Bastille's Feature｜From Research Bench to Clinical Frontline: HKUMed Reshapes How Future Doctors Tackle Cancer

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in Hong Kong and carries the highest mortality rate, not only locally but also globally. Professor Rina Hui, Director of the Centre for Cancer Medicine at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), said that cancer treatment is advancing at an unprecedented pace, with new breakthroughs emerging almost every fortnight. These include antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) that are often referred to as "smart chemotherapy", T-cell engagers, and bispecific antibodies, which combine two different antibodies.

With such rapid progress, the curriculum at HKU’s Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine (HKUMed) needs to keep pace. About a year and a half ago, the faculty launched an eight-month integrated cancer medicine course to equip medical students with the latest clinical cancer technologies.

Professor Rina Hui, Director of the Centre for Cancer Medicine at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), Photo by Bastille Post

Professor Hui told Bastille Post that, in Hong Kong, besides lung cancer, the most common cancers include colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer. But lung cancer remains the biggest challenge, since its mortality rate is higher than the other three combined.

She said that besides smoking, other risk factors for lung cancer include second‑hand smoke, the second largest contributor, as well as family history, air pollution, kitchen fumes, occupational exposure (e.g., asbestos and radon), and prior radiotherapy. Smoking, however, remains by far the leading cause.

EGFR Mutations Common in HK Lung Adenocarcinoma

Professor Hui noted that Hong Kong's smoking rate has dropped to 8.5%, according to the latest figures released by the Health Bureau in April. While smoking‑related cancers like small cell lung cancer and squamous cell carcinoma are declining, lung adenocarcinoma is increasing, with half of patients carrying EGFR mutations. "Knowing the cancer type and genetic status is the first step for effective treatment," she said.

She also emphasised that the earlier one quits smoking, the lower the risk of getting cancer. "Quitting need not be abrupt. Nicotine patches and chewing gum can serve as supportive aids. The essential step is to discard all cigarettes, eliminate temptation, and reframe quitting as a long‑term health investment," she advised.

Professor Hui suggested that lung cancer screening is essential for high‑risk individuals. Photo source: reference image

Lung Cancer Screening: Essential for High‑Risk Individuals

Last year, the government announced plans to commission local universities to conduct AI‑assisted lung cancer screening. Professor Hui said that HKU and CUHK are currently running relevant trials, given their importance.

"High‑risk people, like those aged 50 to 75, heavy smokers (30 pack‑years), and those exposed to second‑hand smoke, should get screened regularly," she said. "Taiwan offers a noteworthy approach, where they screen non‑smokers with a family history of lung cancer."

She acknowledged that free lung cancer screening for every individual in Hong Kong is unlikely to be feasible at this stage, due to the high costs involved. However, screening could be carried out through collaboration between the government and private healthcare providers, targeting high‑risk groups. "As I tell my patients, getting screened is like saving up to pay taxes. You're actually gaining in the long run. Early detection means better outcomes and lower treatment costs."

She said that lung cancer treatment regimens are becoming increasingly advanced. "Patients with genetic alterations can use targeted therapies; those without can benefit from immunotherapy, and survival rates have improved significantly." However, she also pointed out that lung cancer remains the world's "number one cancer killer", underscoring the urgent need for continued related research and clinical trials.

Recognising the rapid evolution of cancer treatment, HKUMed has launched an eight‑month integrated cancer medicine course starting in October 2024. Photo source: reference image

New Course to Train Future Doctors

Recognising the rapid evolution of cancer treatment, HKUMed has launched an eight‑month integrated cancer medicine course starting in October 2024, which is delivered in six cohorts per year, ensuring that future doctors stay abreast of the latest developments. "We bring together surgeons, researchers, public health experts, oncologists (including medical oncologists and radiation oncologists), pathologists, and radiologists to teach medical students the basics of immunotherapy, targeted therapies, smart chemotherapy, and radiation, so that no matter what field they go into, they'll be able to handle cancer patients when they see them," she said.

New Cancer Treatments Bring New Hope

Beyond well‑established immunotherapy, Professor Hui highlighted emerging treatments:

One is called Antibody‑Drug Conjugate (ADC), often referred to as "smart chemotherapy" or "missile‑guided chemotherapy." "The antibody carries the chemotherapy drug, entering cancer cells with precision like a missile. When the linker dissolves, it releases the drug directly into the cancer cells, killing them effectively," she explained.

She noted that ADCs have now been proven to benefit patients with stage IV metastatic cancer. Clinical trials are currently combining these drugs with immunotherapy, and data have already shown effectiveness in early‑stage triple‑negative breast cancer patients.

