Build a National-Level Discipline and Establish a First-Class Gastroenterology Specialty

——A Chronicle of the Construction of the National Key Discipline in Gastroenterology at Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital

On the vast lands of western China, a practice dedicated to public health has been deeply cultivated for two decades. The Gastroenterology Department of Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital has steadily advanced from a regional diagnosis and treatment center toward the establishment of a national key discipline. This journey, forged with "technological breakthroughs" as its blade, "talent aggregation" as its foundation, and "model innovation" as its soul, has culminated in the "Wuwei Model," benefiting millions of people.

In the landscape of gastrointestinal disease prevention and treatment in western China, through two decades of perseverance, continuous innovation, and a commitment to public welfare, the department has built a comprehensive system spanning from clinical diagnosis and treatment to early cancer prevention and control. It has not only become a regional medical hub but also provided replicable western experience for grassroots cancer prevention and treatment nationwide.

Technology Establishes the Discipline: Securing Status Through Cutting-Edge Breakthroughs

Technological innovation serves as the core driving force for the development of the discipline. As a key discipline in Gansu Province, the Department of Gastroenterology has consistently led regional technological advancements with "minimally invasive" and "precision" as its dual pillars, achieving multiple milestone records:

In 2023, the department successfully performed an endoscopic transcecal appendectomy, pioneering a new minimally invasive approach for appendicitis treatment in the province. In 2024, it completed Gansu’s first robot-assisted endoscopic transanal appendectomy without abdominal wall scars. In 2025, the department reached new heights by overcoming technical challenges such as dual-endoscopy (gastroscopy + laparoscopy) radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer and performing Gansu’s first endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD). These achievements have established a comprehensive minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment system covering early-stage gastrointestinal cancers and complex diseases.

Solid clinical data serves as the strongest testament to technical prowess: Leveraging a major national medical reform initiative, gastric cancer screening has been fully implemented. The incidence of gastric cancer in Wuwei City has decreased by nearly 50% compared to 2006, with a significant reduction in mortality, allowing tens of thousands of residents to regain their health through early diagnosis and treatment.

For eight consecutive years, the department has maintained the top position in both the volume and rate of painless endoscopic examinations and treatments province-wide. The detection rate of upper gastrointestinal cancers and the volume of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) procedures have consistently ranked first among hospitals at all levels in the province. Moreover, the department has earned the prestigious title of "National Champion in Endoscopy-Pathology Integrated Diagnosis and Treatment Competition" on an authoritative national platform.

Cutting-edge hardware platforms provide robust support for technological innovation: The facility boasts two modern endoscopy centers and 15 standard treatment rooms, equipped with nearly 20 suspended Olympus endoscopy systems and over 50 high-end endoscopes, including ultrasonic endoscopes, small bowel endoscopes, and Spyglass choledochoscopes. At the same time, more than 300 internationally advanced devices, such as the domestically produced first Toumai four-arm surgical robot and Gansu Province's first super-iterative PET-CT, collectively form a leading precision diagnosis and treatment equipment cluster in western China.

Talent Strengthens the Discipline: Building a High-Level, International Team

The leap of the discipline is inseparable from the support of top-tier talent. Focusing on the strategic needs of prevention and treatment in Wuwei as a national high-incidence area for gastric cancer, the hospital has built a core team with an optimized structure and a reasonable talent gradient.

The leading force includes a gastroenterology team spearheaded by a large number of senior experts with professional titles, such as Chief Physician Zhang Zhiyi (a leading talent in the Gansu health system, a leading talent in Wuwei City, founder of the Gastroenterology Department at Wuwei Tumor Hospital, chief expert of the department, and director of the Endoscopy Center); Chief Physician Wu Zhengqi (a leading talent in Gansu Province, an advanced worker in Gansu Province, and the academic leader); Chief Physician Lu Linzhi (Chairman of the Wuwei Digestive Diseases Committee); Chief Physician Zhang Wenhong (Master of Medicine); Deputy Chief Physician Zhao Guangyuan (Master of Medicine); Deputy Chief Physician Li Shihua; Deputy Chief Physician Liu Jindian (Master of Medicine); and Deputy Chief Physician Xie Chunfang.

The addition of international experts has injected new vitality into the department. Professor Kohei Takizawa, a renowned Japanese gastroenterology specialist, has been appointed as a distinguished professor. Over the next three years, he will regularly work at the hospital, providing continuous hands-on training and technical guidance to support the development of the gastroenterology department as a national key specialty, while also driving the optimization and advancement of heavy-ion therapy for digestive system tumors.

