Zhejiang Establishes Gastric Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Technology Research Center with AI Integration, Files Prospectus for Commercialization

“The early diagnosis rate for gastric cancer in China will increase from the current 20% to approximately 45%, and the five-year survival rate for cancer patients will rise by 17 percentage points to 50%, reaching a leading level nationwide.” The realization of this goal will rely on the newly established Gastric Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Technology Research Center in Zhejiang Province, which is one of the first batch of major disease diagnosis and treatment technology research centers established nationwide following the State Council’s directive on October 9 this year to “concentrate superior resources to carry out special key breakthroughs in the treatment of difficult and high-incidence cancers.”

Recently, it was learned from the Zhejiang Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission and Zhejiang University that the Gastric Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Technology Research Center has been jointly established by the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine and the ZJU Ruiyi Artificial Intelligence Research Center. Relying on its team, the center will basically establish a cross-departmental and cross-regional collaborative platform for clinical diagnosis and treatment technologies, and form a mechanism for clinical cooperation and resource sharing. According to available data, the early diagnosis rate for gastric cancer in China is less than 20%, whereas in Japan and South Korea, it exceeds 70%. Many gastric cancer patients miss the optimal window for treatment, and outcomes for advanced-stage gastric cancer remain poor. The establishment of this center is expected to significantly improve this situation.

During the same period, to strengthen technological breakthroughs in major diseases, the Zhejiang Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission also approved the establishment of research centers for the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer and uterine malignancies. According to the "Notice on the Interim Measures for the Construction and Management of Research Centers for Diagnosis and Treatment Technologies of Major Diseases in Zhejiang Province" issued by the Zhejiang Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission and the Provincial Department of Finance, the Zhejiang provincial government will provide a subsidy of 5 million yuan for each center. With matching funds from relevant institutions, the total construction budget for each center will exceed 10 million yuan.

China records over 600,000 new gastric cancer cases annually, ranking first globally and accounting for approximately 50% of the world’s total gastric cancer population. Wu Yulian, Head of the Zhejiang Gastric Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Technology Research Center and Director of the Department of General Surgery at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine (SAHZU), revealed that in response to the four major issues and challenges facing gastric cancer management in China, the Center will leverage the medical collaborative networks of SAHZU, Zhejiang University, and domestic and international partners. It will focus on four key phases—early screening, treatment, standardization of surgery for advanced gastric cancer, strategic research on comprehensive therapy, and rehabilitation follow-up—to achieve technological breakthroughs in gastric cancer diagnosis and treatment and promote the widespread application of research outcomes.

Notably, the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies is expected to propel China’s intelligent diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer to a leading international level. “In the field of gastric cancer research and development, the creation of technologies with practical clinical value—such as AI-based pathological slide recognition and intelligent radiotherapy—can effectively improve the diagnostic rate of early-stage gastric cancer and the control rate of advanced-stage gastric cancer.”

Wu Jian, Director of the Zhejiang University RYAI Artificial Intelligence Research Center, stated that the integration of artificial intelligence and healthcare has become a key lever in tackling major diseases, with several AI-driven specialized medical products developed by the center already reaching international leading standards. Zhejiang University RYAI will collaborate with the Gastric Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Technology Research Center to develop 5–10 products, aiming to achieve nationwide commercialization and promotion within three years.

In March this year, the ZJU Ruiyi Artificial Intelligence Research Center was officially established at Zhejiang University. The center will leverage medical big data computing and artificial intelligence to enhance physicians’ work efficiency and provide patients with personalized, precision healthcare experiences. WeDoctor, an intelligent healthcare platform, donated RMB 100 million to Zhejiang University to support the center’s development. To date, the center has achieved multiple breakthroughs and outcomes in key technologies within the field of medical AI. Wu Jian revealed that the center will further announce its new achievements in medical artificial intelligence at the International Conference on Intelligent Healthcare, scheduled for November 15 this year.

According to VCBeat, the inaugural International Conference on Intelligent Healthcare will be held on November 15 at the G20 venue in Hangzhou. Academicians, experts, and industry practitioners from China, the United States, Russia, and other countries, specializing in medicine and computer science, will engage in in-depth discussions on the deep integration of artificial intelligence and healthcare. At the conference, the Medical Artificial Intelligence Alliance, the first industry organization in this field in China, will also be established.