqing University Cancer Hospital. “We call on more healthcare professionals and members of society to pay attention to patients with ovarian cancer, ensuring standardized management throughout the entire journey—from standardized treatment to post-treatment rehabilitation and follow-up. This will safeguard high-quality long-term survival for more ovarian cancer patients, gradually reduce the mortality rate of this disease that severely threatens women’s life and health, improve patients’ quality of life, and contribute to the ‘Healthy China 2030’ initiative.”