Lung Cancer Alliance Announces Link With China

Washington, DC [February 15, 2010] --Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA)  announced today a new internet link with a renown lung cancer research center at the 5th Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, in Zhuhai, China.

The link on LCA's homepage (www.lungcanceralliance.org) will connect to the Zhuhai Relay Station and its Early Lung Cancer Research Program at the hospital and will provide a Simple Chinese Version (SCV) translation of the LCA website.

Xueguo Liu, MD, PhD is the Principal Investigator at the center, a Director of the hospital's Department of Radiology and one of the leading imaging researchers in China. 

LCA President & CEO Laurie Fenton-Ambrose called the link a "great honor for LCA."

"Dr. Liu has been a pivotal figure in adapting advances in imaging technology to improved medical outcomes. and this research center has pioneered early lung cancer detection in China," she said. "We are grateful to Dr. Liu for his work and honored to be linked to his research site."

Lung cancer deaths in China have increased by 455% in the past 30 years, overtaking liver cancer as the leading cause of cancer death.

Dr. Liu initiated a CT screening program for lung cancer in 1994 with the encouragement of then Zhuhai mayor Liang Guangda who promoted bi-annual scans as health protection for government workers. Many institutions, companies and individuals have since participated, often at their own expense.

In 2003, the 5th Affiliated Hospital center joined the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program, a global network of 52 research sites in the United States, Canada, China, Israel, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and Taiwan.

The Zhuhai Center hosted the 21st International I-ELCAP conference in 2009.

Dr. Liu received his medical training and post graduate degrees in diagnostic and medical imaging at Tongji Medical University in Wuhan, China. In addition to chairing the imaging diagnosis committee of the Zhuhai Anti-Cancer Associaiton, Dr. Liu is also vice-chair of Zhuhai Association of Oncology and associate editor of Radiologic Practice, a journal sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Health.

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