WEO participates in the 2024 Digestive Cancer and Digestive Disease conference at Zunyi, China

Prof. Hisao Tajiri, the WEO Past President, was invited to deliver a special lecture at the Digestive Cancer and Digestive Disease academic conference held at Zunyi, Guizhou Province, China, on 19–21 July 2024. More than 380 experts from China and Japan attended this meeting online and in-person. A total of 30 live endoscopic demonstrations were presented, and the latest advances were shared in 236 lectures. Topics covered included digestive cancers (including rare and neuroendocrine tumors), diseases of the hepatobiliary/pancreatic and autoimmune digestive systems, severe digestive, inflammatory bowel, and functional gastrointestinal diseases, and digestive endoscopy. More than 1000 doctors, nurses, and medical students attended the conference.

A highlight of this conference is the early digestive cancer session that has been held annually for 7 years, hosted jointly by the Gastroenterology Department of the Affiliated Hospital of the Zunyi Medical University of China and the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology of the Niigata University, Japan. The intensive collaboration between the two institutions has been established since 2018, and ranges from international basic research to specialist training in screening for early digestive cancer and to courses in ERCP. 

Lecturers and topics included:

• Hisao Tajiri, WEO President: “Future of endoscopic medicine – from the WEO perspective”
• DaiMing Fan, Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering: “Reverse thinking and integrative medicine”
• Chengwei Tang, President, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology: “Cold, how to deal with patients with cirrhosis?” 
• Jingyuan Fang, President Elect, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology: “Regulation of intestinal microecology to prevent colorectal cancer: basic and clinical research”
• Zhendong Jin, President Elect, Chinese Society of Digestive Endoscopy:” Progress of EUS diagnosis and treatment of digestive tumors”
• Yunsheng Yang, the 10th President, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology: “IBD database of The General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army”
• Shuji Terai, Director and Professor, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University: “Regenerative therapy for liver cirrhosis”
• Yutaka Saito, Director and Professor, Endoscopy Department, National Cancer Center Japan:  “Update on WEO consensus statement on complex polypectomy”
• Ken Ohata, Director and Professor, Division of Gastroenterology and Endoscopic Center, NTT Medical Center Tokyo: “ESD with the tunnel method”
• Kenichi Mizuno, Associate Professor and Director, Endoscopic Center, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University: "ESD training and training models”
• Biguang Tuo, conference Chairman, and Professor, Gastroenterology Department, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University: “Future of psychosomatic medicine”
• Xuemei Liu, conference Chairman, and Director, Gastroenterology Department, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, "Comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of gastric neoplastic lesions in the context of autoimmune atrophic gastritis”

Professor Tajiri commented:

“The Zunyi 2024 Digestive Cancer and Digestive Disease academic conference is recognized as an outstanding GI medicine event in China.

I am very honored to represent WEO in delivering the special lecture on the “Future of endoscopic medicine – from WEO's perspective.”

It is my belief that a conference such as this one is very useful in facilitating the extensive exchange of knowledge and experience, allowing for greater synergy between key partners.

I would also like to congratulate the organizers, Prof. Biguang Tuo and Prof. Xuemei Liu, on the success of the congress. I have attended this conference every year, and I feel that it is composed of first-rate moderators and speakers, and the content is world-class! In addition, the high quality scientific program is very rich in content. I was also impressed by the enthusiasm of the audience.

I would like to conclude by thanking the Chinese doctors also for their great cooperation and support for ENDO 2024.