Establishing a National Key Discipline: Pioneering a New Chapter in Gastroenterology
Establishing a National Key Discipline: Pioneering a New Chapter in Gastroenterology
Editor's Note: In an era of rapid advancements in medical technology, the Department of Gastroenterology at Wuwei Cancer Hospital in Gansu Province has been writing a glorious chapter in safeguarding public health with its outstanding technical expertise and relentless innovative spirit.
On December 27, 2024, the department outperformed competitors nationwide and clinched the first prize in the National Upper Gastrointestinal Early Cancer Endoscopy-Pathology Competition. In 2023, the team successfully pioneered the endoscopic transcecal appendectomy technique. The following year, they achieved another milestone by completing Gansu’s first robot-assisted endoscopic transanal appendectomy without abdominal scarring, breaking new ground in minimally invasive surgery. By 2025, they had made consecutive breakthroughs in dual endoscopic-laparoscopic radical gastrectomy and endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD), setting new benchmarks in digestive disease diagnosis and treatment.
For eight consecutive years, the department has led the province in both the volume and rate of painless endoscopic procedures, while maintaining the highest detection rate for upper gastrointestinal cancers in the region. Currently, the team is setting its sights on becoming a national key discipline, charting a new vision for digestive healthcare in western China and embarking on a fresh journey to protect lives with unwavering determination.
Talent Aggregation Strengthens the Foundation
As a key region in China with a high incidence of gastric cancer, Wuwei has long prioritized cultivating top-tier medical professionals. Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital has placed great emphasis on nurturing digestive disease specialists, meticulously building a highly skilled, precise, and trusted gastrointestinal oncology team.
The department now boasts a highly credentialed gastroenterology team, led by:
Dr. Zhang Zhiyi – Chief Physician, founder of the hospital’s Gastroenterology Department, Director of the Endoscopy Center, and a leading medical expert in Gansu’s healthcare system.
Dr. Wu Zhengqi – Chief Physician (First-Class), the department’s principal specialist and academic leader, recognized as a Gansu Provincial Leading Talent and Model Worker.
Dr. Lu Linzhi – Chief Physician and Chairman of Wuwei’s Digestive Diseases Committee.
Dr. Zhang Wenhong (MD, Master of Medicine), Dr. Zhao Guangyuan (MD, Master of Medicine), Dr. Li Shihua, Dr. Liu Jindian (MD, Master of Medicine), and Dr. Xie Chunfang – all Associate Chief Physicians, forming the core of the team.
This team is further strengthened by close collaboration with digestive surgery experts, including:
Dr. Nie Peng (Chief Physician, Vice President of Wuwei Cancer Hospital)
Dr. Chen Hongbing, Dr. Teng Tingpeng (Chief Physicians)
Dr. Li Shigong, Dr. Tao Jichun, Dr. Wang Jihong, Dr. Wang Jisheng, and Dr. Su Fade (Associate Chief Physicians)
Together, they have established a multidisciplinary, well-structured talent system, ensuring comprehensive and cutting-edge digestive disease care.
Equipment "Upgraded" and Technology "Advanced"
A craftsman must sharpen his tools to do his work well. Wuwei Cancer Hospital is equipped with two endoscopy centers and 15 examination rooms, featuring nearly 20 suspended Olympus endoscopy systems, over 50 various endoscopes, and a complete range of small bowel endoscopes, ultrasonic endoscopes, staining and magnifying endoscopes. The Digestive Disease Hospital Area currently has eight standard gastroenteroscopy rooms. It is outfitted with the first domestically produced Toumai four-arm surgical robot in China, the first super-iterative PET-CT in Gansu Province, and over 300 pieces of equipment such as the dynamic 500-slice gemstone spectral CT. Additionally, it has more than 10 various types of laparoscopes, including the STORZ·HD full high-definition laparoscope and the high-definition 3D fluorescence laparoscope, as well as 40 endoscopes such as the Olympus CV-290 and ultrasonic endoscopes.
The hospital has ranked first in Gansu Province for both the number of painless gastroenteroscopies and the examination rate for eight consecutive years. It also won first place in the national endoscopic-pathological joint diagnosis and treatment technology competition and leads all levels of hospitals in Gansu in the detection rate of upper gastrointestinal cancer. Currently, the hospital has performed Gansu's first robot-assisted endoscopic transanal appendectomy without abdominal scarring and the province's first endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD). It routinely conducts clinical surgeries assisted by surgical robots, routine examinations with ultrasonic endoscopes, and various punctures and treatments under ultrasonic endoscope guidance, including EMR, ESD, ERCP, STER, esophageal and gastric variceal sclerosis and ligation, dilation and stent placement for benign and malignant digestive tract strictures, peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), and more. The volume of ESD treatments ranks first in the province.
