On January 15, 2026, the 2026 China-Sweden Anti-Cancer Summit was successfully held. The summit was jointly organized by China Anti-Cancer Association (CACA) and World Association for Integrative Oncology (WAIO). It attracted audiences from countries including China, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Russia, and Poland, with a total of 15 million online views. The summit brought together leaders and academic authorities from top cancer prevention and treatment institutions in China and Sweden, engaging in in-depth discussions on topics such as the construction of cancer prevention systems, scientific research innovation, and cross-border collaboration. This contributed valuable Eastern and Nordic wisdom to the global fight against cancer.

The summit featured keynote speeches by Prof. Fan Daiming, President of CACA; Prof. Xu Ruihua, President of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; Prof. Per Wahlstedt, Healthcare Expert of the Swedish Cancer Society; and Prof. Cao Yihai, Professor at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. The opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Wang Ying, Vice President of CACA, and Prof. Ulrika Årehed Kågström, President of Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). The academic session was chaired by Prof. Wu Kaichun, President of CACA Enterology Committee.

In her remarks, Prof. Wang welcomed experts from various countries, emphasizing the critical role of international collaboration in addressing global cancer challenges. She introduced CACA’s progress in promoting cancer diagnosis and treatment guidelines tailored to the Chinese population and building an international cooperation network for cancer prevention and control. She noted that the association has held 28 international summits to date and expressed her hope that this summit would serve as an important foundation for lasting cooperation between China and Sweden in the fight against cancer, wishing the conference a complete success.

Prof. Kågström acknowledged the important role of CACA in promoting international exchanges and highlighted that strengthened collaboration could advance shared progress in cancer prevention, early screening, and treatment research. Prof. Kågström also shared experiences on the role of social organizations in Sweden’s cancer prevention and control system, expressed anticipation for the 2026 World Cancer Congress in Hong Kong, and called on global experts to work together to reduce the burden of cancer.

Keynote Speeches

Prof. Fan, President of CACA, President of Asian Oncology Society, and President of WAIO, delivered a keynote speech titled “The Development of Integrated Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment in China.” He systematically elaborated on the innovative concepts of Holistic Integrative Medicine (HIM) in China and CACA’s exploration and practices in promoting its implementation.

Prof. Wahlstedt, Healthcare Expert of the Swedish Cancer Society, delivered a speech titled “How Can Cancer Societies Help Beat Cancer? An Example from Sweden.” He comprehensively introduced the role and mechanisms of the Swedish Cancer Society in advancing the national cancer prevention and control system, providing a model for cancer organizations worldwide to learn from.

Prof. Xu, President of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center and Vice President of CACA, delivered a speech titled “Overcoming Drug resistance of Immunotherapy in GI cancer——Perspectives from CACA.” He explored the challenges and potential solutions for immunotherapy in gastrointestinal cancers, based on clinical practices and collaborative research within the CACA platform.

Prof. Cao, Professor at the Karolinska Institute and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, delivered a speech titled “Cancer Treatment Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment and Macroenvironment.” From the perspectives of basic and translational research, he analyzed the role of the tumor microenvironment in treatment resistance and potential intervention strategies.

Panel Discussion

During the panel discussion, experts from both China and Sweden engaged in in-depth exchanges on topics such as cooperation in cancer prevention systems, mutual learning of diagnosis and treatment guidelines, and whole-process patient management. Firstly, Prof. Fan, Prof. Wu, and Prof. Wahlstedt discussed the potential application of Sweden’s cancer screening model in China’s clinical practice, considering the differences between the Chinese and Swedish healthcare systems. Prof. Fan mentioned that CACA’s locally developed cancer treatment guidelines have achieved significant success, and traditional Chinese medicine offers unique benefits in cancer treatment, which could be exchanged and learned from the West. Prof. Wang expressed willingness to establish formal collaboration with the Swedish Cancer Society and explored the feasibility of free and widespread screening programs and their funding models. Prof. Xu highlighted the unique challenges China faces in the field of early cancer screening and called for the development of more efficient and accessible screening technologies. Prof. Cao emphasized the importance of cancer rehabilitation and psychological support, suggesting that the two countries strengthen experience sharing in areas such as whole-process patient management and psychological intervention. These experts unanimously agreed that China and Sweden possess distinct characteristics and advantages in the field of cancer prevention and control. Through mutual learning and practical cooperation, they could make greater contributions to the global fight against cancer.

The insightful presentations by Chinese and Swedish experts at this summit not only enhanced mutual understanding in the field of cancer prevention and treatment but also laid a solid foundation for substantive cooperation at multiple levels and platforms in the future. Taking this summit as an opportunity, we call on global experts to join hands, unite, and work together to reduce the global burden of cancer.