As autumn turns to winter, the end of the year is approaching. On December 9-10, 2022, as one of the Celebration Activities of the 130th Anniversary West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 2022 Huaxi of SCU-Oxford Joint Forum on Gastrointestinal Caner, the 5th Annual Meeting of Huaxi Gastroenterology Alliance of Sichuan University, the 8th Academic Conference on Tumor Endoscopy of Sichuan Anti-Cancer Association and the 2022 Academic Conference of Gastroenterology Branch of  Sichuan International Medical Exchange & Promotion Association, co-hosted by Sichuan International Medical Exchange & Promotion Association (SCIMEA) and  Sichuan Anti-Cancer Association with Sichuan University and University of Oxford as guiding units, was successfully held online. The conference focused on the frontier of gastroenterology, shared the latest research results, built a first-class academic platform, explored common development opportunities, discussed academic hot issues, discussed alliance collaboration, and planned discipline development together.

Gastroenterology Branch of SCIMEA

The Second Plenary Meeting of the First Members 

On the evening of December 8, the second plenary meeting of the first members of Gastroenterology Branch of SCIMEA was successfully held. Prof. Yang Li of West China Hospital of Sichuan University, president of Gastroenterology Branch of SCIMEA, gave an opening speech, reviewing the development history of the Gastroenterology Branch and summarizing the active exploration of the branch in terms of discipline construction and talent cultivation in the past year. At the same time, Prof. Yang Li gave a brief report on the preparation of the annual meeting, and encouraged the participants to give their opinions on the work of the branch in 2023. 

Prof. Yang Jinlin, president-designate of the Gastroenterology Branch, presided over the meeting and gave the annual work report on behalf of all the members of the branch. New members were elected at the plenary meeting, and Prof. Feng Peimin was elected as a member of the standing committee the Gastroenterology Branch through the democratic election of all members.

President-designate Yang Jinlin of the Gastroenterology Branch presides over the plenary meeting and organizes the election.

Group photo of the second plenary meeting of the first members of Gastroenterology Branch of SCIMEA

Opening ceremony of the meeting

On December 10, the opening ceremony of the meeting was grandly held online. President Li Weimin of West China Hospital of Sichuan University, academician Fan Daiming of Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Air Force Medical University, academician Li Zhaoshen of the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Military Medical University, Secretary General Zhang Wenbin of Sichuan Anti-Cancer Association, Secretary General Zhang Mengfan of SCIMEA, and Prof. Yang Li of West China Hospital of Sichuan University were invited to deliver speeches successively.

President Li Weimin of West China Hospital of Sichuan University delivers a speech.

Academician Fan Daiming from Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Air Force Military Medical University delivers a speech.

Academician Li Zhaoshen from the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Military Medical University delivers a speech.

Secretary General Zhang Wenbin of Sichuan Anti-Cancer Association delivers a speech.

Secretary General Zhang Mengfan of SCIMEA delivers a speech.

Prof. Yang Li from West China Hospital, Sichuan University delivers a speech.

Keynote Forum of Academicians

This forum invited many famous experts in digestive diseases and related fields at home and abroad to make keynote reports and academic exchanges, and the online meeting was used to exchange ideas on scientific research, clinical diagnosis and treatment, and translational medicine. 

Academician Fan Daiming gave a keynote report on “The Practice of Holistic Integrative Medicine Theory in Tumor Prevention and Treatment”. He systematically reviewed the development of holistic integrative medicine and pointed out that integration does not simply means superposition of factors, but a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional integration of resources, ideas and talents. He also mentioned that the fight against tumor does not only rely on medicine, but most importantly on the patient’s own strength to resist and repair. If the strength existing in oneself is fully mobilized, it will be of great help to resist and treat many diseases including cancer.

“The Practice of Holistic Integrative Medicine Theory in Tumor Prevention and Treatment”, by Academician Fan Daiming, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Air Force Military Medical University

Academician Li Zhaoshen mentioned in his report titled “The Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in China in the Last Decade” that, the application of gastrointestinal endoscopy in China has been increasing in recent years, but for diagnosis and treatment, it has high requirements on hardware equipment and technical skill of physicians in endoscopy centers. Drawing on the experience of developed countries, it is necessary to explore the prevention and treatment strategies of gastrointestinal tumors in accordance with the national conditions of China, which has a large territory and a huge population base, and the medical burden consumed by progressive gastrointestinal tumors is excessive. However, the relative lack of endoscopic treatment resources and the low acceptance rate of screening by the public have determined that foreign experience cannot be copied. Finally, he emphasized that we must establish an information-based, intelligent quality monitoring network for gastrointestinal endoscopy to realize automatic monitoring, real-time access and regular feedback of indicators, so as to improve the quality management of gastrointestinal endoscopy in China.

“The Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in China in the Last Decade”, by Academician Li Zhaoshen, the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Military Medical University

Prof. Wu Hong from West China Hospital of Sichuan University gave a wonderful lecture on “Laparoscopic Liver Transplantation with Living Donor Nephrectomy - West China Hospital’s Experience”. Prof. Wu shared his own and his team's technical analysis of living donor liver as well as ICG fluoroscopic guidance, intraoperative ultrasound technology, and experience in surgical practice, providing a practical pathway for fellow attendees.

