National Launch Conference of the 'Ai Fei Program' – Enhancing Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Capacity in Grassroots Healthcare Institutions Held in Shanghai

The “National Project to Enhance Primary Care Capabilities in Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment” (hereinafter referred to as the “Love Lung Initiative”), implemented by the Hospital Management Institute of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, held its 2017 launch meeting in Shanghai on the afternoon of March 26. The “Love Lung Initiative” aims to respond to the requirements set forth in the Outline of the “Healthy China 2030” Plan and the Notice on Issuing the 13th Five-Year Plan for Health and Wellness, further strengthen support for primary healthcare institutions, and improve nationwide capabilities in lung cancer diagnosis and treatment.

At the conference, Dr. Ye Quanfu, Director of the Hospital Management Institute under the National Health and Family Planning Commission, stated that lung cancer is the malignant tumor with the highest incidence and mortality rates in China. Strengthening early diagnosis and enhancing medical service capabilities will be crucial measures to rapidly alleviate the burden of lung cancer in China. The “Lung Care Initiative” aims to drive broader progress by focusing on key demonstration sites; through training and leveraging these model centers, it seeks to improve primary-level lung cancer diagnosis and treatment capabilities nationwide, support the establishment of tiered diagnosis and treatment systems in pilot provinces and cities, and strengthen clinical guidance and experience exchange between tertiary hospitals and their partner institutions.

At the conference, Academician Wang Chen, a renowned expert in the field of respiratory medicine, delivered a report titled “Construction and Development of China’s Primary Care System for the Prevention and Treatment of Respiratory Diseases.” He introduced the establishment of China’s primary care system for respiratory disease prevention and treatment, while pointing out that early detection and timely treatment of lung cancer can significantly reduce patient mortality. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for prolonging survival, and primary care physicians play a vital role in the early diagnosis and management of lung cancer.

Subsequently, Professor Chen Liang’an from the Chinese PLA General Hospital and Professor Han Baohui from Shanghai Chest Hospital, both renowned experts in the field of lung cancer in China, respectively highlighted the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer and presented the latest advances in its diagnosis and management. They interpreted the medical keys to extending the survival of lung cancer patients from a clinical perspective. Professor Gao Beili from Shanghai Ruijin Hospital, a member of the expert panel, provided an outlook on the development of precision medicine for lung cancer. She pointed out that with the continuous emergence of driver genes and novel therapeutics, lung cancer is expected to become a controllable chronic disease in the future.

Finally, Deputy Director Zhu Weiwei of the Hospital Management Institute under the National Health and Family Planning Commission introduced the key work priorities for the “Love Lung Project” in 2017:

(1) Support referral coordination between hospitals at different levels. Enhance the capacity of primary healthcare institutions to provide medical services for lung cancer, and facilitate referral coordination for lung cancer patients between hospitals at different levels.

(II) Support lung cancer prevention and control efforts in primary healthcare institutions. Promote the development of clinical specialties for lung cancer in primary healthcare institutions, and enhance the capacity for whole-course disease management, ranging from differential diagnosis of small nodules and early-stage lung cancer screening to the diagnosis and treatment of advanced lung cancer.

(3) Support the training of personnel in primary healthcare institutions. Relying on demonstration bases and focusing on lung cancer, train core clinical physicians in primary hospitals to comprehensively enhance the service capacity and standards of primary healthcare institutions.