Pfizer Hosts the 9th New Perspectives Breast Cancer Summit in Chongqing, Advancing Precision-based Comprehensive Treatment

Chongqing, August 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --On July 15, 2019, the State Council issued the "Opinions on Implementing the Healthy China Action," which further outlined a clear roadmap for the "Healthy China 2030" strategy. It explicitly proposed reducing cancer incidence and mortality rates and improving patients' quality of life through comprehensive measures such as "enhancing cancer diagnosis and treatment capabilities in central and western regions and at the grassroots level, strengthening scientific and technological breakthroughs in cancer prevention and control, and accelerating the review and approval of clinically urgent drugs." The goal is to achieve an overall five-year cancer survival rate of no less than 43.3% by 2022 and 46.6% by 2030.。

The "9th New Perspectives Summit on Breast Cancer," hosted by Pfizer, kicked off in Chongqing on August 16, 2019. Themed "Safe Renewal, Comprehensive Care," the conference shared and discussed the latest research advances and achievements in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in China from new perspectives, enhanced clinical exchange in related fields, promoted multidisciplinary collaboration, further improved the level of breast cancer prevention and treatment in China, and helped usher in a "precise" new future for the comprehensive management of breast cancer.Professor Xu Binghe, Chief Physician of the Department of Medical Oncology at the National Cancer Center and Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Director of the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Institute and Director of the Breast Cancer Institute、Professor Shao Zhimin, Director of the Department of General Surgery and Director of the Department of Breast SurgeryServing as Conference Chair, engaged in in-depth discussions with over 500 breast cancer experts and clinicians on the current status and development trends of whole-course diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in China.

The “New Perspectives Breast Cancer Summit” was initiated by Pfizer in 2011，The inaugural conference was held in Nanjing, followed by annual conferences over the next seven years in Hangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu, Qingdao, Wuhan, and Beijing. It has evolved into a premier annual platform in China for professional academic exchange and the sharing of cutting-edge clinical advancements in the field of breast cancer. By convening experts from various disciplines related to breast cancer, the conference interprets the latest progress in diagnosis and treatment, discusses and forecasts future therapeutic strategies and emerging trends. This initiative has significantly promoted clinical communication within the domestic breast cancer community, aiming to collaborate with more specialized physicians to collectively enhance clinical diagnostic and therapeutic standards, thereby improving treatment outcomes for patients.

A New Perspective: “QuanZhan” for the Full-Course Treatment of Breast Cancer

In January 2019, the National Cancer Center released the latest national cancer statistics, showing that new cases of female breast cancer accounted for 17.10% of all malignant tumors in women, ranking first among female malignancies, with approximately 304,000 new cases annually.^[1], the incidence of breast cancer among women in China rises rapidly with age after 20 years old, and at 55-Peaks at around age 60. The 5-year survival rate for breast cancer patients in China from 2010 to 2014 was 83.2%.^[2]。

Professor Xu Binghe, Chief Physician of the Department of Medical Oncology at the National Cancer Center and Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesIt points out: “As a representative chronic disease among cancers, breast cancer has benefited from the patient-centered ‘comprehensive, full-cycle’ health management concept advocated by China’s first ‘Oncology Health Management Alliance,’ established in March 2017. Through multidisciplinary, comprehensive collaboration during the acute phase and full-cycle health management during the chronic phase, the breast cancer prevention and control network has been further extended to cover both patients and high-risk populations. Furthermore, several newly issued ‘guidelines’ have established standardized protocols for diagnosis, treatment, and health management, thereby facilitating standardized care and holistic health management for patients. With advancing understanding of breast cancer and continuous exploration and summarization of therapeutic strategies and regimens, we should adopt an ever-broadening perspective and innovative vi-Corneal Examination"In light of clinical practices in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, strengthening communication and collaboration within the industry will provide more precise diagnosis and treatment for patients. This not only helps improve therapeutic benefits for patients but also contributes to the early realization of the long-term goals of the 'Healthy China 2030' strategic plan."

