Professor LIANG Tingbo, President of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (FAHZU), also serving as the Director of the Ministry of Education's Joint International Research Laboratory of Pancreatic Diseases, recently visited several leading medical centers in the United States for academic exchanges and delivered invited presentations at prestigious institutions, including the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Stanford Health Care, etc. His talks, especially at the US-Sino Summit on Pancreatic Cancer and the MPET Special Visiting Faculty Talk, focused on "Radical resection combined with intestinal autotransplantation for pancreatic cancer," reflecting significant international recognition of the comprehensive strength and innovative techniques of FAHZU in the field of hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies characterized by insidious onset, limited treatment options, and low survival rates. Its incidence and related deaths are continuing to increase globally. Radical resection remains the mainstay of prolonging survival and potential curative option for pancreatic cancer patients. However, radical resection can’t be achieved in a considerable proportion of patients who have extended locoregional vascular involvement, although distant metastasis is absent. The prognosis of this kind of locally advanced disease with significant vascular involvement by pancreatic cancer is similar to metastatic disease because a traditional radical resection is impossible. How to achieve a radical resection by innovative surgical techniques remains the major challenge facing global pancreatic surgeons. In order to tackle this problem, Prof. LIANG’s team have pioneered a holistic approach – radical resection combined with intestinal autotransplantation. In brief, they integrated the organ transplantation technique into the traditional surgical approach for pancreatic cancer, to achieve an “en-bloc” and “non-touch” resection. This novel technique has significantly expanded the pool of surgical candidates with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. The primary results indicate that this surgical approach has significantly improved the radical resection rate and patient survival. More than fifty cases have been successfully performed since 2018. A comprehensive protocol including preoperative assessment, surgical strategy, and perioperative care has been established by Prof. Liang’s team.
In addition, Prof. LIANG also detailed notable achievements in various major organ transplant surgeries at FAHZU. As one of the foremost centers for organ transplantation in China, FAHZU has achieved several breakthroughs, including the world's first combined domino liver and intestinal transplantation. Esteemed directors and chairs from major U.S. medical centers have highly appraised Professor LIANG's team for their innovative techniques in diagnosing and treating pancreatic cancer. Many have expressed intentions for deeper collaboration and mutual learning in talent cultivation and joint research, aiming to enhance cooperation in various medical fields.
In recent years, FAHZU has been advancing its global exchange and cooperation, establishing relationships with over 40 top-tier institutions worldwide. Prof. LIANG’s team, focusing on the forefront of disciplines and significant needs, has actively integrated top clinical and research resources in the field of pancreatic diseases. They have conducted in-depth international collaborations and, in 2023, successfully obtained approval from the Ministry of Education for MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Pancreatic Diseases. As an adjunct professor at both Johns Hopkins University and the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Prof. Liang leads the hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery team, which is the sole Johns Hopkins University general surgery residency training base in China. Through this visit to the U.S., the team will further leverage the strengths of FAHZU, collaborate with the world’s top medical centers, and promote robust collaboration between Chinese and American medical centers, contributing to the global community for health and wellness.
Prof. LIANG gave an invited presentation at the "MPET Special Visiting Faculty Talk" held at Mayo Clinic
Prof. Scott H. Kaufmann, Chair of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at Mayo Clinic attended Professor Tingbo Liang's lecture
Prof. LIANG delivered an invited talk at "The US-Sino Summit on Pancreatic Cancer" held at MD Anderson Cancer Center
Prof. LIANG visited MD Anderson Cancer Center，accompanied by Dr. Anirban Maitra, Scientific Director of the Sheikh Ahmed Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, and Prof. Huamin Wang
Prof. LIANG had discussions with Prof. Koji Hashimoto, Director of Liver Transplantation at Cleveland Clinic
Prof. LIANG met with Prof. Bin Yang, Co-Director of ePathology at Cleveland Clinic
Prof. LIANG had discussions with Prof. Chris Freise, Chief of Transplant Surgery Division at UCSF
Prof. LIANG had a meeting with David Entwistle, President and CEO of Stanford Health Care as well as Alison Kerr, Senior Vice President of Stanford Health Care
Prof. LIANG met with Prof. Lloyd B. Minor, Dean of Stanford University School of Medicine
Prof. LIANG had discussions with Prof. Marc Melcher, Chief of Division of Abdominal Organ Transplant at Stanford Health Care
