Oncology

| Department overview |--------------

With the sharp increase in cancer incidence and major advances in medical oncology treatment, there was an urgent need for specialized medical oncologists and an appropriate professional team to undertake oncology diagnosis and treatment. Against this background, Huashan Hospital decided in 2002 to establish an oncology department responsible for medical oncology care. On July 22, 2002, the Oncology Department of Huashan Hospital was officially established, with Dr. Liang Xiaohua responsible for its development and serving as department director. With support from hospital leaders and sister departments, and relying on Huashan Hospital’s superior resources, high starting point, and high standards, the department began its difficult pioneering work. Through the hard work of all staff, it achieved major results in clinical care, teaching, and research, and in 2014 was awarded the Ministry of Health’s National Clinical Key Specialty construction project.

The Oncology Department of Huashan Hospital, affiliated with Fudan University, is the chair and host institution of the Oncology Metastasis Committee of the China Medical Education Association and the Brain Metastasis Committee of the Shanghai Anti-Cancer Association. Its staff have repeatedly served as deputy chairs, chairs, honorary chairs, deputy chairs, and members of several specialist committees of the Shanghai Medical Association, the China Medical Education Association, and the Shanghai Anti-Cancer Association.

The department always places patients’ interests first. It serves patients according to the principles of multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment, combining standardization with individualization, and using the best clinical evidence to solve practical clinical problems. It emphasizes the biopsychosocial model: in addition to medical technology, it provides humanistic care, addresses physical illness, and offers psychological and social support. It also emphasizes talent development so that the department remains energetic and competitive and can develop sustainably.

| Specialty/subspecialty features |--------------

The department provides medical drug treatment for many malignant tumors, including lung, breast, gastric, intestinal, esophageal, lymphatic, liver, pancreatic, prostate, bladder, soft-tissue, malignant melanoma, and ovarian cancers. It also performs minimally invasive or non-invasive diagnosis and treatment, including needle biopsy of lung and liver masses, biopsy of lymph-node and breast masses, radiofrequency and microwave ablation of tumors in the lung, liver, and other sites, and high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation of liver and abdominopelvic tumors.

The department has extensive expertise in whole-course management of lung and breast cancer, digestive and genitourinary tumors, and brain tumors. Diagnosis and treatment of brain and leptomeningeal metastases from malignant tumors is a particularly distinctive and well-known clinical strength. Based on this expertise, Shanghai experts developed the Shanghai Expert Consensus on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Brain Metastases from Driver-Gene-Positive Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer, and the department published the monograph Collection of Cases of Leptomeningeal Metastatic Cancer. It is also experienced in managing adverse reactions to chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy and in treating difficult and critically ill cancer patients, and published Oncology Dermatology and Analysis of Diagnosis and Treatment of Metastatic Tumor Cases.

Monographs written by the Oncology Department

1. Diagnosis and treatment of brain metastases from malignant tumors: The department follows multidisciplinary principles, uses advanced MRI and PET-CT, and cooperates with neurosurgery for intraoperative MRI-guided biopsy of intracranial lesions. It is a leader in diagnosing and differentiating brain metastases. It combines chemotherapy, targeted and immunotherapy drugs with CyberKnife, Gamma Knife, and neurosurgical procedures such as resection of brain metastases and cerebrospinal-fluid drainage. Its “3-10-30 principle” for cerebrospinal-fluid testing has been promoted nationwide and greatly improved the cytological diagnosis rate of leptomeningeal metastasis. Since 2012, its annual Huashan Summit Forum on Brain Metastases from Malignant Tumors has become an influential continuing-education program. The project Establishment and Promotion of Standardized Diagnosis and Treatment Strategies for Brain Metastases from Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer won the Shanghai Anti-Cancer Science and Technology Award.

2. Diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors of unknown primary: Using Huashan Hospital’s advanced laboratory tests, MRI, PET-CT, mass puncture and biopsy, and close cooperation with pathology and surgery, the department has accumulated extensive experience in diagnosing and treating cancers of unknown primary and has provided high-quality care with good outcomes.

Lung puncture surgery Lung puncture CT image Tumor ablation

3. Tumor ablation: For local tumors unsuitable for surgical removal, microwave or radiofrequency ablation or high-intensity focused ultrasound is used to destroy tumors through thermal effects, relieve compression symptoms, and, for some localized tumors, achieve a curative effect similar to surgical resection.

