Medical Library | Shanghai Oncology and Innovative Treatment Series
Renji Hospital, affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, is a major academic center for gastrointestinal medicine, hepatobiliary surgery, liver transplantation, liver cancer research, and breast surgery. Its programs connect clinical care with microbiome science, transplant surgery, molecular screening, immunotherapy research, and complex oncologic operations.
This Medical Library review examines four representative teams and research directions based on the 2025–2026 information provided. It also explains how CMCS can help international patients prepare their records and communicate with Shanghai specialists when considering innovative treatment.
1. Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Cancer: Mapping the Gut Microbiome–Cancer Connection
Lead: Academician Fang Jingyuan
Focus: Colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, gut microbiota, and chemoprevention.
Cancer prevention and treatment are increasingly being studied through the interaction between human cells and the microbial ecosystem in the gut. The Renji gastrointestinal program has developed a broad translational approach that moves from microbial mechanisms to prevention strategies and early detection. Patients looking for general background can also read our Gastrointestinal Surgery in Shanghai Medical Library guide.
Key 2025–2026 milestones
- Cross-kingdom microbial interaction: Research published in Cancer Cell in February 2026 examined how the interaction between Candida albicans and Fusobacterium nucleatum may promote colorectal cancer.
- Immune resistance: Work published in Cell Host & Microbe in 2026 investigated how succinate produced by Fusobacterium nucleatum may contribute to immune resistance in colorectal cancer.
- Long-term chemoprevention: Follow-up data on berberine after treatment discontinuation were reported to show continued prevention of adenoma recurrence for at least six years.
The distinctive feature of this program is the continuity of its translational pathway. Rather than treating the microbiome as a separate research topic, the work attempts to connect microbial mechanisms with cancer risk, immune response, prevention, and early diagnosis.
What the microbiome findings mean for patients
Microbiome research may eventually help identify people at higher risk, explain why some tumors resist immunotherapy, or support preventive interventions. However, a research association does not automatically mean that a commercial microbiome test or supplement can predict an individual's cancer risk or replace standard screening.
Patients should ask whether a proposed microbiome test is clinically validated, whether it changes a treatment decision, and whether the intervention has been evaluated in the same disease and patient population. Berberine or any other preventive agent should also be discussed with a physician because supplements can affect medication absorption, liver function, blood sugar, and drug interactions.
Team profile: A systematic gut microbiome–cancer program linking mechanism, chemoprevention, immune resistance, and early-detection research.
2. Liver Surgery and Transplantation: Combining Complex Surgery with International Collaboration
Lead: Professor Xia Qiang
Focus: Pediatric and adult liver transplantation, liver cancer downstaging, and transplantation after tumor response.
Liver transplantation and advanced liver surgery require highly coordinated care before, during, and after the operation. Patient selection may involve tumor burden, vascular involvement, liver function, age, organ availability, infection risk, and the response to systemic or locoregional treatment. Our related Renji Hospital liver transplantation guide provides additional patient-oriented background.
Key 2025–2026 milestones
- Remote robotic surgery: In June 2026, the team completed a 5G remote, domestically produced robot-assisted resection of a giant liver tumor across a reported distance of 5,000 kilometers.
- International collaboration: The team collaborated with René Bernards' group on a new liver cancer treatment strategy.
The program is described as having global leadership in both surgical volume and pediatric liver transplantation, while increasingly focusing on post-transplant immune regulation and cross-border research collaboration.
Why downstaging and transplantation require specialist review
Some liver cancer patients are initially outside conventional transplant criteria because of tumor size, number, distribution, vascular invasion, or extrahepatic disease. In carefully selected cases, treatment may reduce tumor burden or improve disease control sufficiently to reopen a surgical or transplant discussion. This is sometimes referred to as downstaging.
Downstaging is not a guaranteed route to transplantation. It requires repeated imaging, tumor-marker assessment, liver-function testing, evaluation of treatment response, and review by a multidisciplinary team. After transplantation, immunosuppression must also be balanced against infection risk, rejection, and the possibility of tumor recurrence.
Patients should ask whether a proposed transplant pathway is within accepted criteria, how response will be assessed, what happens if the disease progresses while waiting, and which long-term monitoring and medication requirements will follow surgery.
Team profile: A high-volume liver surgery and transplantation program extending its expertise into remote robotic surgery, downstaging, post-transplant immune regulation, and international collaboration.
3. Liver Cancer Research: Identifying Molecular Drivers of Immune Escape
Leads: Professors Qin Wenxin and Wang Cun
Affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Oncology, affiliated with Renji Hospital
Focus: Immune escape in liver cancer, kinome screening, and treatment resistance.
Understanding why liver cancer avoids immune attack and becomes resistant to therapy is central to the development of more effective treatment. The research group is described as a target-discovery program that uses functional screening to identify molecules that may control tumor–immune interactions.
Key 2025–2026 milestones
- STK40 and immune escape: A study published in Cancer Cell in May 2026 identified STK40 as a key molecule in liver cancer immune evasion through in vivo CRISPR kinome screening.
- Research recognition: The program received the First Prize of the Shanghai Natural Science Award in 2025.
