Five outstanding young Chinese scholars received the Third Scholar Award from the Asian Fund for Cancer Research(AFCR) and the US Chinese Anti-Cancer Association(USCACA)

正Chinese researchers and physicians are being increasingly recognized for making significant contributions that advance biomedical research, including cancer research, in both China and the world. To facilitate and strengthen collaborations among cancer researchers and physicians in the United States and China, the US Chinese Anti-Cancer Association (USCACA) and the US National Foundation for Cancer Research (USNFCR) have established the Scholar Excellence Award for the USNFCR-USCACA Scholar Exchange and Fellowship Program in Basic, Translational, and Clinical Studies.     

The US Chinese Anti-Cancer Association and the National Foundation for Cancer Research recognize five young Chinese investigators with the 2014 USCACA-NFCR Scholar Awards

To facilitate and strengthen collaborations among cancer researchers and physicians in the United States and China,the US Chinese AntiCancer Association（USCACA）and the National Foundation for Cancer Research（NFCR）have established the Scholar Excellence Award for the USCACA-NFCR Scholar Exchange and Fellowship Program in Basic,Translational,and Clinical Studies.From 2010 to 2013,14 young Chinese     

Bridging the US and China together to conquer cancer: report of the 4th annual meeting of the US Chinese Anti-Cancer Association (USCACA)

A global collaborative effort is pivotal to conquer cancer. Themed "Emerging role of China in global clinical development of novel anti-cancer drugs", the US Chinese Anti-Cancer Association (USCACA) held its 4th annual meeting in Chicago on June 2, 2012, in conjunction with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting to further bridge the US and China together to outsmart cancer. Although a young organization, USCACA has made significant contributions to this goal in the 3 years since its inception through extensive collaboration with academic organizations, the pharmaceutical industry, and governmental agencies. USCACA has engaged various stakeholders in developing translational and personalized medical strategies to facilitate new anti-cancer drug development and clinical trials in China. USCACA has initiated and implemented the USCACA-National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) scholarship to encourage overseas returnees to continue cancer research in China. USCACA announced the Hengrui-USCACA scholarship to fund clinical trial staff from China to conduct the observation of early oncologic clinical trials in the US. During the annual meeting, distinguished panelists and the audience discussed the following critical topics:(1) oncologic translational research and early development capabilities in China;(2) novel chemical entity development and partnership with Chinese companies; and (3) Chinese participation in global anti-cancer drug development. USCACA will continue to promote collaborations among cancer researchers and clinicians in the US and China by engaging in more frequent communications and joint efforts across fields, disciplines, and countries, diligently working together toward curing and eliminating cancers.     

Translational Research in Oncology Research & Development and Its Impact on Early Development in China:report of the 5th Annual Meeting of the US Chinese Anti-Cancer Association (USCACA) at 2013 AACR Annual Meeting

In April 2013, the US Chinese Anti-Cancer Association (USCACA) held its 5th annual meeting in conjunction with the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2013 Annual Meeting in Washington DC. The USCACA executive committee reported activities and programs and highlighted the partnership and collaboration between USCACA and other major organizations. The key initiatives and programs of USCACA included 1) USCACA-TIGM Esophageal Cancer Program that funds translational research of esophageal cancer prevention and treatment at the Xinxiang Medical University in Henan province, China; 2) the USCACA-NFCR-AFCR Scholarship Program, which has supported 10 young outstanding Chinese cancer researchers and will award 4 fellowships at the Guangzhou International Symposium on Oncology in November this year; 3) USCACA-Hengrui Training Program for Early Phase Clinical Research, which has supported the training of a Chinese scholar at two major cancer centers in the US; and 4) USCACA has continued its partnership with the Chinese Journal of Cancer, which has reached significant international impact.     

Current and Future Management of Malignant Mesothelioma: A Consensus Report from the National Cancer Institute Thoracic Malignancy Steering Committee,International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer,and Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation

On March 28– 29, 2017, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Thoracic Malignacy Steering Committee, International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, and Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation convened the NCI–International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer– Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation Mesothelioma Clinical Trials Planning Meeting in Bethesda, Maryland. The goal of the meeting was to bring together lead academicians, clinicians, scientists, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to focus on the development of clinical trials for patients in whom malignant pleural mesothelioma has been diagnosed. In light of the discovery of new cancer targets affecting the clinical development of novel agents and immunotherapies in malignant mesothelioma, the objective of this meeting was to assemble a consensus on at least two or three practice-changing multimodality clinical trials to be conducted through NCI’s National Clinical Trials Network.     