4. Standardized supportive treatment for cancer: The department has received recognition as a Demonstration Ward for Standardized Cancer-Pain Treatment, a Demonstration Ward for Standardized Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting, and a Demonstration Ward for Standardized Nutritional Treatment. It provides high-level care for cancer pain, cancer-related malnutrition, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and skin, cardiac, pulmonary, hepatic, and other adverse reactions related to targeted and immunotherapy drugs in advanced metastatic cancer.

| Teaching |--------------

The department admits graduate students and undertakes graduate teaching. It is a training base for oncology specialists and provides clinical teaching for internal-medicine residents in standardized training. It holds the annual Huashan Summit Forum on Brain Metastases from Malignant Tumors.

| Research |--------------

The department has received grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Shanghai Natural Science Foundation, the Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau, Fudan University, Huashan Hospital, and other sources. Its papers have been cited by ASCO and ESMO as evidence for lung-cancer clinical practice guidelines and clinical consensus statements.

| Department honors |--------------

The department has received the Demonstration Ward for Standardized Cancer-Pain Treatment, Demonstration Ward for Standardized Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting, and Demonstration Ward for Standardized Nutritional Treatment awards. It led the establishment of the Brain Metastasis Committee of the Shanghai Anti-Cancer Association, and its standardized diagnosis and treatment strategy project for brain metastases from non-small-cell lung cancer won the Shanghai Anti-Cancer Science and Technology Award. It also led the establishment of the Oncology Metastasis Committee of the China Medical Education Association and received awards for outstanding individuals and units in association development.

| Oncology subspecialty teams |--------------

Brain and leptomeningeal metastasis team: Brain or leptomeningeal metastases from malignant tumors, mainly lung and breast cancer but also other tumors, do not necessarily mean terminal disease. With correct treatment, many patients can achieve long-term survival. The team has developed new approaches to drug selection and is a national leader in integrated diagnosis and treatment. It proposed the “3-10-30 principle” for cerebrospinal-fluid cytology, led the first provincial or municipal anti-cancer association committee devoted to brain metastases, organized the Shanghai expert consensus on driver-gene-positive NSCLC brain metastases, and edited Collection of Cases of Leptomeningeal Metastatic Cancer. Chief experts: Chief Physicians Liang Xiaohua and Zhou Xinli. Core members: attending physicians Ge Mengxi, Ji Xiaoyu, Yao Rongrong, Li Jing, and Wang Yu, and associate chief physician Zhan Qiong.

Allergy (oncology) team: Cancer-related cutaneous allergic diseases include paronychia, dry and fissured skin, desquamation, acneiform eruptions, bullous dermatoses, and other skin or appendage injuries caused by targeted, immunotherapy, or chemotherapy drugs. The team has extensive experience and edited the first academic monograph Oncology Dermatology. Chief expert: Chief Physician Liang Xiaohua. Core members: attending physicians Yao Rongrong and Ji Xiaoyu.

Lung-cancer team: Focuses on diagnosis and treatment of primary lung cancer, differential diagnosis of lung masses, percutaneous lung biopsy, microwave and radiofrequency ablation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Chief experts: Chief Physicians Liang Xiaohua and Zhou Xinli. Core members: Associate Chief Physician Zhan Qiong and attending physicians Ge Mengxi, Ji Xiaoyu, Yao Rongrong, Li Jing, Wang Yu, Lin Hao, and Wang Qing.

Breast-cancer team: Focuses on advanced metastatic breast cancer, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and endocrine therapy. Chief expert: Chief Physician Liang Xiaohua. Core members: Chief Physician Zhou Xinli, Associate Chief Physician Chu Zhaohui, and attending physicians Ji Xiaoyu and Ge Mengxi.

Digestive-system tumor team: Focuses on esophageal, gastric, and intestinal cancers and operates an MDT clinic with gastrointestinal surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, and liver-transplant teams. It manages complex gastric and intestinal cancers, hepatobiliary tumors, and recurrent or metastatic liver cancer after transplantation. Chief experts: Chief Physicians Liang Xiaohua and Zhou Xinli. Core members: attending physicians Yao Rongrong, Ji Xiaoyu, Ge Mengxi, and Lin Hao.

