Homegrown medicines to play bigger role in tumor treatment

China's homegrown medicines are expected to play a more important role in tumor treatment as domestic researchers and practitioners ramp up efforts to provide more Chinese solutions for such patients, leading Chinese oncologists and clinical doctors said.

They made the remarks at a tumor treatment experience exchange event held in Beijing by People's Daily Online.

Experts from various tumor fields, including lung cancer, hepatobiliary tumor, gastric cancer, breast cancer, lymphoma and nasopharyngeal cancer, gathered to discuss new ideas and advancements for cancer prevention and treatment, as well as talent cultivation.

Wu Yilong, chief expert at the Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital and president of the Guangdong Medical Doctor Association, introduced a variety of cutting-edge treatment methods for lung cancer, including innovative therapies for new indications. These methods aim to optimize clinical practice, improve the quality of life of patients and enhance diagnostic safety.

"Currently, immunotherapy and targeted therapy have achieved good results in clinical practice. However, to further improve the quality and efficiency of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment, in-depth comparative research based on the best control groups is needed," Wu said.

Zhu Jun, Party secretary of Peking University Cancer Hospital, and Ma Jun, director of the Harbin Institute of Hematology and Oncology, shared their research progress in the field of lymphoma. Both experts highlighted the importance of independent innovation in tumor treatment and the development of new anti-tumor drugs. China's anti-tumor drug research and development is accelerating, they said, adding doctors in the field of hematological lymphoma should continue to focus on speeding up new drug development and innovating treatment strategies to benefit more patients with more efficient and safe drugs.

Zhu stressed that China's small molecule drugs, exemplified by Zanubrutinib, a cancer treatment developed by Chinese medical enterprise BeiGene in 2019, have not only achieved a landmark breakthrough in the development of domestically originated anti-tumor medications but have also successfully entered the international market, benefiting patients worldwide.

Moreover, small molecule drugs from China have also rewritten the standards for cancer treatment, thereby influencing the medical insurance system, he said, adding the pace at which China's immune checkpoint inhibitors are brought to market and their volume in market circulation far surpass those in Western countries. Additionally, their inclusion in the medical insurance system has significantly improved access for Chinese patients, leading to a wide range of new treatments being explored across various types of cancer.

Shen Lin, director of the department of gastrointestinal oncology at Peking University Cancer Hospital, shared the current development status of esophageal and gastric cancer.

"In the field of esophageal cancer, screening and immunotherapy have brought longer survival periods for patients. Multiple phase III clinical studies on immunotherapy combined with concurrent chemoradiation (initiated by Chinese researchers) are ongoing, which will further improve the survival rate of esophageal cancer patients," she said.

"In gastric cancer, continuous progress has been made from mature targets to emerging targets, which will improve the treatment status of gastric cancer patients."

Zhou Liqun, director of the institute of urology at Peking University and chair of the department of urology at Peking University Health Science Center, introduced the "bladder preservation" treatment for urinary system tumors. "To date, research results and consensus on various combination treatment plans based on immunotherapy have confirmed the effectiveness and high safety of the 'neo-adjuvant bladder preservation immunotherapy model' with Chinese characteristics. This model may become a mainstream treatment method in the future, providing better treatment options and improved quality of life for more patients."

At the event, the organizers also announced two lists of Chinese medical doctors included by the "2024 People's Good Doctors • Golden Camellia Plan". The project is inspired by the golden camellia, a symbol of overcoming difficulties and fostering growth and vitality, and aims to promote and encourage young and middle-aged medical professionals in the field of cancer prevention and treatment to innovate and forge ahead in clinical research.