In order to further promote the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancers in Sichuan Province, and to improve the appearance and quality of life of patients while taking into account the radical treatment of the cancers, the “Annual Meeting of the Special Committee on Head and Neck Oncology of SCIMEA and Forum on Personalized Precision Treatment of Head and Neck Cancers”, sponsored by the Special Committee on Head and Neck Oncology of Sichuan International Medical Exchange & Promotion Association (SCIMEA) and organized by Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Cancer Hospital affiliate to School of Medicine, UESTC and Suining Central Hospital, was successfully held on July 9-11, 2021 at Dongxu Jinjiang International Hotel, Suining, Sichuan. The conference consisted of keynote reports, expert lectures, case sharing & discussion, and surgical demonstration for national experts in the field of head and neck oncology, medical and nursing staff from major medical and scientific research institutes and medical students in Sichuan Province. More than 200 experts in the field of head and neck oncology from inside and outside the province attended the conference on site, and more than 12,000 people watched the live photo broadcast of the conference through online streaming, and nearly 4,000 people watched the live surgery broadcast.

(Group photo of all members of the conference)

(Prof. Li Chao, Chairman of the Special Committee on Head and Neck Oncology of SCIMEA, talks up at the plenary committee)

The plenary meeting of the Special Committee on Head and Neck Oncology of SCIMEA was held firstly on July 9. Prof. Li Chao, Chairman of the Committee, noted that the Special Committee, currently with 197 members from 41 hospitals of the province, adhering to the development characteristics of absorbing young members, being practical & academic and emphasizing cooperation and communication since its inception in 2019, has organized many academic exchange activities under the premise of pandemic prevention and control. 

In the past year, the members of the Special Committee won a total of three prizes (first and third prizes) for provincial scientific and technological achievements, and two prizes (first and second prizes) for provincial medical science and technology awards. All members have been actively involved in such fields as patent and translation, multi-center project research, grassroots free clinic and consultation activities, and journal contributions, and have won many honors. And now the new members will certainly inject new vitality and hope for the future development of the Committee.

The members of the Committee also actively discussed the project planning of the Committee at the annual plenary meeting, took in suggestions for development, and offered their own ideas for the future development of the Committee.

(Issue the letters of appointment to the new members of the standing committee)

(Scene of the opening ceremony on the morning of July 10)

The opening ceremony held on July 10 was hosted by Prof. Yang Sen, Executive Chairman of this Forum, Director of Oral Medicine Center and Director of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department of Suining Central Hospital. The important leaders and experts attending the opening ceremony included Prof. Zhou Xuedong, Vice President of Chinese Stomatological Association, Vice President of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, and Member of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Prof. Fan Jinchuan, Standing Committee Member of the Oncology Committee of Chinese Medical Association, President of the Sichuan Anti-Cancer Association, and former President of Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Prof. Guo Ye, Deputy Secretary General of Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, Chairman of the Head and Neck Cancer Committee of Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, Director of Phase I Clinical Trial Center of  Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital of Tongji University, Mr. Zhao Weiqiang, Director and Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of Suining City Health Committee, Mr. Chen Liang, President and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Suining Central Hospital, Prof. Chen Yu from West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Prof. Tang Xiufa from West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Ms. Zhang Mengfan, Secretary General of SCIMEA, Prof. Li Chao, Member of the Party Committee and Director of Head and Neck Surgery Center of Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, and Chairman of the Special Committee of the meeting.

Mr. Zhao Weiqiang, Director and Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of Suining City Health Committee, firstly extended a warm welcome to the leaders and experts on behalf of Suining City Health Committee. Zhao talked about the rapid development of medical and health care in Suining city in recent years, and noted that, Suining Central Hospital, one of the organizers of this meeting, as the only Grade-A Tertiary general hospital in Suining city, ranked 94th in the country and 5th in Sichuan Province in the performance assessment of tertiary public hospitals in 2019, marking a new level of its social influence and service. Specifically, the hospital’s oral and maxillofacial surgery department has been developing rapidly since its establishment in 2013, and has grown into a key medical specialty in Sichuan Province. He also hoped that the leaders and experts will guide the development of medical and health care in Suining city, promote the further vigorous development of medical and health services of the city, and contribute to the implementation of the new medical reform policy.

(Mr. Zhao Weiqiang, Director and Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of Suining City Health Committee, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony.)

Prof. Zhou Xuedong, Vice President of Chinese Stomatological Association and Vice President of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, on behalf of Chinese Stomatological Association and Chinese Medical Doctor Association, stressed in his opening speech that, taking advantage of the valuable communication opportunity of this meeting, the experts present concentrated their efforts and discussed the current situation and future of head and neck oncology, which he believed will be a great inspiration to all participants and will further promote the medical service capacity, standard and quality of the region to a new level.