“Laparoscopic Liver Transplantation with Living Donor Nephrectomy—West China Hospital’s Experience”, by Prof. Wu Hong, West China Hospital of Sichuan University

Prof. Hu Jiankun from West China Hospital of Sichuan University gave a lecture titled “High-quality Development of Gastric Cancer Discipline”. He introduced how to develop the discipline of gastric cancer with high quality through two dimensions. The first is clinical translational research on gastric cancer. We must rely on the clinical translational research platform and promote clinical translational research with patients’ benefit as the first priority; the second is clinical treatment of gastric cancer. We must, with the goal of achieving standardized clinical treatment, standardize clinical treatment practice, treatment strategy and surgical operation quality control to maximize patients’ benefit.

“High-quality Development of Gastric Cancer Discipline”, by Prof. Hu Jiankun, West China Hospital of Sichuan University

Prof. Yang Li gave a lecture titled “Understanding of Recompensation in Cirrhosis”. Through a clinical case, she explained the updated key points of the 2021 Chinese guideline and consensus in simple terms. She pointed out that the incidence, influencing factors and prognosis of recompensation in cirrhosis in different studies are somewhat different, probably due to the different etiologies of cirrhosis (e.g. hepatitis B, hepatitis C, alcoholic, immune, etc.). The definition of recompensation in cirrhosis is not consistent, and further refinement of the criteria of recompensation in patients with different etiologies of cirrhosis in decompensatory stage is needed in the future. She also hoped to exchange views and cooperate with more experts in the future.

“Understanding of Recompensation in Cirrhosis”, by Prof. Yang Li, West China Hospital of Sichuan University

International Forum

In the afternoon of December 9, the Huaxi of SCU-Oxford Joint Forum and the International Forum on Portal Hypertension were held online at the same time. The attendees at different places exchanged academic ideas with several internationally renowned experts on basic research, clinical diagnosis and treatment, and translational medicine in the field of gastrointestinal tumors and cirrhotic portal hypertension. They also discussed a series hot issues and difficult points in the diagnosis and treatment of various subspecialties of gastroenterology.

<Photos of Huaxi of SCU-Oxford Joint Forum>

Sir Walter Bodmer from University of Oxford, a Fellow of the Royal Society, delivers a speech.

“Biomarker Driven Immune Therapy for MSS Colorectal Cancer”, by Prof. David Kerr from University of Oxford, a fellow of Academy of Medical Sciences, Founding Fellow of European Academy of Cancer Sciences, Co-Director of Sichuan University-University of Oxford Huaxi Joint Center for Gastrointestinal Cancer

“Intratumoural STING Agonists”, by Prof. Eileen Parkes, University of Oxford

“Lymph Nodes, Immunogenicity and Paneth Cells in Colorectal Cancer”, by Prof. Simon Buczacki, University of Oxford

“Cancer and AI”, by Prof. Havard E. G. Danielsen, University of Oslo

“Evaluation of the Efficacy of Endoscopic Treatment of Superficial Esophageal Squamous Carcinoma and Precancerous Lesions in West China Hospital”, by Prof. Yang Jinlin, West China Hospital of Sichuan University

“Selective Lateral Lymph Node Dissection after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Low-Grade Rectal Cancer: Technical Modifications and Our Experience”, by Prof. Wang Ziqiang, West China Hospital of Sichuan University

“Practice of Laparoscopic Surgery after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Advanced Gastric Cancer”, by Prof. Yang Kun, West China Hospital of Sichuan University

“Ovarian Metastasis from Colorectal Cancer”, by Prof. Qiu Meng, West China Hospital of Sichuan University

Discussion

<Photos of International Forum on Portal Hypertension>

“China Guideline for the Management of Gastroesophageal Variceal Bleeding in Cirrhotic Portal Hypertension (2022)”，by Prof. Xu Xiaoyuan, Peking University First Hospital, Chairman of Chinese Society of Hepatology

“Acute Portal Hypertension Syndromes”, by Prof. Shiv Kumar Sarin, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, India, Chairman of the Steering Committee of Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL)

“From Non-invasive Tests to Non-selective Betablockers”, by Prof. Mattias Mandorfer, Medical University of Vienna

“Management of Hepatorenal Syndrome”, by Prof. Xu Jinghang, Peking University First Hospital

“Gastric Varices”, by Prof. Andrés Cárdenas, University of Barcelona, Spain

“Image-guided Therapy for Acute Variceal Bleeding”, by Assoc. Prof. Luo Xuefeng, West China Hospital of Sichuan University

“Hemostasis in Advanced Liver Disease”, by Assoc. Prof. Bogdan Procopet, Iulu HaTiigau Medical University, Romania

“Management of Portal Vein Thrombosis in Liver Cirrhosis - Current Perspectives from the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command in China”, by Assoc. Prof. Qi Xingshun, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command of Chinese PLA

“Liver Vascular Disease”, by Assoc. Prof. Virginia Hernández-Gea, University of Barcelona, Spain

Discussion

The meeting was closely focused on digestive diseases, with one main session and eight sub-sessions involving gastrointestinal endoscopy, gastroenterology, hepatology, gastrointestinal intervention, IBD, nursing, etc., including two international exchange forums; more than 170 academic presentations were given during the two-day meeting, attracting a total of 26,000 viewers online. Academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering and more than 100 academic experts from home and abroad were invited to give keynote presentations, with simultaneous interpretation in English and Chinese online, showing the latest progress and future development trends in the field of gastroenterology in all aspects, and successfully building a collaborative platform for the exchange of ideas and academic sharing among practitioners in the field of gastroenterology, which is of great academic significance. The success of the meeting will further strengthen the cultivation of talents and team building in the field of gastroenterology, improve the medical service system of digestive diseases, and contribute to the construction of a healthy China.