China and Australia work together to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment.

On the morning of November 15, 2020, as one of the seven main sessions of the CCO Conference, the Sino-Australian Conference on Oncology was held at the Shangri-La Hotel, Guangzhou, with Chinese-Australian oncologists from the China Anti-Cancer Association (CACA), China Anti-Cancer Association Australia and Icon Medical Group of Australia. All discussed the latest and hottest issues in the field of medical oncology, cancer surgical treatment, radiotherapy and nursing through a live streaming event and recorded lectures.

Prof. Ying Wang

The opening ceremony was hosted by Dr. Shuang Liao, Director of the International Office of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. Professor Ying Wang, Secretary General of the China Anti-Cancer Association, Dr. Xueqin Yu, Chairman of the China Anti-Cancer Association Australia, and Dr. Mark Middleton, CEO of ICON Group Australia, delivered their opening addresses during the ceremony. Secretary-General Wang fully affirmed the support of the China Anti-Cancer Association Australia and the Australian ICON Medical Group to the Chinese Conference on Oncology, and sincerely thanked the host, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, for its careful preparation of the conference, and expressed hope that China and Australia would take the opportunity of co-organizing the conference as a chance to further promote exchanges and cooperation in the field of oncology clinical and scientific research between China and Australia, as well as, promoting the development and achievements of cancer science and technology. Dr. Xueqin Yu of the Australian Branch of the China Anti-Cancer Association and CEO Mark Middleton of ICON Medical Group, on behalf of their respective organizations, expressed their sincere congratulations on the successful convening of the conference and looked forward to further strengthening academic exchanges and expanding cooperation in the field of oncology between China and Australia through this event, with a view to providing better medical services for cancer patients in both China and Australia.

Meeting attendees

The meeting was divided into three modules. The first two modules were jointly organized by the China Anti-Cancer Association and the China Anti-Cancer Association Australia, inviting oncologists from China and Australia to conduct in-depth discussions on the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal tumors. The contents included: Professor David Smith, an Australian oncology epidemiologist, who introduced forward-looking research on prostate cancer, Professor Feng Wang of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center who introduced precision medicine for metastatic colorectal cancer, Professor Cherry Koh, an Australian abdominal oncologist, who introduced the surgical treatment of colorectal cancer, Australian clinical cancer chemotherapy specialist Dr. Gao Bo shared research and methods of oncology Phase I Clinical Trials, and Professor Hu Jun of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital introduced the research on non-coding circular RNA and colon cancer. Module three was a joint training course in oncology nursing and radiation therapy conducted by the China Anti-cancer Association and ICON Medical Group. Margie Hjorth, Director of Nursing from ICON Medical Group Australia, shared recommendations for skin response management for breast cancer radiation therapy, and supervisor Catherine Di Stasi introduced uniform quality and safety standards for patient care at ICON Healthcare Australia. Finally, ICON radiotherapist Claire Smith demonstrated live video training software for radiotherapists in China and Australia.

(L-R) Dr. Shuang Liao, Prof. Tingting Xu, Prof. Hu Jun, Prof. Ying Wang, Ms. Lijun Zhang and Prof. Feng Wang