Clinical oncology in China dates back to 1933, when Peking Union Medical College Hospital established the Division of Clinical Oncology. In the 1950's, cancer hospitals were built successively in several major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. During the early years, the main cancer treatments were surgery and radiotherapy. The beginning of medical oncology in China originated in 1959, when the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Science formed a chemotherapy team. During the 50-year history of medical oncology, China has developed more than 20 new anti-cancer drugs, including N-formylsarcolysin, pingyangmycin (Bleomycin A5), harringtonine, and many traditional Chinese herbal medicines such as Kanglaite.
With the expanding of clinical oncology, more than 200 senior clinical oncologists proposed the establishment of a public academic organization in this field. On 28 April 1997, after 2 years' preparation, the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) was formally founded in Beijing.
In accordance with the tenet, 'Teamwork, Cooperation and Practicality', CSCO has substantially contributed to accelerating the development of national clinical oncology. At the end of June 2004, CSCO counted over 4,200 individual members working at about 1,000 hospitals or other institutions in China. Twelve academicians have been included in the Steering Committee and the Executive Committee. Over 60 percent of the individuals who are members are associate professors or have an even higher degree, and nearly half occupy positions of leadership in large-size oncology institutes. All 39 group members are famous international or domestic pharmaceutical enterprises.
Mission Statement
* Developing continuing education and training programs for oncology professionals.
* Coordinating Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Evidence-based Medicine (EBM), basing multi-center, multi-disciplinary and multi-level cooperative research on clinical oncology, and promoting the transfer of technology.
* Fostering domestic and international collaboration and academic exchanges.
* Gathering information on cancer prevention and treatment, editing academic journals and educational manuals, and supporting oncology publications.
* Improving public awareness of, and service in, cancer care and prevention.
* Influencing national policy in the fight against cancer and assisting the government in the management of cancer prevention and treatment.
Education in Oncology
CSCO is dedicated to improving continuing education in clinical oncology, developing training programs in GCP and EBM, launching training programs in many suburban areas, and funding the publishing of books, periodicals, and CD-ROM material on cancer prevention, treatment, etc. The CSCO annual meeting is the Society's most important ongoing educational event. It consists of a series of academic and satellite meetings on topics such as basic research, clinical comprehensive treatment, and the integration of Western medicine with traditional Chinese medicine, etc. The annual meeting is continually growing and the number of abstracts submitted has increased significantly. At the 7th annual meeting in 2004, more than 1,100 academic papers were received and over 4,000 oncology professionals participated.
CSCO offers various training programs and forums in accordance with the needs of participants. CSCO organizes various clinical oncology lectures in some of China's underdeveloped areas, and over 2,000 doctors benefit from this service every year. Meanwhile, Internet education and webcasts are being developed and implemented.
In 2002, the science fund for Chinese clinical oncology (CSCO-Kanglaite Fund) was established to assist academic research and further overseas study for CSCO members. CSCO set up a second fund (CSCO-Novartis Fund) to help CSCO members to receive training in developed countries. CSCO headquarters in Beijing is currently busy preparing for two training programs, one at Johns Hopkins-NUH International Medical Centre in Singapore and another at Princess Margaret Hospital in Canada.
CSCO devotes much time and resources to public education about cancer prevention and treatment, and it organizes voluntary lectures given by its members on public science education and other public health issues.
Cooperative Research
CSCO brings together many clinical oncology professionals to develop multi-center, multi-disciplinary and multi-level cooperative research. It carries out research and academic communications on standardized comprehensive treatment in chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, etc.
In order to improve clinical oncology research in China, CSCO has accumulated valuable experience by developing dozens of multi-center clinical trials. CSCO is preparing to set up an Academic Research Organization (ARO), whose mission will be to accelerate the standardization process of GCP in clinical oncology research and to further collaborate with other organizations.
In cooperation with International Network for Cancer treatment and Research (INCTR), and thanks to funding by Eli Lilly Asia, CSCO launched its GCP Advanced Training Program in order to widen standard clinical research. The program's lecturers consist of GCP experts from many prestigious medicine-related organizations, including the WHO, FDA, NCI, SFDA, Chinese National Oncology GCP Center, etc. Forty-five senior doctors from more than 20 top oncology hospitals participated in the training. Prof. Da-Tong Chu had the honor of being nominated as the Advisory Board Member of the INCTR in April 2002. International Communication
CSCO promotes communication and cooperation with other prestigious academic oncology research organizations and functions as a bridge in international communications.
Among the milestones in CSCO history are:
* June 2004: The establishment of official recognition and reciprocal membership with ESMO. ESMO delegations will be invited to collaborate on future educational activities in China and the Asian region and vice versa.
* May 2003: The establishment of official recognition and reciprocal membership with ASCO. CSCO cooperates with ASCO with regard to its Multidisciplinary Cancer Management Course (MCMC). The first MCMC meeting in Asia will be held in the Chinese city of Xi'an on 2-3 April 2005.
* October 2003: Dr. Yan Sun, President of CSCO Steering Committee, was elected President of the Asian Clinical Oncology Society (ACOS), and Dr. Da-Tong Chu, current CSCO President, became a member of the ACOS Council for 3 years. In addition, CSCO will have the honor of organizing the next ACOS Meeting, which will be held in October 2006 in Beijing, and Dr. Chu will be the Organizing Committee's Secretary-General.
* April 2002: Organized by CSCO, the Business Interchange Group for Presidents of Chinese Oncology Hospitals visited the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in the United States. By the end of 2003, a delegation of 10 CSCO leaders visited ASCO headquarters, ECOG, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Many influential leaders from prominent organizations or institutes, such as ASCO, SWOG, ECOG, INCTR, ACOS and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, have visited CSCO and participated in the Society's academic meetings, thus enhancing bilateral relationships.
We believe that CSCO members will carry forward the spirit of teamwork, cooperation and practicality, devote themselves to the development of cancer treatment and prevention, and offer greater and greater contributions to improving public health and fighting cancer. We look forward to international collaboration with all of our oncology partner societies!
Dr. Yan Sun (second left), medical oncologist in a breast cancer team, worked with Professor H. H. Wu and other colleagues during medical rounds in 1960.
The founding of CSCO became official at Beijing Hotel on 28 April 1997 .
CSCO 2004 Annual Meeting in Kunming , attended by more than 4,000 people .
In August 2002, CSCO organized some leading Chinese oncologists to give lectures in the Western Chinese city of Lanzhou .
Dr. Wang Long-De, Deputy Minister of Health, meets with CSCO and ASCO leaders in Beijing in May 2002.