The Use of Radiation Therapy for the Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: Expert Opinion from the National Cancer Institute Thoracic Malignancy Steering Committee,International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer,and Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation

IntroductionDetailed guidelines regarding the use of radiation therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) are currently lacking because of the rarity of the disease, the wide spectrum of clinical presentations, and the paucity of high-level data on individual treatment approaches.MethodsIn March 2017, a multidisciplinary meeting of mesothelioma experts was cosponsored by the U.S. National Cancer Institute, International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Research, and Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. Among the outcomes of this conference was the foundation of detailed, multidisciplinary consensus guidelines.ResultsHere we present consensus recommendations on the use of radiation therapy for MPM in three discrete scenarios: (1) hemithoracic radiation therapy to be used before or after extrapleural pneumonectomy; (2) hemithoracic radiation to be used as an adjuvant to lung-sparing procedures (i.e., without pneumonectomy); and (3) palliative radiation therapy for focal symptoms caused by the disease. We discuss appropriate simulation techniques, treatment volumes, dose fractionation regimens, and normal tissue constraints. We also assess the role of particle beam therapy, specifically, proton beam therapy, for MPM.ConclusionThe recommendations provided in this consensus statement should serve as important guidelines for developing future clinical trials of treatment approaches for MPM.     

2009~2015年度中国抗癌协会科技奖获奖成果分析

摘 要：［目的］ 分析2009～2015年度中国抗癌协会科技奖获奖成果的特点,为科研人员总结科研成果提供参考。［方法］ 对获奖成果按完成单位类型、地区分布、学科分布、任务来源、论文数、专利数及获国家奖情况结合图表进行分析。［结果］ 122个获奖成果中,医疗机构获奖成果及高等级获奖成果数较多,获奖地区和学科分布较广泛,项目受资助比例高,发表论文总数、高水平论文（SCI论文）数、专利数较高,部分获奖项目达到国家奖水平。［结论］ 中国抗癌协会科技奖获奖成果代表了我国肿瘤医学领域的较高水平。科研人员学习优秀获奖成果的共性,立足科技创新,注重积累和总结,有助于科研成果水平的提高。     

Cancer incidence and cancer control in Mongolia: Results from the National Cancer Registry 2008–12

Mongolia has a high burden from noncommunicable diseases, with cancer now the second leading cause of mortality. Given the paucity of situation analyses from the country, this study reports cancer data based on new cases 2008–12 from the National Cancer Registry of Mongolia covering the entire population (2.87 million). New cancer cases of 21,564 were diagnosed over the 5‐year period, with a slight predominance of cases (52%) in men. Liver cancer was the leading cancer site in both sexes (ASRs of 114.7 and 74.6 per 100,000 males and females), and responsible for almost two‐fifths of all cancer diagnoses, followed by cancers of stomach, lung and oesophagus in men and cervix, stomach and oesophagus in women. The cumulative risk of incidence for all cancers (27.7% and 20.8% in men and women, respectively) positions Mongolia above China (20.2% and 13.3%), below the United States (34.1% and 28.5%) and similar to Russia (26.1% and 19.1%). These figures shed light on the considerable magnitude of cancer in the country and the large fraction of cancers that can be prevented by lifestyle modifications and vaccine implementation. An expansion of activities of the cancer registry and the continued development of research are necessary steps in support of national cancer control planning in Mongolia.     

Reducing the "risk" of chemoprevention: defining and targeting high risk--2005 AACR Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation Award Lecture

