4th International Think-Tank Forum: Anti-Cancer Innovation and Global Collaboration
November 14-16, 2007
Hong Kong, China

AFCR joined forces with the Centre for Cancer Research of The University of Hong Kong and the U.S.-based National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) to co-sponsor a world class international conference, the 4th International Think Tank Forum on Anti-Cancer Innovation and Global Collaboration, on Nov 14-16, 2007. More than 25 leading cancer scientists from the United States, Europe, Japan, and China were invited to speak at the joint conference.

The goal of this Think Tank Forum was not only to discuss the latest scientific advancements emerging from laboratories and research hospitals in the U.S., Europe, and Asia (especially China), but also to foster discussion about the opportunities and challenges that come with greatly expanding global scientific collaboration in the fight against cancer. We at AFCR believe that active international collaboration will be the key to success f or cancer research in Hong Kong, in Mainland China, and throughout the world.

Below are some of the highlights of the 4th International Think Tank Forum on Anti-Cancer Innovation and Global Collaboration.

1) At the Think Tank Forum, Dr. Mary-Claire King, the world renowned scientist who discovered a link between two important genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) and breast cancer, presented the newest research results from her laboratory at the University of Washington in the U.S. and announced her plan to conduct a large scale collaborative research project for breast cancer in Hong Kong and China.

2) Dr. Brian Leyland-Jones from Emory University in the U.S. also presented his research that is leading to a more effective approach for predicting patient response to available therapies and will enable physicians to more accurately choose the right drugs for each cancer patient. This ability to individualize cancer medicine is the future of cancer care and will deliver optimal benefits to all cancer patients.

3) Dr. Yung-Chi Cheng from Yale University reported comprehensive data and convincing research results on the effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in cancer treatment. His research and that of others, like Dr. Allan Lau and Dr. Ricky Man at the University of Hong Kong, demonstrated that with more collaborative research between scientists in China and other countries around the world, TCM will become part of mainstream medicine as an effective therapy for cancer prevention and treatment in the future.

4) Personalized medicine and targeted cancer therapies are the fastest growing aspects of cancer research today. High quality cancer tissues from patients are a very valuable resource for scientists and physicians seeking to identify cancer related biomarkers in order to develop personalized and targeted therapies for each cancer patient. Scientists from AFCR and the National Foundation for Cancer Research have established a world-class Joint Tissue Bank in partnership with the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital (TMUCIH) which will enhance research capability in China. Dr. Kexin Chen from the TMUCIH discussed the progress of several exciting research projects being conducted by American and Chinese scientists using cancer tissue samples provided by the Joint Tissue Bank in Tianjin. This initiative is an excellent example to show how international collaboration can help accelerate the pace of cancer research globally.

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