From May 27 to May 31, Prof. DING Kefeng, Vice Chairman of Colorectal Cancer Committee of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association and Vice President of the Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine (SAHZU), led a SAHZU colorectal surgeon delegation of five members to visit four Italian hospitals in Rome, Naples and Treviso, and was invited to attend the Italian Colorectal Surgery Spring Meeting 2024 as a keynote speaker.

On May 27, Prof. DING delivered a keynote speech entitled COLORECTAL CANCER: STATE OF THE ART IN CHINA on the 2024 Italian Colorectal Surgery Spring Meeting. The presentation analyzed the epidemiology of colorectal cancer and the differences in its surgical treatments between China and western countries, and showed the latest progress of colorectal cancer diagnosis and treatment in China. The lecture was followed by an heated open discussion on the topic of "Management of postoperative drainage tubes for rectal cancer".

In the next days, the SAHZU delegation visited the Affiliated Hospitals to University of Federico II in Naples and University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", places where ICSTAC's past trainees Dr. Michele Cricri and Dr. Federico Maria Mongardini work. They were warmly welcomed by Italian specialists including Prof. Ludovico Docimo, the President-elect of the Italian Surgical Association and Prof. Giovanni Domenico De Palma, President of the Campania Region of the Italian Association of Surgical Endoscopy.

During the visit, Prof. DING introduced in detail to the Italian counterparts the comprehensive technology that the SAHZU colorectal surgery is equipped with, and their MDT team that can evaluate and treat complex and difficult colorectal cancers systematically and comprehensively. He also had an in-depth discussion with Italian professors on the topics such as training of next generation surgeons, surgical skills and research cooperation. Both sides expressed their eagerness to cooperate with each other, and hoped to continue to enhance the exchanges and cooperation in the field of surgery between SAHZU and the hospitals in the Campania and other regions in Italy in the future.

On May 28, the SAHZU delegation was invited to attend the Sino-Italian Surgical Exchange Meeting held in the Parliament Hall of the Regional Council of Campania, where a welcome session was held by Mr. Pasquale Di Fenza and Mr. Tommaso Pellegrino, members of the Regional Council of Campania, Italy. An interviewed was also conducted by a local media during the meeting to discuss the medical development of Naples and the cooperation with SAHZU colorectal surgery, as well as the promotion of Chinese medical devices in the region.

Mr. Pasquale Di Fenza and Mr. Tommaso Pellegrino, the councilors, expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Prof. DING Kefeng for his efforts in training the two young Italian surgeons and demonstrated a letter of thanks prepared by Vincenzo De Luca, the president of the Regional Council of Campania.

On May 29-30, the SAHZU delegation continued to visit the Umberto l "Policlinico" General Hospital, Sapienza Univeristy of Rome, and Treviso General Hospital, where they met many other Italian surgical specialists such as Prof. Domenico Mascagni, Prof. Massimo Mongardini, Prof. Marco Massani.

In Treviso General Hospital, the team had a deep discussion and vivid exchanges on the difficult surgical cases. Through the discussion, the team was able to understand the differences in surgical techniques between China and Italy, and take the best from their Italian colleagues to contribute to the development of colorectal surgery in China. 

The Department of Colorectal Surgery of SAHZU is a pioneer in the prevention and management of colorectal cancer in China, and the main author of the national guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer. In addition to conventional laparoscopic approach, SAHZU Colorectal Surgery specializes in robotic surgery for colorectal cancer, LISH, NOSES, subtotal surgery for peritoneal metastatic cancer, and peritoneal thermoperfusion therapy. In 2023, the volume of colorectal surgery at SAHZU almost reached 4,500, including 1,900 surgeries for colorectal cancer, of which hundreds were robotic surgeries.

"We are committed to delivering Chinese colorectal surgical techniques and promoting medical knowledge exchange while learning from our international colleagues around the world as always." Said Prof. DING. He also strengthened that he hopes to welcome young colorectal surgeons from all over the world to have clinical training at SAHZU, and to explore the development of better colorectal surgical techniques in cooperation with the international community.

International Colorectal Surgery Training Academy of China (ICSTAC), jointly initiated by SAHZU and the Colorectal Cancer Committee of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, aims to share the concept of colorectal surgery in China in both minimally invasive colorectal surgery and open surgical techniques, and provides a platform where doctors from home and abroad could share their own experience in clinical works and researches.

On June 12, the third session of ICSTAC was officially launched. Three surgeons from Spain and Mongolia began their three-month journey at SAHZU colorectal surgery.