Two large-scale, phase III cancer prevention trials, the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial (BCPT) of tamoxifen and Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) of finasteride, concluded with strikingly positive and simultaneously problematic results: reduced cancer risks but a major adverse finding with each agent that prevented its widespread use in the community. For most moderate-risk people, such as those studied in the BCPT and PCPT, the benefit of reduced breast or prostate cancer does not outweigh the major risk of tamoxifen (endometrial cancer in the BCPT) or apparent risk of finasteride (high-grade prostate cancer in the PCPT). Promising interventions with biologically active substances are likely to have adverse, perhaps unforeseen effects, especially with long-term preventive use. Acceptance of such agents will depend heavily on the level of cancer risk of the target population. This article outlines research in molecularly identified high-risk oral intraepithelial neoplasia that creates the clinical opportunity for optimizing the risk-benefit ratio of agents to prevent oral cancer. Two other major research efforts focused on improving preventive agent risk-benefit ratios are molecular-targeted research designed to target away from known adverse signaling pathways and multidisciplinary research based on the PCPT that will develop comprehensive models of prostate cancer risk (especially of aggressive prostate cancer) and pharmacoecogenetic models for identifying high-risk men most likely to benefit from (and not be harmed by) finasteride or similar (5alpha-reductase inhibiting) agents. Defining and targeting high-risk populations, developing molecular-targeted approaches, and developing accurate pharmacoecogenetic models promise to reduce the risk of chemoprevention and ultimately to reduce the risk and burden of major cancers.     

Rates of inclusion of teenagers and young adults in England into National Cancer Research Network clinical trials: Report from the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Teenage and Young Adult Clinical Studies Development Group

Poor inclusion rates into clinical trials for teenagers and young adults (TYA; aged 13–24 years) have been assumed but not systematically investigated in England. We analysed accrual rates (AR) from 1 April 2005 up to 31 March 2007 to National Cancer Research Network (NCRN) Phase III trials for the commonest tumour types occurring in TYA and children: leukaemia, lymphoma, brain and central nervous system, bone sarcomas and male germ cell tumours. AR for 2005–2007 were 43.2% for patients aged 10–14 years, 25.2% for patients aged 15–19 years, and 13.1% for patients aged 20–24 years in the tumour types analysed. Compared with accrual from 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006, AR between 1 April 2006 and 31 March 2007 increased for those aged 10–14 and 15–19 years, but fell for those aged 20–24 years. AR varied considerably among cancer types. Despite four trials being available, patients over 16 years with central nervous system tumours were not recruited. Rates of participation in clinical trials in England from 2005 to 2007 were much lower for TYA older than 15 years compared with children and younger teenagers. The variations in open trials, trial age eligibility criteria and extent of trial activation in treatment centres in part explain this observation. Other possible influences, such as difficulties associated with the consent of TYA require further evaluation. Closer dialogue between those involved in planning and running trials for children and for adults is necessary to improve trial availability and recruitment. Further research is required to identify trends in trial availability and accrual for those tumours constituting the remaining 26% of TYA cancers.     

Translating research into clinical practice: deliberations from the American Association for Cancer Research.

Translational research is difficult to define but recognizable to all who engage in it. Academic medical centers struggle to participate effectively, in contrast to the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry, which are designed for nothing else. The process of translational research can be viewed as a cycle with defined phases and identifiable checkpoints. From the original hypothesis, through early scientific testing, investigators with different skill sets are required to move a fundamental observation through preclinical tests of clinical relevance then ultimately into the clinic. The various investigators must be able to organize effective research teams, whose compositions will differ as one moves closer to treating patients. Each phase, from discovery through application, has a set of barriers that can be summarized as culture, human resources/education, infrastructure, and regulatory. At a retreat of the Clinical Translational Research Committee of the American Association for Cancer Research, many of the issues facing academic centers were discussed and several recommendations are summarized here.     

Genomics in personalized cancer medicine and its impact on early drug development in China： report from the 6th Annual Meeting of the US Chinese Anti-Cancer Association （USCACA） at the 50th ASCO Annual Meeting

The 6th Annual Meeting of the United States Chinese Anti-Cancer Association （USCACA） was held in conjunction with the 50th Annual Meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology （ASCO） on May 30, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois, the United States of America. With a focus on personalized medicine, the conference featured novel approaches to investigate genomic aberrations in cancer cells and innovative clinical trial designs to expedite cancer drug development in biomarker-defined patient populations. A panel discussion further provided in-depth advice on advancing development of personalized cancer medicines in China. The conference also summarized USCACA key initiatives and accomplishments, including two awards designated to recognize young investigators from China for their achievements and to support their training in the United States. As an effort to promote international collaboration, USCACA will team up with Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology （CSCO） to host a joint session on ＂Breakthrough Cancer Medicines＂ at the upcoming CSCO Annual Meeting on September 20th, 2014 in Xiamen, China.