Another future trend in cancer treatment is bispecific antibodies, which combine two different antibodies with fewer side effects and a synergistic effect. For example, VEGF bispecific antibodies combine the dual mechanisms of immune checkpoint inhibitors and anti‑angiogenic therapy, and have already shown effectiveness in cancers such as lung and breast cancer. Combining two targeted drugs also results in fewer side effects and better treatment outcomes for lung cancer patients.

T‑Cell Engagers: A Breakthrough for Small Cell Lung Cancer

Professor Hui also mentioned a new treatment trend called T-cell engagers. "For example, a therapy targeting DLL3 on the surface of small cell lung cancer cells — on one side, it targets DLL3, and on the other side, it attracts the immune system's T-cells, which act like soldiers attacking the cancer cells together. This type of drug is already on the market and has been shown to improve overall survival in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer. Clinical trials are currently exploring its use in first-line treatment and for stage III patients," she explained.

However, she pointed out that targeted therapy remains a future priority. Since many cancers occur due to genetic alterations, if the genes driving cancer growth can be identified, targeted medications can be utilized and show improved therapeutic efficacy across various cancers. For example, 60% to 70% of breast cancers are hormone receptor-positive, and of those, 30% to 40% have PIK3CA gene mutations. "The corresponding targeted drugs are currently available in Hong Kong, but they are expensive. There is now a phase III clinical trial in which patients can use this type of medication for free, and may even have access to better new drugs. However, patients need to undergo genetic sequencing to confirm whether they have the corresponding genetic mutation before they can participate in the relevant trial," she said.

According to Professor Hui, since many cancers occur due to genetic alterations, if the genes driving cancer growth can be identified, targeted medications can be utilized and show improved therapeutic efficacy across various cancers. Photo by Bastille Post

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Dr. Karl Deisseroth spent hours fielding congratulatory calls after learning early Monday that he had won a Nobel Prize for medicine for helping to open a new field of brain science called optogenetics.

But it wasn't long before the California scientist asked for a break from all the attention for a more ordinary task: He needed to make school lunches for his children, who were asleep in the family home in Stanford, where their father had been speaking in the middle of the night with journalists and well-wishers.

Deisseroth, 54, shared this year’s medicine prize with two researchers in Germany for their work in optogenetics, a field that combines light with genes to switch on and off neurons in living brains.

A self-described night owl, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and Stanford University professor often works past midnight. After reviewing papers and emailing his students, he said he had just gone to lie down when he got the call from the Nobel Assembly in Stockholm.

“I almost felt as if I’d lost the power of forming words,” he told The Associated Press, “but I recovered after a minute or two.”

He regained speech quickly enough for remote interviews with AP science reporters. Speedy emails with the Stanford communications staff had helped put them in touch.

“No real sleep was achieved,” he said an hour after the announcement.

As the science reporters chatted with Deisseroth over the phone and Zoom, an AP photographer and videographer raced to his home in Stanford.

The photographer arrived around 3:30 a.m. to find Halloween decorations outside the home but just one light on inside. He was worried he had the wrong house before mustering the courage to knock on the door.

Dr. Michelle Monje-Deisseroth, the scientist's wife, answered and ushered the photographer into their home, where the Nobel winner was taking calls from the couch.

Monje-Deisseroth, an HHMI investigator and Stanford pediatric neuro-oncologist, was at his side when she wasn’t making coffee for the Stanford communications staff who had joined the celebration. Deisseroth was surprised to hear his work had been honored with a Nobel Prize, he told the AP, but his wife was not.

Deisseroth recounted the research he conducted with fellow Nobel winners Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel, and its real-world impact.

“For me, I’m a physician-scientist. I am a psychiatrist. I care about patients and my patients who have autism, who have depression,” he said. “I care about the hope that this brings. But I’m also a basic scientist, and I care about understanding this amazing organ, the brain, and how it works and how it integrates and computes and delivers all the things that make us human.”

As Deisseroth wrapped up the interviews, he told the Stanford staff he needed an hourlong break beginning at 6:30 a.m. His kids would be waking up, he said, and they would need lunches before leaving for school.

When one of the Stanford representatives wondered if the neighbors would mind all the late-night commotion, Monje-Deisseroth shrugged it off.

They live in faculty housing, she said. There are a lot of Nobels in the neighborhood.

__

Ramakrishnan reported from New York. Associated Press writers Stefanie Dazio in Berlin and Lauran Neergaard in Washington contributed to this report.

AP Nobel Prizes: https://apnews.com/hub/nobel-prizes

Karl Deisseroth, one of the three recipients of the 2026 Nobel Prize in medicine, poses for a photo on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Karl Deisseroth, one of the three recipients of the 2026 Nobel Prize in medicine, talks on his mobile at home on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Karl Deisseroth, one of the three recipients of the 2026 Nobel Prize in medicine, smiles at home on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Karl Deisseroth, one of the three recipients of the 2026 Nobel Prize in medicine, talks to his wife Michelle Monje-Deisseroth at home Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)