From June 9 to 12, 2025, an oncology expert team from Mass General Brigham, a world-leading academic medical center in the United States, visited The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (ZJU4H) for a four-day program of academic exchanges and clinical assessment. This visit represents a milestone implementation following the signing of the strategic cooperation agreement between the two sides this February, marking a key step forward in ZJU4H’s journey toward building an international hospital.

The visiting delegation boasts a strong lineup, consisting of core specialists covering the full chain of oncology diagnosis and treatment, as well as senior hospital management experts, fully reflecting the high priority attached to this collaboration.

As one of the oldest and most influential academic medical systems in the United States, Mass General Brigham encompasses several world-renowned medical institutions, including Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, both top-ranked research hospitals across multiple specialties in the U.S. Its cancer center consistently ranks among the leading cancer centers nationwide.

World-Class Team Visits to Empower Disciplinary Development with Global Vision

The delegation from Mass General Brigham can be described as an all-star lineup, with each member highly acclaimed in their respective fields:

Thoracic Surgery: Prof. Hugh Auchincloss, Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Newton-Wellesley Hospital; Associate Program Director, Massachusetts General Hospital General Surgery Residency Program, a leading authority in robotic thoracic surgery

Targeted & Immunotherapy: Prof. Justin Gainor, Program Director, Center for Thoracic Cancers; Director, Targeted Immunotherapy, leading research on resistance mechanisms of immune checkpoint inhibitors

Radiation Oncology: Prof. Shyam Tanguturi, Associate Clinical Director, Radiation Oncology; Director of Network Strategy and Development, Radiation Oncology, an expert in the treatment of central nervous system tumors

Clinical Trial Management: Ms. Shannon Himber, Administrative Director, Mass General Cancer Center Protocol Office, Massachusetts General Hospital, overseeing a system of more than 700 clinical trials and establishing standardized training for clinical research.

Healthcare Strategy & Management: Ms. Lucene Tong, Director

Mass General Brigham Global Advisory, with extensive experience in international medical cooperation, strategic planning and healthcare system optimization.

During the four-day visit, the expert team visited key departments of ZJU4H, including the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Oncology, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Nutrition, Rehabilitation, Radiology, Pharmacy, Ultrasound, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. They also toured the Clinical Skills Training Center of International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Lung Cancer, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Intelligent Design of RNA Drugs, and Zhejiang-Sweden Joint Laboratory of Cancer Immunology. The experts visited clinics, wards and operating rooms, observed on-site procedures and communicated face-to-face with medical staff.

Focusing on the theme of cancer center development, the delegation conducted in-depth exchanges with key disciplines including the Lung Cancer Center of ZJU4H through a combination of clinical observation and management interviews. They visited frontline clinical practice, observed multidisciplinary outpatient services for pulmonary nodules and inpatient MDT consultations, and discussed a patient-centered cross-disciplinary care model dedicated to delivering higher-quality and more efficient medical services.

Patient-Centered Care: A Collaborative Journey of Clinical Practice and Scientific Research

1. Difficult Case Conference

At the Respiratory Medicine Center, Chinese and American experts held in-depth discussions on multiple complex lung cancer cases. The Mass General Brigham team highly praised the closed-loop model of “precision diagnosis – individualized treatment – whole-process management” established by ZJU4H.

After observing case discussions, Prof. Justin Gainor commented:“The clinical pathways here are centered on patient outcomes. The efficiency and professionalism of multidisciplinary collaboration (MDT) are impressive, reflecting strong efforts to align with international standards.”

2. Surgical Exchange

As a leading authority in robotic thoracic surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, Prof. Hugh Auchincloss went into the operating rooms of ZJU4H and observed uniportal thoracoscopic lung cancer resection performed by the Cardiothoracic Surgery team. He spoke highly of the efficiency and precision of Chinese surgeons, noting: “Such procedures are mostly performed with the da Vinci robotic system in the United States, yet your hospital’s conventional thoracoscopic techniques are equally mature and precise, demonstrating extraordinary teamwork.” The two sides compared differences in thoracic surgical approaches between China and the United States, and further discussed minimally invasive technique optimization and surgical procedure standardization.

3. Technical Benchmarking

Prof. Shyam Tanguturi visited the Radiation Oncology Center and acknowledged its rapid development and achievements. He stated: “Completing the construction of a radiation oncology center in such a short timeframe reflects the team’s strong execution and coordination.” Both sides plan to continue exchanges and cooperation in cutting-edge fields including adaptive radiotherapy and proton therapy.

4. Scientific Research Management

Ms. Shannon Himber expressed that she was deeply impressed by the clinical research infrastructure and management system at ZJU4H. She looked forward to supporting the development of ZJU4H’s research system and helping build a highly efficient and collaborative clinical research team.

International Accreditation: ZJU4H’s Global Competence

At the summary meeting, MGB team and ZJU4H held in-depth discussions on disciplinary development, clinical services and technological advancement, and shared practical experience in technology and resource integration.

Through multidisciplinary collaboration, the Lung Cancer Center of ZJU4H integrates core resources from Respiratory Medicine, Thoracic Surgery, Oncology and other departments to build an integrated platform of “diagnosis & treatment – research – translation”. Technically, precision medicine, immunotherapy and minimally invasive surgery keep pace with international frontiers. In addition, the hospital has built an elite team with global vision and local expertise. Through in-depth cooperation with world-class institutions, it continuously introduces premium international medical resources to provide first-class services for patients.

In her address, Ms. Lucene Tong, Director of Global Collaborations at Mass General Brigham, stated:“Through this exchange, we have witnessed the efforts and potential of ZJU4H in discipline integration, technological advancement and talent development. We look forward to further in-depth cooperation and knowledge sharing in the future.”

Future Outlook: From Yiwu to the World

Prof. Wang Kai, Chairman of ZJU4H, emphasized in his concluding speech: “This strategic cooperation with Mass General Brigham is not only a high-level academic and clinical exchange, but also an in-depth alignment of clinical philosophies and international standards. We will take this exchange as an opportunity to promote homogeneous development of cancer diagnosis and treatment with the world’s top institutions.”

Prof. Wang extended sincere gratitude to the expert team from MGB: “Thank you for your professional guidance and in-depth exchanges, through which we have built a profound friendship. We have not only learned world-class medical concepts, but also look forward to further deepening cooperation in the future, carrying out more practical collaboration in medical technology, scientific innovation and talent training in lung cancer and oncology. Through joint efforts, we will surely make greater contributions to improving cancer diagnosis and treatment and benefiting human health.”