"The Department of Gastroenterology performs an average of over 20,000 gastroscopies and 4,000 colonoscopies annually," said Li Shihua, Director of the Fifth Department of Digestive Medicine at Wuwei Cancer Hospital.
The "Wuwei Model" Benefits Millions of Households
Since 2006, with the full support of Professor Yu Zhonglin and Professor Huang Xiaojun from Beijing Friendship Hospital, the national medical reform major project "Early Diagnosis and Early Treatment of Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer in Rural Areas" has been implemented in Wuwei. After nearly two decades of dedicated effort, remarkable progress has been achieved. The initiative has not only successfully curbed the rising incidence and mortality rates of gastric cancer but also achieved a significant dual decline in both. It has become a beacon of hope for countless patients, offering them a renewed chance at life in the face of despair.
The "Wuwei Model" for upper gastrointestinal cancer prevention has long benefited over one million residents in Wuwei. Through the "Three Earlys" (early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment) approach, residents have proactively improved their living environments, adjusted dietary and lifestyle habits, and actively participated in large-scale early screening programs organized by hospitals. Thanks to years of persistent efforts in implementing the "Three Earlys" strategy, Wuwei has achieved a significant dual reduction in gastric cancer incidence and mortality rates compared to 2006, with the incidence rate dropping to half of what it was two decades ago.
Additionally, the Department of Gastroenterology has completed national projects such as the "Demonstration of Prevention and Control Models in High-Risk Areas of Malignant Tumors in Wuwei" under the National Science and Technology Benefiting the People Program and the "Prospective Evaluation Study on Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Screening" under the National Public Welfare Industry Special Project. It has also led key national research initiatives, including the "Establishment of a Standardized Large Gastric Cancer Cohort and Its Usability Study" and the "Validation and Application of Biomarkers for Digestive Tract Tumor Diagnosis and Treatment," as well as Gansu Province’s key research project, "Study on Genetic Factors of Gastric Cancer in Wuwei Using Gene Detection Technology."
Through leading and participating in provincial and municipal research projects such as the "Promotion and Application of Sequential Screening for Gastric Cancer" and the "Clinical Application of Covered Mesh Esophageal Stent Placement," Wuwei has reduced the incidence of upper gastrointestinal cancer by nearly half, saving countless lives from cancer. Tens of thousands of early-stage upper gastrointestinal cancer patients have been able to return to work and enjoy a fulfilling life.
"As an implementation unit of the National Health Ministry's Early Diagnosis and Treatment Program for Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers, we have screened over 100,000 rural residents since 2006, detecting more than 1,500 cases of gastric and esophageal cancers. Among these, early-stage cancers accounted for over 75%, and all these patients received effective treatment," said Wu Zhengqi, Chief Digestive Specialist and Academic Leader at Wuwei Cancer Hospital.
● Key Discipline of Gansu Province;
● First Prize in the National Endoscopy-Pathology Joint Diagnosis and Treatment Technology Competition;
● Ranked first in Gansu for both the annual volume of painless endoscopies and painless endoscopy examination rate for eight consecutive years;
● Highest detection rate of upper gastrointestinal cancers among all hospitals in Gansu;
● Leading the province in ESD (Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection) treatment volume;
● Nationally advanced equipment and diagnostic capabilities, having performed Gansu's first robot-assisted endoscopic transanal scarless appendectomy and the province's first endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD);
● Boasts a high-level professional team led by renowned experts, including:
Dr. Zhang Zhiyi, Chief Physician, founding director of the Department of Gastroenterology at Wuwei Cancer Hospital, director of the Endoscopy Center, and leading talent in Gansu's healthcare system;
Dr. Wu Zhengqi, Chief Physician, senior specialist and academic leader in gastroenterology
Dr. Lu Linzhi, Chief Physician, chairman of the Wuwei Digestive Diseases Committee;
● Designated as:
National Health Ministry Base for Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastric Cancer;
National Health Ministry Training Base for Digestive Endoscopy Technology;
Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Diseases
Wuwei Branch of the Shanghai Molecular Medicine Center for Helicobacter pylori (China);
Wuwei Branch of the Xijing Biological Specimen Bank;
● Currently striving to establish a national key discipline and build a model demonstration base in Western China.