Professor Kohei Takizawa from the Cancer Center of Kanagawa Prefectural Hospital, Japan

The multidisciplinary collaboration model is becoming increasingly mature. With the cooperation of numerous senior digestive surgery experts, including Chief Physician Nie Peng, Vice President of the hospital; Chief Physician Chen Hongbing; Chief Physician Teng Tingpeng; Deputy Chief Physician Li Shigong; Deputy Chief Physician Tao Jichun; Deputy Chief Physician Wang Jihong; Deputy Chief Physician Wang Jisheng; and Deputy Chief Physician Su Fade, a multidisciplinary and rationally structured "talent system" has been formed, providing solid support for the diagnosis and treatment of complex diseases.

Patient-Centered Model: Forging the Replicable "Wuwei Model"

As a national demonstration base for the early diagnosis and treatment of upper gastrointestinal cancers, nearly two decades of practice have forged the highly effective "Wuwei Model." Since the screening program was launched in 2006 with the support of experts from Beijing Friendship Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, this model has deeply integrated research and clinical practice. Leveraging five national and provincial platforms, including the National Ministry of Health Base for Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastric Cancer and the Gansu Provincial Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, it has directly translated research achievements, such as the "promotion and application of sequential screening for gastric cancer," into tangible benefits for millions of people.

Currently, the focus is on pioneering research in cutting-edge fields such as low-dose radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy. Multiple clinical studies have received national and provincial funding and have completed international registration, continuously driving the advancement of the integrated system for "prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and research."

Discipline Refinement: Perfecting the System to Build a Professional Brand

As a National Endoscopy Training Base, a Biobank Branch of Xijing Hospital, and the Wuwei Branch of the China Helicobacter Pylori Molecular Medicine Center, the institution has established a sub-specialty system covering key areas such as upper/lower gastrointestinal tumors, inflammatory bowel disease, and functional gastrointestinal disorders, enabling refined and comprehensive lifecycle management of diseases.

The technological leadership continues to strengthen. A series of high-precision techniques, including ESD, POEM, EUS-FNA, ERCP, and Spyglass choledochoscopy, are routinely performed, with a focus on integration and original innovation. Over the past three years, nine new technologies and projects have been successfully introduced within the institution, many of which have filled gaps in the province.

Significant achievements have been made in the coordinated development of science and education. The department has undertaken numerous national, provincial, and municipal research projects, producing a substantial volume of high-quality papers and patents, thereby enabling research to drive clinical advancements. Leveraging its training base, the department actively organizes provincial continuing education programs to cultivate talent at the grassroots level. Through extensive academic exchanges, it shares the "Wuwei experience" and technical standards, profoundly influencing the northwest region and establishing itself as one of the leaders in regional diagnosis and treatment protocols.

Looking ahead, the Gastroenterology Department of Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital has set the establishment of a national key discipline as its new milestone, steadfastly fulfilling its core mission: "Detecting one cancer early, saving one life, and bringing happiness to one family." By continuously strengthening technological leadership, deepening talent cultivation, optimizing patient-centered models, and enhancing scientific research and innovation, the hospital will further consolidate its leading position in the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases in western China. This will allow the "Wuwei Model" to shine even brighter, contributing indispensable western strength to the in-depth implementation of the Healthy China strategy.

● Key Discipline of Gansu Province;  

● First Prize in the National Endoscopy-Pathology Integrated Diagnosis and Treatment Competition;  

● Ranked first in Gansu Province for eight consecutive years in both the number of painless endoscopies performed and the painless endoscopy examination rate;  

● Highest detection rate of upper gastrointestinal cancer among all hospitals in Gansu Province;  

● Largest volume of ESD procedures in Gansu Province;  

● Nationally leading in equipment and diagnostic and treatment capabilities, having completed Gansu’s first robot-assisted endoscopic transanal appendectomy without abdominal wall scars and Gansu’s first endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD);  

● Boasts a large team of senior professional experts led by Chief Physician Zhang Zhiyi (a leading talent in the Gansu health system, founder of the Gastroenterology Department at Wuwei Cancer Hospital, and Director of the Endoscopy Center), Chief Physician Wu Zhengqi (Chief Expert of Gastroenterology and Academic Leader), and Chief Physician Lu Linzhi (Chairperson of the Wuwei Digestive Diseases Committee);  

● Home to the National Ministry of Health Base for Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastric Cancer, the National Ministry of Health Endoscopy Training Base for Gastroenterology, the Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Diseases, the Wuwei Branch of the Shanghai Molecular Medicine Center for Helicobacter Pylori in China, and the Wuwei Branch of the Xijing Biobank;  

● The Gastroenterology Department is currently actively working to establish itself as a national key discipline and build a demonstration base in western China.