Johnson & Johnson Launches 'The Answer Book on Lung Cancer' Initiative in Collaboration with Multiple Partners

The "Book of Answers on Lung Cancer," initiated by Johnson & Johnson and supported by the People's Good Doctor platform and咚咚癌友圈 (Dongdong Cancer Patient Community), has recently been launched. This is a public welfare initiative that integrates medical authority with humanistic care, aiming to create China’s first authoritative science communication tool focused on the comprehensive management needs of lung cancer patients. By providing scientific, practical, and easy-to-understand medical guidance, it addresses the real needs of lung cancer patients and their families, helping to improve the efficiency of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment as well as patients' quality of life.

"The Book of Answers to Lung Cancer" Compilation Plan Officially Launched

Lung cancer is the leading killer among malignant tumors in China, with its incidence and mortality rates consistently ranking at the top for a long time. With advancements in medical technology, an increasing number of innovative treatment methods are bringing new hope to patients. However, the prevention and treatment of lung cancer in China still face many challenges: low early diagnosis rates, uneven regional diagnostic and treatment standards, and insufficient patient awareness of innovative treatment options remain prominent issues. Take EGFR, the most common genetic mutation in Asia, as an example. Despite the growing availability of innovative treatments, patients still encounter significant obstacles during their treatment journey, such as inadequate understanding of genetic testing, information asymmetry in treatment decision-making, and confusion over selecting appropriate treatment plans. These issues severely impact patients' treatment experiences and long-term survival.
Meanwhile, under the guidance of the Healthy China 2030 strategy, China's medical services are undergoing a profound transformation from "disease-centered" to "people's health-centered." High-quality doctor-patient communication has become a core pillar in achieving this transition. However, in reality, patients often express limited concerns and have insufficient communication with doctors, leaving most in a passive position of merely accepting treatment. Surveys show that although doctors encourage shared decision-making, as high as 77% of Asian patients still rely solely on doctors to choose treatment plans for them. The gap in professional understanding, limitations in communication, and confusion during critical decision-making not only exacerbate patients' anxiety and helplessness but may also affect treatment adherence and final outcomes. Therefore, it is imperative to encourage patients to participate in shared decision-making in disease diagnosis and treatment.
"The Book of Answers to Lung Cancer" is a powerful response to these challenges and will become a strong support for patients to participate in shared decision-making. The project will be based on real patient research, accurately capturing the genuine needs of patients throughout the entire cycle from diagnosis to recovery. It not only aims to transform complex medical knowledge into accessible language but also provides communication guidance throughout the entire treatment process, helping patients learn to express themselves, dare to ask questions, and participate in decision-making. This effort will promote the transformation of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment from a "disease-centered" one-way treatment approach to a "patient-centered" collaborative and shared decision-making model.
Professor Bao-Hui Han from the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine pointed out: "Lung cancer treatment has now entered an era of precision and chronic disease management. The quality of communication between doctors and patients or their families will directly impact patient outcomes. Effective communication is not a one-way transfer of information from doctors; rather, it should involve exchanges that allow doctors to fully understand patients' needs and concerns, providing targeted feedback and professional guidance. It is hoped that in the future, *The Book of Answers on Lung Cancer* will serve as a 'bridge' for medical consultations, truly enabling scientific decision-making and helping formulate more personalized treatment plans to improve treatment efficacy and patients’ quality of life."
Professor Huang Cheng from Fujian Cancer Hospital stated: "In clinical practice, we often encounter patients who, due to a lack of scientific understanding of their disease, do not know how to communicate accurately with doctors, resulting in missed optimal treatment opportunities and even falling into treatment difficulties. 'The Book of Answers on Lung Cancer' provides an effective solution to this problem by helping patients acquire scientific knowledge about their disease while also teaching them how to communicate efficiently during medical visits. This promotes a shift for patients from 'passive medical treatment' to 'active participation,' establishing a two-way collaborative model for the chronic disease management of lung cancer."
It is reported that "The Book of Answers on Lung Cancer" is an important initiative by Johnson & Johnson in the field of lung cancer patient care. It is expected to be launched and released within this year, to further promote the implementation of the concept of shared decision-making in lung cancer diagnosis and treatment, contribute to the improvement and upgrading of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment services in China, and assist in achieving the strategic goals of "Healthy China 2030".