Melanoma and Sarcoma Medical Oncology Department

Since its establishment in 2005, the Department of Medical Oncology for Melanoma and Sarcoma at Peking University Cancer Hospital has developed into a national-level cancer diagnosis and treatment center integrating medical care, teaching, and scientific research. The department has a strong medical and research team and a clinical translational laboratory. With more than 30,000 outpatient visits annually and over 8,000 patients treated, it is the largest in Asia and an internationally renowned center for the diagnosis and treatment of malignant melanoma and sarcoma.

The department has a well-structured, highly capable talent team. It currently has 10 physicians in established posts, 2 researchers in established posts, and 2 contract physicians. All physicians in established posts hold doctoral degrees, including 5 chief physicians and 2 deputy chief physicians, and the department also has research backbones such as researchers and associate researchers. Professor Guo Jun, the academic leader, serves as Vice Chair of the Melanoma World Society (MWS) and Vice Chairperson and Secretary-General of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO). The team includes recipients of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, Young Top-notch Talents of the Organization Department of the Central Committee, and multiple provincial- and ministerial-level talent programs, forming a core force that leads the development of the specialty.

As the lead institution for the Chinese Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Melanoma, the department has long focused on the comprehensive medical treatment of malignant melanoma and other cutaneous malignancies, as well as soft-tissue sarcomas, and has consistently adhered to research innovation driven by clinical needs. It has led 96 registered clinical studies, including 7 international multicenter studies, and 67 investigator-initiated studies (IITs). It has undertaken all registration studies for melanoma drugs in China and successfully promoted the approval of 7 milestone new drugs, including vemurafenib, dabrafenib/trametinib, and pembrolizumab, significantly improving the treatment landscape for Chinese patients.

In research, the team focuses on cutting-edge fields including tumor immunotherapy, mechanisms of drug resistance and their reversal, antiangiogenesis, and targeted gene therapy. It has cumulatively obtained more than 50 national- and provincial-/ministerial-level research projects, with funding exceeding 80 million yuan. Its achievements have received honors including the Second Prize of the Beijing Science and Technology Progress Award, the Second Prize of the Science and Technology Award of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, and the Second Prize of the Science and Technology Award of the Chinese Medical Association. The team has published more than 100 SCI papers in leading international journals such as New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Lancet Oncology, with a cumulative impact factor approaching 1,000 and more than 2,000 citations.

In addition, the department has led the development of 4 international standards, created 13 innovative diagnosis and treatment protocols, and led or participated in the preparation of 3 melanoma-related guidelines issued by the National Health Commission, CSCO, and CACA. Its research findings have repeatedly led to revisions of the NCCN international guidelines, and its members have delivered oral presentations numerous times at the ASCO and ESMO annual meetings. The department continues to promote the integration of China’s melanoma diagnosis and treatment practice into the global arena, contributing ‘Chinese wisdom’ and the ‘Peking University approach’ to the global fight against cancer.