Events
Inaugural Lecture of Li Shu Fan Medical Foundation Professorship in Clinical Oncology by Professor Tony S K Mok on "Declaration of War Against Lung Cancer"
11 Mar 2014
5:00 pm
威爾斯親王醫院賽馬會公共衞生及基層醫療學院一樓逸夫講學堂
Shaw Auditorium, 1/F, The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Prince of Wales Hospital
Professor Tony S K Mok was trained at the University of Alberta and subsequently completed a fellowship in medical oncology at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Canada. After working as a community oncologist in Toronto for 7 years, he returned to Hong Kong in 1996 to pursue an academic career. He is now a Professor in the Department of Clinical Oncology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
His main research interest focuses on biomarker and molecular targeted therapy in lung cancer. He co-founded the Lung Cancer Research Group, and has led a number of important multinational clinical trials, which include the IRESSA Pan-Asia Study (IPASS), a landmark study that established the role of first-line gefitinib in patients with EGFR mutation.
He is active and experienced in serving academic societies. He is President of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), Former Chair of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) International Affairs Committee, Chairman of the Hong Kong Cancer Therapy Society and Vice President of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO). He is closely affiliated with the oncology community in China, and has received an Honorary Professorship at Guangdong Province People’s Hospital, a Guest Professorship at Peking University School of Oncology and a Visiting Professorship at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Professor Mok is the recipient of the 2013 Addario Lectureship Award bestowed by The Bonnie J Addario Lung Cancer Foundation at the 14th International Lung Cancer Congress, in recognition of his pioneering efforts in lung cancer research to combat cancer.
Professor Mok has contributed to over 180 articles in international peer review journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Science, Lancet and Journal of Clinical Oncology, and contributed to multiple editorials and textbooks. He is an Associate Editor of Journal of Clinical Oncology and Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology. He has also authored six books in Chinese and hosted three television series in Hong Kong.
3943 8677
Fighting cancer is like fighting a war. But unfortunately we have been losing the battle against lung cancer for many years. Global casualties from lung cancer mounted to 1 million in 2011. Only in recent years, with the development of molecular targeted therapy, have we begun to gain some ground in this tough fight. We are equipped with new armament but the question now is how we can win the war.
Ancient wisdom from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War provides guidance: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” For many decades we have wrongly addressed lung cancer as single entity illness. By understanding the molecular profile of each individual lung cancer, we are capable of targeting the tumor successfully. The best example of this is the discovery of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutation, and the establishment of EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI) as the standard first line treatment for patients harbouring the mutation. The same concept is re-confirmed in patients with ELM4-ALK translocation mutation, and hopefully there will be many more incidences in future. Standing on this winning ground, we can also manage to optimize treatment for patients with known driver oncogene by sophisticated detection, strategy on combination therapy and combating resistance.
Sun Tzu also taught that: “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” There is little doubt that a lot of resources are being put into lung cancer research. However, our progress is severely limited by the “me too” and “me better” strategies. In this war against lung cancer, all parties with a stake in it including doctors, patients, families, advocates, researchers, pharmaceutical companies and governments must join hands and develop novel strategies in research and care delivery. Only with such an effort will we eventually be the victors.
The Lecture will be conducted in English
