Global Leadership in Lung Cancer Precision Medicine — Shanghai
When international patients seek the most advanced lung cancer care in the world, they are increasingly looking to Shanghai. At the forefront of this global shift is Prof. Zhou Caicun — a physician-scientist whose clinical research has directly resulted in the approval of 13 new cancer drugs and whose immunotherapy protocols have achieved a five-year survival rate of 31.2% for advanced lung cancer — a figure that rivals the best outcomes reported anywhere in the world.
Featured Specialist: Prof. Zhou Caicun (周彩存)
Prof. Zhou Caicun is a leading thoracic oncologist at Shanghai East Hospital (Shanghai Shi Dongfang Yiyuan), affiliated with Tongji University. He holds one of the most distinguished international positions in oncology:
- President-Elect of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) — the world's premier professional organization dedicated to lung cancer research and treatment, representing over 7,500 members in more than 100 countries. Prof. Zhou is the first Chinese physician to hold this position, placing him at the apex of global lung cancer leadership.
- Principal investigator on over 60 clinical research studies, spanning targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and combination strategies
- His research has directly contributed to the approval of 13 new drugs for lung cancer treatment in China and internationally
- His immunotherapy protocols have achieved a landmark five-year overall survival rate of 31.2% in advanced lung cancer — a historically unprecedented outcome for a disease that once carried a median survival of less than one year
The 31.2% Five-Year Survival: What It Means
To understand the significance of Prof. Zhou's immunotherapy outcomes, consider the historical context:
- Before targeted therapy and immunotherapy, advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) had a median overall survival of approximately 8–12 months with chemotherapy alone
- Five-year survival rates were below 5% for stage IV disease
- Prof. Zhou's immunotherapy protocols have achieved 31.2% five-year survival in selected advanced lung cancer patients — representing a more than sixfold improvement and bringing lung cancer outcomes closer to those of other treatable cancers
This is not a theoretical result — it reflects real patients treated under Prof. Zhou's protocols at Shanghai East Hospital.
Precision Diagnosis: The Foundation of Treatment
Prof. Zhou's approach begins with the most comprehensive molecular characterization of each patient's tumor:
- Next-generation sequencing (NGS) — comprehensive genomic profiling to identify all actionable driver mutations
- Liquid biopsy (ctDNA) — non-invasive tumor profiling from blood, particularly useful for monitoring treatment response and detecting resistance
- PD-L1 expression testing — to guide immunotherapy selection and combination strategy
- Tumor mutational burden (TMB) — additional biomarker for immunotherapy response prediction
- MET amplification and exon 14 skipping — increasingly important targetable alterations
- Co-mutation analysis — STK11, KEAP1, and TP53 mutations that affect immunotherapy response
Targeted Therapy Expertise
Prof. Zhou has been a principal investigator on pivotal trials for multiple targeted agents across all major driver mutations:
- EGFR-mutated NSCLC: First-, second-, and third-generation TKIs; post-osimertinib resistance strategies; EGFR exon 20 insertion-targeted agents
- ALK-rearranged NSCLC: Alectinib, brigatinib, lorlatinib; sequential therapy after ALK inhibitor resistance
- KRAS G12C: Sotorasib, adagrasib, and combination strategies
- MET-altered NSCLC: Tepotinib, capmatinib, savolitinib
- RET fusion: Selpercatinib, pralsetinib
- HER2-mutated NSCLC: Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) and other HER2-directed agents
- BRAF V600E: Dabrafenib + trametinib combination
Immunotherapy Leadership
Prof. Zhou's immunotherapy research has been particularly transformative. His clinical trial portfolio includes:
- First-line PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor monotherapy and combination regimens
- Chemo-immunotherapy combinations for squamous and non-squamous NSCLC
- Dual immunotherapy (anti-PD-1 + anti-CTLA-4) strategies
- Immunotherapy in special populations: elderly, poor PS, brain metastases
- Consolidation immunotherapy after chemoradiation for stage III NSCLC
- Novel immunotherapy combinations with anti-angiogenic agents and ADCs
13 Drug Approvals: A Legacy of Impact
Prof. Zhou's role as principal investigator on studies leading to 13 drug approvals means that his research has directly expanded the treatment options available to lung cancer patients in China and globally. Patients treated by Prof. Zhou benefit from his firsthand knowledge of these agents — their efficacy data, toxicity profiles, and optimal use in clinical practice — that goes beyond what is available in published guidelines.
How CMCS Coordinates Your Care
China Medical Concierge Shanghai (CMCS) is a health management company — not a hospital. We connect international patients with Shanghai's most globally recognized lung cancer specialists, including Prof. Zhou Caicun at Shanghai East Hospital, and manage every step of the process:
- Review of existing pathology, NGS reports, imaging, and treatment history
- Coordination of additional molecular testing if needed
- Clinical trial eligibility screening based on Prof. Zhou's current trial portfolio
- Appointment scheduling with priority access
- Medical interpretation during consultations and tumor board discussions
- Logistics support: accommodation, visa assistance, and local transport
- Post-consultation follow-up and remote monitoring coordination
Get in Touch
If you or a family member has been diagnosed with lung cancer and are seeking world-class precision treatment in Shanghai, contact our team for a confidential consultation.
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