Seven Academicians Gather in Chongqing to Advance Surgical Diagnosis and Treatment Standards

The 12th Chinese Academic Conference on Digestive Surgery Opens in Chongqing. During the conference, seven academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering joined experts in digestive surgery from across China to discuss innovative concepts and cutting-edge technologies in the field, working together to devise strategies for improving diagnostic and therapeutic standards.

At the opening ceremony, Zhao Yupei, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and President of the Chinese Medical Association, introduced that the Chinese Conference on Digestive Surgery was founded in 1999 by Huang Zhiqiang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and known as the “Father of Biliary Tract Surgery” in China. Over the past 22 years, the conference has been successfully held eleven times. Each edition has gathered academic insights, inspired innovative thinking, nurtured young talents, and both witnessed and facilitated the rapid development of digestive surgery in China.

Zhao Yupei, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and President of the Chinese Medical Association. Photo provided by the event organizer

“China accounts for more than 50% of new liver cancer cases globally.” stated Fan Jia, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and president of Zhongshan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University. He noted that liver cancer ranks fourth in incidence and second in mortality among all cancers in China, and early diagnosis is a key factor influencing long-term survival for patients with liver cancer. He believes that future precision prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of liver cancer should leverage integrated omics analysis to explore new diagnostic markers, prognostic predictors, and therapeutic targets; investigate the relationship between multi-omics-based molecular subtyping of liver cancer and various treatments; and also warrant exploration of combination therapies (including targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and locoregional therapy). “Although the path toward achieving precision treatment for liver cancer is long, the prospects are bright,” he said.

Fan Jia, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and President of Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University. Photo provided by the event organizer.

Early-stage hepatobiliary tumors often present with nonspecific symptoms; by the time they are detected, most cases have already progressed to intermediate or advanced stages, posing significant challenges for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Dong Jiahong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and President of Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital affiliated with Tsinghua University, pioneered the novel concept of “Precision Surgery” on the international stage, substantially improving therapeutic outcomes for patients with hepatobiliary tumors.

Dong Jiahong stated that precision surgery has become a widely adopted new concept and paradigm in international surgical practice, significantly enhancing the standard of modern surgery and improving therapeutic outcomes for numerous complex and challenging conditions. He believes that certainty is the cornerstone of precision surgery, and addressing and managing risks is an unavoidable issue for surgeons. When performing a procedure, physicians must systematically identify risk factors that may affect safety and recovery during the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases, analyze the likelihood and severity of these risks, and develop personalized treatment plans. Appropriate surgical techniques and technological equipment should be employed to mitigate high-risk occurrences.

Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and President of Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, Dong Jiahong, engaged in academic exchanges. Photo provided by the event organizer.

During the conference, Zheng Shusen, Chen Chao-Long, and Jiang Jianxin, Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, as well as Bian Xiuwu, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, engaged in academic exchanges on topics including innovative concepts in surgery, cutting-edge technologies, industry standards, basic research, and translational medicine.

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To better achieve the multi-objective optimization of safety, efficiency, and minimally invasive techniques in gastrointestinal surgery, and to promote the widespread adoption and application of the precision gastrointestinal surgery paradigm, Academician Dong Jiahong, leading the initiative under the auspices of the Editorial Board of the Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery, has joined forces with experts and colleagues nationwide to establish the National Gastrointestinal Surgery Expert Group and create the “Precision Gastrointestinal Surgery Nationwide Tour” academic exchange platform.

“Precision Gastrointestinal Surgery Nationwide Tour” Academic Exchange Platform Officially Launched; Photo Provided by the Event Organizer

The platform was officially launched during this conference. In the future, it will focus on the frontier fields of gastrointestinal surgery, adhere to precision and standardization as its core philosophy, remain guided by clinical issues, foster innovative collaborations, cultivate young talent, and advance the high-quality development of gastrointestinal surgery in China.

Note: Part of the content in this article is reprinted from “China News Service”.