A team of prominent Chinese oncologists, led by Prof. Yan Sun and Prof. Zhen Zhou Shen, will be visiting NCCN member institutions following the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium this December, for an in-depth scientific exchange with leading oncologists in the US to discuss the latest in cancer management as well as differences between oncology practice in the two countries.

The team will be visiting the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and the Avon Foundation Breast Center at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Both cancer centers are consistently ranked among the top three cancer centers in annual surveys by USA News, including the one conducted in 2009. This visit, which is co-organized by EMD, is highly anticipated not only by participants, but also by NCCN – it is the most recent activity in the NCCN Global Leadership Exchange program for information exchange with distinguished oncologists worldwide.

“This program provides a valuable platform for exchange of knowledge and experience among leaders in cancer care in the United States and China,” said William T. McGivney, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN, in an article published in the NCCN eBulletin on their official website. “As the NCCN Guidelines become more widely distributed and accepted worldwide, we are finding more opportunities to engage in a global conversation about how to best deliver cancer care around the world.” (Please refer to article at: http://www.nccn.org/about/news/ebulletin/2009-10-26/global_leadership.asp)

Since 2007, EMD has organized visits for expert Chinese oncologists and administrators at Chinese cancer centers to visit NCCN and its member institutions. These scientific exchanges have been well-received by participants. Subsequent to the success of the visits in 2007 and 2008, the visit in 2009 has expanded both in scale and in content. This trend is expected to continue with future visits. As more and more Chinese experts participate in these exchanges, the insights and information they bring back will translate into improved care for cancer patients in China.

The 2009 scientific exchange is co-organized by NCCN and EMD and sponsored by Shanghai Roche Pharmaceuticals.