"Improving the Prognosis of Breast Cancer Patients"、The key to improving patients' quality of life lies in enhancing the level of comprehensive treatment, including clinical applications such as chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, and targeted therapy.These will allBringing new benefits to patients.”Director of the Cancer Institute, Fudan University; Director of the Breast Cancer Institute、Professor Shao Zhimin, Director of the Department of General Surgery and Director of the Department of Breast SurgeryIndicate，“In recent years, significant progress has been made in China in both basic research and clinical translation related to precision medicine. Personalized and precise approaches have become a major research focus in breast cancer treatment. This year, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center officially established the Precision Oncology Center to explore the role and value of precision testing in breast cancer treatment. By conducting analytical and comparative studies, the center aims to identify so-called driver gene mutations specific to the Chinese population, thereby enhancing clinical benefits for Chinese patients with breast cancer, particularly those with refractory disease, and further advancing breast cancer treatment in China toward precision therapy.”

“Precision” Leads the New Future of Breast Cancer Treatment

Thanks to multidisciplinary team (MDT) consultations and the continuous improvement in comprehensive breast cancer treatment, achieving precision therapy for breast cancer patients by integrating genetic testing technologies with established “consensus” guidelines—whether through cornerstone treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, or via endocrine therapy and biological targeted therapy—has become one of the core topics constantly explored by clinicians. “Precision” has also emerged as a hot topic among experts at the conference.

As the cornerstone of breast cancer treatment in China, chemotherapy not only enables early-stage patients to achieve favorable outcomes through comprehensive therapies but also plays a crucial role in palliative care for some advanced-stage patients by alleviating symptoms and prolonging survival. Centered on discussions of established treatments, the conference reached a consensus that, within the context of whole-course multidisciplinary management of breast cancer in China, it is essential to explore treatment models tailored to China’s specific realities, identify patient populations with distinct benefit profiles, and refine and optimize chemotherapy strategies through more precise management in line with the trend toward “precision” medicine.，Unveiling a New Chapter in the “Era of Precision Chemotherapy”

As the primary treatment modality for estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer, updates in endocrine therapy research continue to drive advancements in this field. Experts in endocrinology discussed “hot topics in adjuvant endocrine therapy for HR+ early-stage breast cancer,” noting that relative efficacy is independent of age, which further supports guideline recommendations for combining adjuvant endocrine therapy with ovarian function suppression. The experts also pointed out that with the development of endocrine therapy, drug resistance has become one of the key research focuses in this area. Targeted therapies directed against key signaling molecules in the ER signaling pathway provide important strategies for overcoming resistance to endocrine therapy in breast cancer. In the future, the combination of endocrine therapy with molecular targeted drugs is expected to precisely overcome resistance.

In recent years, as a novel therapeutic approach beyond the three conventional modalities of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, targeted therapy has pioneered new pathways for precision medicine in clinical practice, owing to its high specificity, significant efficacy, and minimal toxic side effects, thereby steering the overall landscape of breast cancer treatment toward a more precise future.

“Breast cancer is a threat to women's healthof aPfizer Oncology: A Comprehensive Portfolio of Excellence Across the Breast Cancer Spectrum, Continuously Supporting Clinical Expertise for Many Years，Deepen disease research, refine treatment strategies, and continuously provide patients with safer, more effective, and more diverse therapeutic options. Through a series of high-level academic platforms and forward-looking initiatives—such as the “New Perspectives Breast Cancer Summit,” the “Comprehensive, Full-Cycle” Oncology Health Management Program, and the Breast Cancer Standardization Center Project—we aim to identify effective solutions that enable “early-stage curability and late-stage controllability” for breast cancer patients, thereby advancing the patient-centered treatment philosophy.。“Mr. Wu Kun, General Manager of Pfizer Biopharmaceuticals Group China, stated，“As one of the leading foreign pharmaceutical companies in China, Pfizer has been deeply rooted in the Chinese market for three decades. Upholding its mission to ‘deliver breakthroughs that change patients’ lives,’ Pfizer works tirelessly with stakeholders across the industry to continuously provide innovative medicines and treatment solutions for patients. Looking ahead, we will continue to leverage our resource advantages and collaborate closely with the government and relevant industry partners to further improve the accessibility and affordability of anticancer drugs, benefiting more patients in China, supporting patient families and society, and fully contributing to the early realization of the ‘Healthy China 2030’ goals.”

[1] Analysis of the Epidemiology of Malignant Tumors in China in 2015, Chinese Journal of Oncology, Vol. 41, No. 1, 2019.

[2] In 2018, The Lancet published the CONCORD-3 study.