BEIJING, Jan. 10 -- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), atop-ranking cancer research institute and hospital in the United States, said it is lookingforward to more cooperation in clinical trials and treatment with Chinese partners.
Oliver Bogler, MDACC senior vice president for academic affairs, told Xinhua thatcollaborations with Chinese partners have been productive in several fields, such as cancerscreening, liver cancer and lung cancer treatment, and the center is planning morecooperation in clinical trials and comparative studies with China.
"Cancer is a significant challenge to both China and the U.S," Bogler said, noting that everycountry has a unique spectrum of cancers depending on factors such as population andenvironment. Bogler said that with many good scientists, people's contributions and thegovernment's commitment in fighting cancer, China offers "tremendous opportunities" todevelop cancer research.
Bogler was recently in Beijing to receive the International Science and TechnologyCooperation Award of the People's Republic of China. He was among eight winners for thisyear's award, which was presented by China's State Council Friday to foreign scientists andorganizations for their work in science and technology cooperation with China.
According to Ta-Jen Liu, the MDACC's project director for global academic programs, theMDACC has several sister institutions in China, including the Sun Yat-sen UniversityCancer Center, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Cancer Institute and Hospital,Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Fudan University ShanghaiCancer Center and the Sir YK Pao Centre for Cancer under the Chinese University of HongKong. It has also signed memoranda of understanding to collaborate with other Chineseinstitutions.
Cooperation with these institutions is currently focused on training, education and patientcare.
According to Liu, the MDACC is also open-minded on verified herbal medicines and othertraditional Chinese medicines (TCMs).
"The MDACC views TCMs as an alternative means of cancer management. Thedepartment of integrative medicine at MDACC uses Qigong and acupuncture to help cancerpatients manage quality of life and symptom control, especially for pain," he said.
However, he said the center remains prudent about using TCM for direct cancertreatment, as the efficacy of TCM is still difficult to accurately define.
Bogler said he believes immunotherapy, which focuses on therapy to reactivate patients'immune systems and unleash their ability to attack cancer, will be one of the mostpromising directions in research in the future.
"It is not new, but many new exciting things have happened in this area in recent years.We hope new developments will happen in this area, and clinical trials have also beenactive," he said.
Noting the MDACC slogan of "making cancer history," Bogler said to all cancer patients: "Be hopeful about the future."