Neuro-oncology team: Focuses on medical treatment of primary nervous-system tumors, mainly gliomas and germ-cell tumors. Chief expert: Associate Chief Physician Huang Ruofan.

Unknown-primary and difficult complex tumor team: Provides differential diagnosis and treatment for cancers of unknown primary, difficult and complex tumors, and related non-neoplastic diseases, working with other Huashan departments through MDT clinics and consultations. Chief expert: Chief Physician Liang Xiaohua. Core members: Chief Physician Zhou Xinli, attending physicians Ge Mengxi, Ji Xiaoyu, and Yao Rongrong, and experts from other departments.

Minimally invasive tumor biopsy and ablation team: Performs needle biopsy of masses in the lung, liver, and other soft tissues and microwave, radiofrequency, and high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation. Chief expert: Associate Chief Physician Zhan Qiong. Core members: attending physicians Ge Mengxi, Ji Xiaoyu, Yao Rongrong, Li Jing, Wang Yu, Lin Hao, and Wang Qing.

Clinical drug-research team: As a national new-drug clinical research base, the department conducts phase I, II, and III trials and investigator-initiated trials. Principal investigators: Chief Physicians Liang Xiaohua and Zhou Xinli and Associate Chief Physician Huang Ruofan. Core members: attending physicians Yao Rongrong, Ji Xiaoyu, and Ge Mengxi.

| Department director |--------------

Liang Xiaohua

Chief Physician, Director of Oncology

Chair of the Oncology Metastasis Committee of the China Medical Education Association; member of the Oncology Physicians Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association; deputy chair of the Oncology Medical Branch of the Shanghai Medical Association; member of its Molecular Diagnosis Committee; chair of the Brain Metastasis Committee of the Shanghai Anti-Cancer Association; honorary chair of its Multiple Primary and Unknown Primary Tumors Committee; deputy chair of its Cancer Rehabilitation and Palliative Care, Difficult Tumors, Clinical Research of Oncology Drugs, Biological Treatment of Tumors, Malignant Melanoma, and Lymphoma committees; member of the expert committee of the Shanghai Chemotherapy Quality Control Center; and editorial-board member of Oncology, Chinese Journal of Metastatic Tumors, Shanghai Medicine, and other journals.

He specializes in biological immunotherapy, chemotherapy, tumor ablation, and cancers of unknown primary. He has particular expertise in whole-course management of advanced lung and breast cancer, especially brain and leptomeningeal metastases, and extensive experience preventing and treating toxicities of anticancer drugs. He proposed the “3-10-30 principle” for cerebrospinal-fluid testing, led the Shanghai expert consensus on brain metastases from driver-gene-positive NSCLC, edited Collection of Cases of Leptomeningeal Metastatic Cancer, and edited China’s first academic monograph on diagnosis and treatment of therapy-related skin lesions, Oncology Dermatology. He organized the Star Navigator National Oncology Case Presentation Competition, held successfully three times, and edited Analysis of Diagnosis and Treatment of Metastatic Tumor Cases. He has studied and visited MSKCC, MGH, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Stanford University Medical Center, and other institutions.

The project Establishment and Promotion of Standardized Diagnosis and Treatment Strategies for Brain Metastases from Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer won the Shanghai Anti-Cancer Science and Technology Award. The Oncology Metastasis Committee he led received an award for an outstanding individual in association development. He helped county-level hospitals in western China establish oncology departments and received the China Democratic National Construction Association Central Committee’s Outstanding Individual in Poverty-Alleviation Award.

Zhou Xinli

Chief Physician, Deputy Director of Oncology

Member of the Oncology Specialist Branch and Oncology Medical Branch of the Shanghai Medical Association; deputy chair of the Brain Metastasis Committee and the Multiple Primary and Unknown Primary Tumors Committee of the Shanghai Anti-Cancer Association; and standing member of the Oncology Metastasis Committee of the China Medical Education Association. She has worked in medical oncology for many years and is a core member of the multidisciplinary treatment teams for neuro-oncology and head-and-neck tumors at Huashan Hospital. She has extensive clinical experience in medical treatment of central-nervous-system metastases from solid tumors, including brain or meningeal metastases from lung cancer, brain metastases from gastrointestinal tumors, and primary central-nervous-system tumors.