The 4th China Conference on Microwave Ablation & The 2nd SIO Annual Symposium on Tumor Ablation Joint Sessions Successfully Held in Nanjing

As the chimes of the 2019 New Year still echoed, the stage for international exchanges in the tumor ablation industry was already being set. From January 4th to 6th, The 4th China Conference on Microwave Ablation & The 2nd SIO Annual Symposium on Tumor Ablation Joint Sessions Successfully Held in Nanjing were grandly held at Nanjing Purple Mountain Conference Center. The conference elected Professor Yang Renjie and Professor David Madoff as chairmen, with Professor Xiao Yueyong and Professor Wang Shui as co-chairs. Professors Jiang Tianan, Li Chengli, Xu Linfeng, Alexis Kelekis, David Breen, and Nahum Goldberg served as executive chairmen. Experts and doctors in the tumor ablation field from over 30 countries and regions, including China, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Israel, gathered in Nanjing to freely exchange ideas and discuss the latest concepts in global tumor ablation treatment. This conference featured an extensive international selection of papers, with all sessions conducted in English, ensuring an international standard. The event focused on minimally invasive tumor ablation and shared the latest research findings. Additionally, the conference acted as a platform for collaboration, facilitating a series of strategic partnerships among international associations, hospitals, and manufacturers.

Gathering Wisdom, Illuminating the Future

This feast of tumor ablation technology, clinical practice, concepts, and future developments was not only a stage for the global tumor ablation industry but also an arena for the intellectual exchange between Chinese and foreign scholars. Leading international ablation experts came to China to share the latest ablation concepts, while top domestic experts showcased "Chinese wisdom." The conference opened with a special academic session for SIO members, the first of its kind for Chinese members, where SIO directors and both Chinese and international members engaged in discussions and consensus-building.

▲ Experts engaged in academic exchanges and sharing

On January 5th, the conference officially opened. In the morning, leading international experts such as Professor David Madoff from the Department of Radiology at Weill Cornell Medical Center, Professor Nahum Goldberg from the Department of Radiology at Hadassah Medical Center in Israel, Professor David Lu from the Department of Radiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Professor David Breen from the Department of Radiology at Southampton University Hospital in the UK joined domestic ablation experts in sharing the latest research in ablation. Professor Kuang Ming delivered a report on the current state of ablation combined with immunotherapy; Professor Xu Dong presented on the application of thermal ablation for metastatic lymph nodes in the neck; Professor Yu Jie provided an analysis of the prognosis of breast tumors treated with microwave ablation; and Professor Jiang Tianan gave a report on ultrasound-guided microwave ablation of renal tumors, which attracted widespread attention from ablation colleagues worldwide.

▲ Participating experts

▲Professor Jiang Tianan attending the conference

▲ Conference Executive Chair Professor Jiang Tianan delivering the conference report

Uniting Minds, Embracing Innovation

The future is to be inherited and built by the younger generation. This conference featured the "International Youth Forum" English speech competition, where eight selected participants from China made a stunning appearance, showcasing the talents of young doctors to the world. The audience responded with thunderous applause, and the participants received unanimous praise from the attendees. Dr. Zhao Qiyu, Associate Chief Physician of the Ultrasound Medicine Department at Zhejiang University First Affiliated Hospital, won second place in the English speech competition.

▲ Associate Chief Physician Zhao Qiyu from the Ultrasound Medicine Department of Zhejiang University First Affiliated Hospital wins second place in the competition

Collaborating to Fulfill National Strategies

In the context of the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and in response to the "Belt and Road" initiative in the tumor ablation field, the Ultrasound Medicine Department of Zhejiang University First Affiliated Hospital transitioned from "ideas" to "implementation" by actively organizing the first "Belt and Road" international training course on tumor microwave ablation in May 2018, promoting the concept of minimally invasive tumor ablation treatment and enabling experts and technology to go beyond China, benefiting more patients worldwide.

As a key part of the conference, the signing ceremony for strategic cooperation between international hospitals under the Belt and Road initiative was held as scheduled. Three renowned domestic hospitals signed strategic cooperation agreements with three international hospitals. Among them, the Ultrasound Medicine Department of Zhejiang University First Affiliated Hospital signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Attikon University General Hospital of Athens Medical School in Greece. During the conference, 10 Chinese hospitals and 3 international hospitals were also awarded the designation of Tumor Ablation Training Base, with the aim of jointly organizing training courses on tumor microwave ablation in the future to improve the standardization of this technique and address the "last mile" in clinical application. Building a community of shared future in the tumor ablation industry, "Chinese concepts" offer new pathways to the world; the development outcomes of the tumor ablation industry will better benefit people around the globe, with "Chinese vision" drawing a new blueprint for the world.

The Ultrasound Medicine Department of Zhejiang University First Affiliated Hospital serves as the chair unit of the Zhejiang Medical Association's Ultrasound Branch and is also the chair unit of the Superficial and Peripheral Vessels Committee of the National Ultrasound Medicine Engineering Society and the Interventional Ultrasound Committee of the Hai Medical Association. Under the leadership of Professor Jiang Tianan, the department has developed a new model centered on interventional treatment, with eight subspecialties, including abdominal, urological, and superficial organs, advancing together. The department handles over 300,000 patient consultations annually, including more than 750 cases of tumor ablation and over 500 cases of ultrasound-guided endoscopic diagnosis and treatment. The department performs thermal ablation of liver, kidney, retroperitoneum, pancreas, lung, thyroid, parathyroid, head and neck metastases, and breast tumors, as well as cutting-edge technologies such as nano-knife techniques for the liver and pancreas and long-fiber laser ablation under ultrasound guidance. The Ultrasound Medicine Department of Zhejiang University First Affiliated Hospital will continue to lead the exploration and advancement of tumor ablation technology!