On March 13, 2024, Professor Mitchell C. Posner from the University of Chicago was invited to visit PUMCH and deliver an academic lecture titled “Pancreatic Cancer at the University of Chicago: Current and Future State”. PUMCH Vice President Du Bin met with Prof. Posner and presented him with a certificate of appreciation. Prof. Posner was accompanied by James Bae, Director of Business Development - Programs & Emerging Markets, International Programs, UChicago Medicine.

In his lecture, Prof. Posner delved into the forefront applications of adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapies in resectable and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. He elucidated the latest clinical trials, including ESPAC5, NORPACT-1, and PREOPANC, providing insights into their outcomes and implications. Additionally, he introduced emerging therapeutic strategies, such as TCR-T cell therapy, highlighting their potential in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Prof. Posner emphasized the potential advantages of neoadjuvant therapy for patients with resectable pancreatic cancer and the importance of personalized treatment to cater to the unique biological characteristics and therapeutic needs of patients.

During the Q&A session, attendees engaged with Prof. Posner on various topics, including biomarkers and the selection of neoadjuvant therapies, sharing their questions and viewpoints. The lecture was moderated by Prof. Ba Yi, Director of the Department of Oncology at PUMCH.

As part of the “PUMCH International Master Forum”, this event was a great opportunity for academic exchange on pancreatic cancer treatment. The lecture attracted numerous experts, faculties, and students from various departments, including General Surgery, Oncology, Gastroenterology, Radiotherapy, and Pathology. The attendees lauded the “PUMCH International Master Forums” as a meaningful platform for keeping them up with international scientific and technological frontiers and sharing academic experience; the platform is thus crucial for promoting discipline development and raising the international profile of PUMCH.

Prof. Posner currently serves as Chief of Section of General Surgery, and Chief of Surgical Oncology at the University of Chicago. His principle clinical and research interests are focused on the management of upper gastrointestinal cancer, the molecular and genetic basis of gastrointestinal malignancy and oligometastases. Dr. Posner serves on the Editorial Board of the “Annals of Surgery”, “Surgery”, “The Journal of the American College of Surgeons” and the “American Journal of Surgery”. He is Deputy Editor of the “Annals of Surgical Oncology”. He is Section Editor of Education/Training for “Surgical Oncology Insight” and Section Editor of Gastrointestinal Diseases for the American Cancer Society journal “Cancer”.

Written by the International Collaboration Office, Pan Jiachun, and Lin Chen

Photographed by Sun Liang

Edited by Chen Xiao and Xiao Xiong

Translated by Liu Haiyan

Reviewed by Lin Chen and Wang Yao