How Can China Achieve Breakthroughs in Personalized Cancer Treatment?

China's cancer treatment has achieved personalized breakthroughs through six key pathways: genetic testing, multidisciplinary collaboration, innovative drug development, the integration of AI and imaging technologies, healthcare payment reforms, and the integration of complementary traditional Chinese medicine. Detailed analysis follows:

I、Genetic Testing and Molecular Subtyping: Precisely Targeting Therapeutic Markers

1. Technological Breakthroughs

Genetic testing technologies (e.g., NGS) have become widely adopted for common cancers like lung, breast, and gastric tumors, enabling rapid identification of driver gene mutations (e.g., EGFR, HER2, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway mutations).

Liquid biopsy techniques (e.g., detection of circulating tumor cells [CTCs]) enable non-invasive, dynamic monitoring to guide treatment adjustments. For instance, peripheral blood testing for micrometastases in lung cancer patients prevents overtreatment or delayed intervention.

Molecular subtyping guides drug selection: HER2-positive gastric cancer patients benefit from anti-HER2 therapy, while those with high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) show sensitivity to immunotherapy, significantly enhancing efficacy.

2. Clinical Applications

The 5-year survival rate for advanced non-small cell lung cancer has risen to 20%, with immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy achieving a 5-year survival rate of 31.9% in some patients.

Elderly patients with advanced lung cancer maintain a high quality of life for nearly 10 years using first-generation EGFR targeted drugs, overcoming the limitations of traditional treatments.

II、Multidisciplinary Team (MDT): Breaking Down Barriers in Single-Department Diagnosis and Treatment

1. Model Innovation

Non-public institutions adopt the “Primary Care Physician (PCP) + Case Manager (PCM)” model, integrating personal medical records to provide full-cycle management from preventive screening to post-treatment rehabilitation.

Public tertiary hospitals establish multidisciplinary teams (surgery, internal medicine, radiation oncology, pathology, etc.) to develop personalized plans for complex cases. For example, liver cancer patients undergo a stepwise treatment approach—“interventional embolization to shrink tumors → targeted drug control → secondary surgery”—achieving survival rates exceeding five years.

2. Regional Collaboration

Translational medicine platforms are established to promote medical-engineering integration and cultivate young talent, accelerating the translation of research outcomes. For instance, the Affiliated Hospital of Fujian University of Chinese Medicine employs a combination of multimodal, minimally invasive techniques to achieve precise resection and rapid recovery in patients with liver cancer.

III、Innovative Drugs and Therapies: Overcoming the “Untreatable” Dilemma

1. Targeted Drug Iteration

Dozens of targeted inhibitors have gained approval in China, covering targets like EGFR, ALK, and ROS1, with most included in national healthcare coverage. For instance, CDK4/6 inhibitors improve five-year survival rates for breast cancer patients with drug resistance, while PAM pathway-targeted drugs address resistance to endocrine therapy.

“Pan-cancer” drugs targeting rare mutations (e.g., MET amplification, RET fusions) have entered clinical trials, expanding the patient population benefiting from these therapies.

2. Immunotherapy Breakthroughs

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (PD-1/PD-L1) combined with chemotherapy significantly extend survival in melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Personalized neoantigen therapies (e.g., mRNA-4157) activate the immune system through customized vaccines. Combination treatments in clinical trials significantly improve recurrence-free survival in melanoma patients.

3. Cell Therapy Frontiers

CAR-T therapy achieves breakthroughs in hematologic malignancies. Development of CAR-T for solid tumors accelerates, with clinical trials underway at select centers.

IV、AI and Imaging Technology: Empowering Precision Diagnosis and Treatment

1. AI-Assisted Diagnosis

AI systems rapidly distinguish benign from malignant lung nodules, sparing low-risk patients unnecessary treatments and optimizing healthcare resource allocation.

Three-dimensional visualization and 3D laparoscopic technology enable precise resection of liver tumors, with intraoperative blood loss controlled below 100ml.

2. Radiomics

Integrating CT, MRI, PET-CT, and other multi-modal imaging modalities to construct tumor heterogeneity models, predicting treatment response and prognosis.

V、Medical Insurance Payment and Commercial Insurance: Reducing Patient Financial Burden

1. Medical Insurance Coverage for Innovative Drugs

National medical insurance negotiations have included most targeted drugs in reimbursement coverage, significantly improving drug accessibility. For example, after CDK4/6 inhibitors for breast cancer were included in medical insurance, patients' out-of-pocket expenses decreased.

Commercial insurers explore multi-tiered payment models (“Medicare + commercial insurance”) to cover high-end medical needs and alleviate financial pressure.

2. Payment Model Reform

Promote payment models like Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRG) and outcome-based payments, incentivizing hospitals to adopt personalized treatments that reduce overall costs.

Ⅵ、Integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine: China's Approach to Personalized Treatment

1. Perioperative Care

Oral Chinese herbal medicine improves liver function and accelerates gastrointestinal recovery, while external therapies (e.g., ear seed therapy, herbal plaster application) alleviate postoperative discomfort.

Postoperative TCM rehabilitation reduces deep vein thrombosis risk, boosts immunity, and prevents recurrence.

2. Synergistic Treatment to Enhance Efficacy and Reduce Toxicity

Integrating TCM with targeted/immunotherapy mitigates chemotherapy side effects while enhancing efficacy. For instance, postoperative TCM support accelerates recovery in liver cancer patients.

Conclusion

China's breakthroughs in personalized cancer treatment rely primarily on integrating precision medicine with individualized therapy. Through genetic testing, molecular typing, targeted therapies, and multidisciplinary collaboration, patients receive more precise and effective treatment plans.

Document dated 2025-09-15 09:21 Modify