Medical Library | Shanghai Oncology and Innovative Treatment Series
Tongji University-affiliated Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital is a major specialist center for lung disease, thoracic surgery, pulmonary oncology, and perioperative management. Its early lung cancer programs combine surgery, artificial intelligence, imaging interpretation, immune-microenvironment research, and shared decision-making for patients with ground-glass opacities.
This Medical Library review focuses on the early lung cancer team led by Professor Chen Chang, based on the 2025–2026 information provided. It explains why ground-glass nodules require careful risk assessment and how CMCS can help international patients prepare for a specialist consultation in Shanghai.
1. Thoracic Surgery and Early Lung Cancer: From GGO Diagnosis to Shared Decisions
Lead: Professor Chen Chang, President of Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital
Focus: Early-stage lung cancer, ground-glass opacities (GGOs), AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment, and perioperative management.
Ground-glass opacities are among the most common and most anxiety-provoking findings on chest CT. Some remain stable for years, while others represent pre-invasive disease or early lung adenocarcinoma. The clinical challenge is to avoid both under-treatment and unnecessary surgery.
Professor Chen Chang's team is described as combining thoracic surgery with AI-assisted decision support, immune-microenvironment research, and perioperative care. For broader patient background, see our Pulmonary Oncology at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital guide or our Lung Cancer and Advanced Oncology Treatment in Shanghai Medical Library article.
Key 2025–2026 milestones
- Single-cell immune profiling: A study published in Cell in March 2025, conducted in collaboration with Professor Zhang Zemin of Peking University, mapped the immune microenvironment of NSCLC after anti-PD-1 treatment at single-cell resolution.
- Scientific recognition: The team received the First Prize of the Shanghai Science and Technology Progress Award for 2025, announced in July 2026.
- Shared decision-making: The team led the development of a clinical consensus on shared decision-making for GGO-like lung adenocarcinoma, addressing how doctors and patients should jointly evaluate surveillance, surgery, and perioperative care.
The combination of clinical surgery, immune profiling, AI-assisted evaluation, and patient participation is important because early lung cancer decisions are rarely based on one scan or one biomarker alone. Tumor size, density, growth pattern, solid components, location, patient age, smoking history, pulmonary function, family history, and the patient's preferences may all influence management.
2. Why the Immune Microenvironment Matters after Anti-PD-1 Treatment
Anti-PD-1 treatment changes the interaction between tumor cells and immune cells. A single-cell atlas can show which immune-cell populations are present, how they differ across patients, and how they respond after treatment. This information may help researchers understand resistance, identify potential biomarkers, and design future combinations.
However, a research atlas is not the same as a routine clinical test. Patients should ask whether an immune-microenvironment result has been clinically validated, whether it changes the treatment plan, and whether the proposed test is available outside a research study.
The broader clinical value of the work is that it links molecular and cellular research with real treatment decisions. In the future, this may help identify which patients need closer surveillance, which may benefit from a specific perioperative strategy, and which can avoid unnecessary treatment.
3. GGO-Like Lung Adenocarcinoma and the Case for Shared Decision-Making
Shared decision-making means that the physician contributes clinical evidence and risk assessment while the patient contributes personal priorities, tolerance for uncertainty, and preferences about surveillance, surgery, recovery, and long-term function.
For a patient with a GGO-like lesion, the consultation may cover:
- Whether the opacity is pure ground-glass, part-solid, or predominantly solid;
- Whether it has changed in size, density, or solid component over time;
- Whether the CT features suggest pre-invasive disease, minimally invasive disease, or invasive adenocarcinoma;
- Whether continued CT surveillance is reasonable and what interval is appropriate;
- Whether a limited resection, segmentectomy, wedge resection, or lobectomy is being considered;
- How the proposed operation may affect pulmonary function and future treatment options;
- What pathology and lymph-node assessment will be required after surgery.
Patients can also review our Lung Cancer Precision Diagnosis and Rapid Treatment Planning in Shanghai guide when preparing imaging and pathology questions. For surgical context, our article on Thoracic Surgery at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital provides additional background.
4. AI-Assisted Diagnosis and Perioperative Management
AI tools may support the interpretation of CT images, identify patterns that are difficult to quantify manually, and help standardize risk assessment. In perioperative care, data systems may also support the evaluation of pulmonary function, surgical risk, recovery, and follow-up.
AI should be viewed as decision support rather than a replacement for a thoracic surgeon, radiologist, pathologist, or multidisciplinary team. Patients should ask whether an AI tool has been externally validated, whether it has been tested in a population similar to theirs, and how its output is combined with expert review.
The most useful role for AI may be to improve consistency and help clinicians compare multiple factors. The final decision should still consider the complete clinical picture, including symptoms, imaging, pulmonary function, comorbidities, patient age, and personal preferences.
5. How CMCS Helps International Patients Prepare for an Early Lung Cancer Consultation
For an international patient with a lung nodule or suspected early lung cancer, the first step is to bring the right information to the right specialist. China Medical Concierge Shanghai (CMCS) is a health management and medical coordination service that helps patients connect with specialist doctors and hospital resources in Shanghai. CMCS is not a hospital and does not independently diagnose or prescribe treatment.
Before a consultation, CMCS can help organize:
- Original CT or PET-CT images, not only written reports;
- Radiology reports and a timeline showing whether the lesion has changed;
- Pathology, cytology, bronchoscopy, or biopsy records when available;
- Pulmonary-function tests, blood tests, previous diagnoses, and medication history;
- Smoking history, family history, symptoms, previous surgery, and the patient's treatment priorities.
For overseas patients, the information can be arranged into a concise English medical summary. This helps the specialist quickly understand the clinical question and reduces the risk of important details being lost across languages.
CMCS can help patients prepare focused questions such as:
- Does the CT pattern suggest surveillance, biopsy, or surgery?
- What features indicate a higher risk of invasive adenocarcinoma?
- How often should follow-up CT be performed, and what change would trigger intervention?
- Would limited resection provide adequate cancer control for this lesion?
- What are the expected effects on lung function, recovery time, and future treatment options?
- Could an AI assessment or additional molecular test meaningfully change the treatment plan?
- What are the benefits and risks of immediate surgery compared with continued surveillance?
During the consultation, CMCS can assist with appointment coordination, medical interpretation, communication between the patient and the care team, and clarification of the doctor's recommendations. Afterward, a case manager can help organize the proposed next steps, identify additional records or tests, clarify the follow-up schedule, and coordinate further communication with the hospital.
The final treatment decision must be made by the patient and the treating medical team. CMCS does not independently choose surgery, surveillance, or an innovative diagnostic tool. Its role is to help the patient bring complete information to the right specialist and make sure that evidence, uncertainty, risks, alternatives, and follow-up are discussed clearly.
To learn more about lung cancer consultations and treatment coordination in Shanghai, contact CMCS:
Email: contract@medicalsh.com
WhatsApp: Contact CMCS on WhatsApp
Website: medicalsh.com
Conclusion
The early lung cancer program at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital brings together thoracic surgery, immune-microenvironment research, AI-assisted evaluation, perioperative management, and shared decision-making. Its focus is not simply to operate on more nodules, but to improve the quality of each decision: which lesions require treatment, when intervention is safest, how much surgery is appropriate, and how the patient's values should be included.
For patients, the goal is not to pursue every new test or technology, but to choose a pathway that fits the imaging, pathology, pulmonary function, overall health, and personal preferences. This article was prepared from the team and program information provided for editorial use. Research milestones, awards, clinical recommendations, and treatment availability should be confirmed through the hospital, research team, regulatory authorities, and formally published studies. This article is for medical education only and is not individualized medical advice.
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