Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital

Hallym University Medical Center (HUMC) hosted the 9th Hallym-Columbia-Weill Cornell-NYP Symposium in the Auditorium of Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym’s 6th Hospital in Hwaseong on October 30, 2012. Under the theme, 'Novel Anti-cancer Treatment Modalities for Gastrointestinal Cancer,’ medical experts from the U.S. and Korea shared thought on three topics: Gastric Cancer; Pancreas and Biliary Cancer; and Colorectal Cancer.

Among the American experts who participated in the symposium were Dr. John A. Chabot, professor of clinical surgery, Columbia University, Dr. Alfred I. Neugut, professor of medicine and epidemiology, Columbia University, Dr. Simon K. Cheng, assistant professor of radiation oncology, Columbia University, and Dr. Manish A. Shah, associate professor of medicine, Cornell University.

As the western diet boosts gastrointestinal cancer risk and the incidence of gastrointestinal cancer increases every year, active discussions about the prevention and treatment of the diseases are going on in the world medical circles. In this sense, this symposium was an excellent chance to discuss new therapies of the disease.

Meanwhile, the specific programs including topics and speakers are as follows:

■ Session 1: GASTRIC CANCER
1. Surgical Strategy
- Sung Hoon Noh, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Korea
2. Minimal Invasive Surgery
- Ji-Woong Cho, Hallym University College of Medicine, Korea
3. Optimizing Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Gastric Cancer
- Dae Young Zang, Hallym University College of Medicine, Korea
4. Gastric Cancer Subtypes and Implications for Drug Development
- Manish A. Shah, Weill Cornell Medical College, USA
5. Targeted Therapy of Gastric Cancer
- Yung-Jue Bang, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea

■ Session 2: PANCREAS AND BILIARY CANCER
1. Multimodality Care for Pancreatic Cancer
- John A. Chabot, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, USA
2. Chemotherapy in Pancreas and Biliary Cancer
- Geundoo Jang, Hallym University College of Medicine, Korea
3. Advancing Radiation Approaches in Pancreas Cancer
- Simon K. Cheng, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, USA

■ Session 3: COLORECTAL CANCER
1. Rectal Cancer, Surgical Strategy
- Bong Hwa Lee, Hallym University College of Medicine, Korea
2. Adjuvant Therapy for Colon Cancer
- Alfred I. Neugut, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, USA
3. Palliative Chemotherapy
- Jung Han Kim, Hallym University College of Medicine, Korea

Since Hallym signed an international affiliation agreement with Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2002 and Weill Cornell Medical College and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in 2004, it has actively promoted international collaboration with the world’s top universities such as Uppsala University in Sweden, the University of Oulu in Finland, the University of Padova in Italy, and Nagasaki University, Nagoya City University and Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine in Japan.

By Younghee Han, Int’l Operations Team, HUMC (symposium@hallym.or.kr)