Kinome screening examines a broad group of protein kinases that regulate cell signaling. By combining in vivo CRISPR screening with immune-focused analysis, researchers can search for targets that may not be obvious from tumor-cell studies alone.
At this stage, a newly identified target is not automatically a clinically available medicine. Patients should distinguish among a laboratory target, a preclinical drug candidate, a clinical trial, and an approved treatment. The value of STK40 research will depend on further validation, the development of a safe targeted therapy, and evidence that targeting the pathway improves outcomes in patients.
For an overview of clinical liver cancer care in Shanghai, see our Liver Cancer Treatment in Shanghai Medical Library article.
Team profile: A target-discovery group using in vivo functional screening to investigate immune escape and treatment resistance in liver cancer.
4. Breast Surgery: Complex Tumor Resection and Neoadjuvant Downstaging
Lead: Professor Lu Jinsong
Focus: Breast cancer surgery, neoadjuvant treatment, and fertility preservation for younger patients.
Breast surgery increasingly requires a balance between complete tumor removal, reconstruction or body-image considerations, preservation of function, and the patient's future reproductive goals. Neoadjuvant treatment may reduce tumor size before surgery and can help doctors assess how the tumor responds to systemic therapy.
According to the information provided, the team completed resection of a 6.1-kilogram giant phyllodes tumor in August 2026. The program also continues to apply systematic neoadjuvant downstaging for selected breast cancer patients. A broader introduction to treatment pathways is available in our Breast Cancer Treatment in Shanghai Medical Library guide.
What patients should discuss before surgery
A giant or rapidly growing breast mass requires careful imaging, core-needle biopsy, assessment of its relationship with the skin and chest wall, and a surgical plan that considers both oncological safety and reconstruction. Phyllodes tumors are not managed in exactly the same way as typical breast carcinomas, so pathology review by an experienced breast pathology team is important.
For younger patients, fertility preservation should be discussed before chemotherapy or other treatments that may affect ovarian function. The appropriate plan may involve referral to a reproductive medicine specialist, ovarian reserve assessment, and discussion of whether treatment can be safely delayed for fertility preservation.
Team profile: A breast surgery program combining the management of highly complex tumors with neoadjuvant downstaging and attention to fertility-related needs in younger patients.
5. How to Interpret These Innovation Programs
The four Renji Hospital programs address different clinical questions:
- Gut microbiome research: how microbes may influence colorectal cancer risk, immune resistance, prevention, and early detection.
- Liver transplantation: how complex surgery, downstaging, remote technology, and post-transplant immune management may expand treatment options.
- Liver cancer target discovery: how functional screening can identify pathways involved in immune escape and treatment resistance.
- Breast surgery: how complex tumor resection and neoadjuvant treatment can be combined with fertility and quality-of-life considerations.
Patients should distinguish between a mechanistic publication, a preclinical discovery, a clinical trial, a surgical milestone, regulatory approval, and routine clinical availability. The fact that a treatment or technology is innovative does not by itself establish that it is suitable for every patient.
6. How CMCS Helps International Patients Discuss Innovative Treatment with Specialists
For an international patient considering cancer care or transplantation in Shanghai, the most useful first step is to match the medical question with the right specialist team. 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 pathology reports, imaging, laboratory results, genetic or molecular testing, operative notes, transplant records, previous medications, treatment responses, current symptoms, and questions from the patient and family. For overseas patients, the information can be arranged into a concise English medical summary to make the case easier for the Shanghai specialist to review.
CMCS can help patients prepare focused questions, including:
- Is the proposed treatment or operation appropriate for this diagnosis, stage, and treatment history?
- Is a microbiome, molecular, or functional screening test clinically validated and likely to change management?
- For liver cancer, could downstaging create a realistic surgical or transplant option?
- For transplantation, what are the selection criteria, medication requirements, monitoring schedule, and major risks?
- For a complex breast tumor, what pathology review, imaging, neoadjuvant treatment, reconstruction, or fertility-preservation planning is needed?
- Is the proposed therapy approved, part of a clinical trial, off-label, or still investigational?
- What alternatives have stronger evidence or a better balance of benefit and risk?
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 tests or records, clarify the follow-up plan, 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 select a medicine, transplant pathway, or operation. Its role is to help the patient bring complete information to the right specialist and ensure that indication, evidence, risks, alternatives, access, and monitoring are discussed clearly.
To learn more about oncology consultations and treatment coordination in Shanghai, contact CMCS:
Email: contract@medicalsh.com
WhatsApp: Contact CMCS on WhatsApp
Website: medicalsh.com
Conclusion
The Renji Hospital programs reviewed here show how modern cancer care is advancing through several connected routes: microbiome-based cancer research, complex liver surgery and transplantation, molecular target discovery, and individualized breast surgery. The common theme is the movement from a single intervention toward a more complete pathway that includes prevention, diagnosis, treatment selection, surgery, monitoring, and long-term follow-up.
For patients, the goal is not to pursue every new technology, but to determine which evidence-based option fits the diagnosis, stage, biology, previous treatment, health status, and personal goals. This article was prepared from the team and program information provided for editorial use. Research milestones, approval status, and clinical data 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.
0 則留言