Breast and Thyroid Surgery

【Department Information】 The Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (formerly the Department of Endocrine Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University) was established in 1979 and is one of the earliest breast and thyroid surgery departments (specialties) established in China. It is an authorized degree-granting unit for doctoral and master’s degrees, a National Key Clinical Specialty of the Ministry of Health, and the only department in Chongqing approved as a “three-center” department: the Chongqing Breast Cancer Center, the Chongqing Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Center for Breast Cancer, and the Chongqing Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Center for Thyroid Nodules and Thyroid Cancer. The department has strong first-rate technical capabilities and advanced equipment, and mainly provides diagnosis and treatment for diseases of the breast, thyroid, and parathyroid glands. It has an average annual outpatient volume of more than 150,000 visits and an average annual inpatient volume of more than 18,000 admissions. It admits more than 8,000 cases of breast and thyroid tumors each year and has the highest volume of breast and thyroid cancer diagnosis, treatment, and surgery among Chongqing’s Grade III Class A hospitals.

【Talent Team】 The department has a total of 134 medical and nursing staff, including 45 physicians and 89 nurses, 12 chief physicians, 8 associate chief physicians, 4 doctoral supervisors, and 9 master’s supervisors. Several experts from the department serve respectively as chairpersons, group leaders, vice chairpersons, deputy group leaders, standing committee members, and committee members of the Breast Cancer Professional Committee of the China Anti-Cancer Association, the Breast Surgery Expert Working Group of the Surgical Physicians Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, the Breast Cancer Expert Committee of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, the Breast Group of the Surgical Physicians Branch and Oncology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, the Western China Breast and Thyroid Specialty Alliance, the Breast Surgery Physicians Special Committee of the Chongqing Medical Doctors Association, the Breast Cancer Special Committee of the Chongqing Anti-Cancer Association, and other organizations.

Professor Ren Guosheng, the academic leader, is a Level II Professor of Surgery and a doctoral supervisor. He has been engaged in clinical practice and basic research in general surgery for 40 years. He serves as chairperson of the Professional Committee for Oncology Clinical Research Management of the China Anti-Cancer Association and is the former chairperson of the Breast Cancer Professional Committee of the China Anti-Cancer Association, among other positions. He specializes in the early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and breast reconstruction, and has led the Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University into the ranks of China’s advanced departments.

Professor Li Hongyuan, director of the department, holds a PhD in Surgery and is deputy leader of the Breast Surgery Expert Group of the Surgical Physicians Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association and a standing committee member of the Breast Cancer Professional Committee of the China Anti-Cancer Association. He has profound expertise and extensive clinical experience in the surgical treatment of breast cancer, including breast-conserving surgery, breast oncoplastic surgery, reconstructive surgery, and breast-reduction surgery for breast hypertrophy.

Professor Liu Shengchun, director of General Surgery, is a Level II Professor of Surgery, a doctoral supervisor, and a national committee member of the Breast Cancer Special Committee of the China Anti-Cancer Association. He specializes in the early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and thyroid cancer, Stage I and Stage II breast reconstruction after breast cancer surgery, breast-conserving oncoplastic surgery, and various comprehensive treatments for breast cancer.

The department places great importance on building its talent team. More than 90% of the physicians on the young team have undertaken further training abroad and/or pursued doctoral degrees. In particular, the department has established extensive and in-depth ties with many universities, research institutes, and hospitals in France.

【Discipline Development】 The Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery provides outpatient services at the Yuanjiagang Main Campus of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, the Jinshan Campus of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, and the outpatient clinic of the Hutouyan Campus of the First Branch of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. The inpatient department at the Yuanjiagang Main Campus has 163 beds available, the inpatient department at the Jinshan Campus has 67 beds available, and no beds have yet been established at the First Branch campus.

In accordance with the hospital’s unified arrangements, all campuses implement standardized medical services and management.

Over the past nearly 15 years, under the leadership of Professors Ren Guosheng and Li Hongyuan, the department has made remarkable progress in discipline development. It was the first in China to carry out a range of leading techniques, including breast reconstruction after breast cancer, oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer, breast-reduction surgery for breast hypertrophy, and endoscopic thyroid surgery. It has become an important national training center for breast tumor oncoplastic surgery.

In addition, drawing on the hospital’s strong platform, the department was the first to establish a first-rate multidisciplinary MDT expert group in western China, providing patients throughout the region with a consultation platform for difficult and complex cases.

The department has a professional patient-management system, including the Breast Cancer Kangxin Salon, a patient follow-up system, and patient case management. The management team provides whole-process management of patients’ treatment, nursing, and rehabilitation before, during, and after hospitalization, and offers comprehensive care covering their psychological, physiological, and social needs.

In terms of research, the department has obtained 36 projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, 27 provincial- and ministerial-level projects, and 30 bureau- and department-level projects, and has trained nearly 400 graduate students. It has received 1 Chongqing Natural Science First Prize and 2 Chongqing Science and Technology Second Prizes. Over the past 10 years, it has published more than 400 high-quality academic papers in basic research, with a highest impact factor of IF: 31.74.

【Academic Exchange】 Since 1994, Professor Ren Guosheng has led the department’s team in establishing long-term, stable cooperative relationships with many renowned hospitals in France.

In 2004, the Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University began hosting the biennial “Sino-French International Advanced Academic Forum on Breast Cancer.”

In 2011, Sino-French academic exchange reached a new level. Under the leadership of Professors Ren Guosheng and Li Hongyuan, the department founded the annual “Sino-French Breast Reconstruction Workshop.” It has now become one of the largest breast reconstruction workshops in China.

In addition, the department regularly organizes and hosts various large-scale academic activities for physicians and nursing professionals, such as the Western China Breast and Thyroid Specialty Alliance, the Advanced Training Program of the Sino-French Breast Surgery Academy, and the Western China Breast Cancer Nursing and Rehabilitation Forum.

While continuously improving the professional competence of its personnel, we have also built bridges and forged connections for breast cancer researchers and healthcare professionals throughout the country, and are committed to bringing good news to millions of breast cancer patients and their families.