(Prof. Zhou Xuedong, Vice President of Chinese Stomatological Association and Vice President of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, delivers an opening speech.)

At the opening ceremony, Academician Zhang Zhiyuan from Chinese Academy of Engineering also expressed his warm congratulations on the successful convening of this meeting by video link, and also looked forward to further understanding precision medicine and further promoting the flourishing development of this field through this meeting.

(Academician Zhang Zhiyuan from Chinese Academy of Engineering congratulates on the successful convening of this meeting.)

Ms. Zhang Mengfan, Secretary General of SCIMEA, the sponsor of the meeting, on behalf of SCIMEA expressed her sincere thanks to the experts and professors present and shared with the guests a presentation themed “Status and Vision of Sichuan International Medical Exchange & Promotion Association”. During her presentation, Ms. Zhang revealed the confidence and determination of SCIMEA to work together with the experts for common development from four respects, namely, the basic situation, characteristic model, main achievements and development outlook of SCIMEA. She also hoped to contribute more to the development of Chinese medicine and the realization of the goal of a healthy China.

(Zhang Mengfan, Secretary General of SCIMEA, makes a presentation.)

Among the three levels of prevention of head and neck cancers, primary prevention is the most essential one, among which the popularization of scientific knowledge is especially important. In recent years, the state also attaches great importance to the roll-out of scientific popularization and has set up corresponding scientific and technological achievements awards in the state, province and city levels. Based on this, this Special Committee specially set up a popular science competition. After the preliminary online evaluation, a total of 17 excellent popular science videos reached the final, and after the selection of more than 30 professional judges, 9 excellent works were shortlisted in the end, some of which will represent the Sichuan region to participate in the national competition. President Zhou Xuedong, Prof. Fan Jinchuan, Prof, Guo Ye, Prof. Chen Yu, Prof. Tang Xiufa and Secretary General Zhang Mengfan presented the awards to the winners.

(President Zhou Xuedong presents the awards to the first prize winners of the competition.)

(Prof. Fan Jinchuan and Prof, Guo Ye present the awards to the second prize winners of the competition.)

(Prof. Chen Yu, Prof. Tang Xiufa and Secretary General Zhang Mengfan present the awards to the third prize winners of the competition.)

At the end of the opening ceremony, the “Launch of Popular Science Book on Head and Neck Cancer Prevention and Treatment” was held. The book, with Chairman Li Chao as the editor-in-chief, was diligently compiled by nearly 80 head and neck cancer experts nationwide for more than a year. Featuring an excellent combination of illustrations and words and profound theories written in simple language, the book has been praised and commended by Academician Zhang Zhiyuan and other experts including Gao Ming and Ge Minghua from Head and Neck Cancer Committee and Thyroid Committee of China Anti-Cancer Association. The publication of the popular science book on head and neck cancer prevention and treatment will definitely help to improve the head and neck cancer prevention and treatment in Sichuan Province and even in China.

Li Chao, the editor-in-chief of the book, and the representatives of the editorial board, including Prof. Li Zhihui, Prof. Fei Wei, Prof. Fan Jiangang, Prof. Qin Gang, Prof. Jiang Zhenhua, Prof. Sheng Jianfeng, Prof. Wang Shaoxin, Prof. Cai Yongcong and Prof. Liu Jun were invited to jointly witness the book launch together with the guests.

(The “Launch of Popular Science Book on Head and Neck Cancer Prevention and Treatment” is held during the opening ceremony.)

On the third day of the meeting, live surgeries were broadcasted. The teams led by Prof. Li Chao, Head and Neck Surgery Center of Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Prof. Li Zhihui, Director of Thyroid Surgery Center of West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Prof. Yang Sen, Director of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department of Suining Central Hospital, Prof. Huang Yunhui, Director of Thyroid and Breast Surgery Department of Suining Central Hospital, and Prof. Sheng Jianfeng, Director of The Third Hospital of Mianyang, Sichuan, respectively demonstrated the "scarless endoscopic surgery for low-risk thyroid carcinoma on the neck", “thyroidectomy and bilateral central lymph node dissection", "free flap repair for oral tumor”, “functional parotidectomy and  muscle flap repair” and other difficult operations. The experts' exquisite surgical techniques and explanations provided a visual feast of surgical video teaching for the participants and online viewers.

(Scene of live surgery broadcast)

(Experts watch live surgeries)

The successful convening of the annual meeting of the Special Committee on Head and Neck Oncology of SCIMEA in Suining attracted many famous experts from inside and outside Sichuan Province. They gathered together to discuss the current situation and future of head and neck oncology, and at the same time shared wonderful academic presentations. It is believed that with the joint efforts of the experts and scholars, a new landscape in the development of health cause will be continuously created to guard the people in Suining and surrounding areas.