Insights and developments in Oncology and Andrology from a Chinese perspective
Professors James N’Dow (GB), Yeong-Shiau (TW) and Li-Qun Zhou (CN) were delighted to chair the Joint Session of the EAU and the World Chinese Urologists, providing Chinese-speaking urologists with a stage to discuss a wide range of topics.
Three oncological topics were highlighted: 1. advancing the diagnosis techniques for urological cancer in order to improve treatment outcomes, 2. Chinese urological cancer registries, and 3. the need for patient engagement in urological cancer care.
In terms of cancer diagnosis, Dr. See Tong Pang (TW) noted that current conventional approaches all have limitations in detecting genitourinary cancers. In PCa, PSA is used as a screening tool, but causes several problems, e.g. false positive and false negative percentages, and in BCa, cytology is used as a screening tool, but lacks the sensitivity to detect cancer. The same poor sensitivity is seen in kidney cancer detection. The genomic background of cancer can play a more differentiating role taking into account a new diagnostic strategy based on nanotechnology with biomarkers. The development of a CMX biochip is a novel way of increasing detection sensitivity up to 80%, which can reduce unnecessary biopsies and may lead to accurate, rapid, non-invasive and low-cost detection methods.
A colleague of Dr. Ren Shancheng (CN) delivered his contribution on registries. There are nine consortiums in China covering a wide range of oncological publications and data. The shared database includes over 20,000 cases and contains clinical guidelines. China’s vastness provides a unique opportunity to study different kinds of cancers and the final data will improve the care of Chinese patients.
The need for patient engagement is important in developing guidelines, according to Ms Karin Plass (NL), EAU Guidelines Office Manager. Organisations such as the EMA, FDA, and NHS have set up full patient engagement programmes. Having patients as partners in healthcare may result in better patient outcomes and improved quality and safety. Patients want valid and trustworthy information from reliable sources such as EAU Patient Information and the EMA.
In the field of andrology, two speakers got to the stage: Prof. Chen Yu (TW) on “Penile Augmentation: The role of urologists in Taiwan”, and Mr. Suks Sukhbinder Minhas (GB) on “Penile curvature surgery: European perspectives”.
Prof. Chen Yu (TW) discussed rare cases where genetic and hormonal problems can cause a condition called micropenis; an erect penis of less than 7 cm. In Taiwan, penile augmentation is mostly performed by plastic surgeons who are well-trained in managing penile tissues using high-tech methods such as Da Vinci robotic Xi surgical systems.
Mr. Suks Sukhbinder Minhas (GB) presented the European perspective on penile curvature surgery. Peyronie’s Disease (PD) requires a therapeutic strategy. Its instance varies from 1-3%: acute phasic and chronic. PD is not a rare condition, but is associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Patient satisfaction rates vary between 60-80%. Treatment should be performed very carefully, with the patient being fully informed.