On December 24 and 25, the 2021 South China International Pancreatic Minimally Invasive Surgery Summit Forum was successfully held in Guangzhou, hosted by the Pancreatic Disease Specialists Branch of Guangdong Medical Doctor Association and Guangdong Association of Primary Medicine, and organized by the Pancreatic Center of Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital. On the forum, famous experts in pancreatic disease research at home and abroad were invited to make academic presentations and exchange views on the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, acute and chronic pancreatitis, etc. A Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) surgery video contest and a debate on hot issues were held to promote relevant minimally invasive surgery techniques. The summit forum is of great significance in promoting the research level of pancreatic diseases in China, and has written a new chapter in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic diseases.

The opening ceremony of the forum was presided over by Professor Chen Rufu, vice president of Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, head of Department of Surgery and director of Pancreatic Center of Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital. Lin Dongxin, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Yu Xueqing, president of Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, extended their congratulations to opening of the forum via video. Li Yong, vice president of Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Lin Shuguang, president of Guangdong Medical Doctor Association, and Li Xun, director of the Pancreatic Diseases Committee of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, attended the forum and delivered speeches.

After a short opening ceremony, the forum of experts was the highlight and climax of the event. Academician Lin Dongxin, Professor Chen Rufu and other famous experts in China made wonderful presentations on the most cutting-edge discoveries in the basic research and clinical treatment of HPB. Professor Zheng Lei from the Center for Pancreatic Cancer, Johns Hopkins Hospital gave a presentation on the current status and future of neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer.

In the afternoon session of HPB Comprehensive Diagnosis and Treatment Frontier Research, many famous domestic experts in HPB cancer shared the latest discoveries in translational medicine, early diagnosis, neoadjuvant therapy, immunotherapy and other hot issues. In the HPB Young and Middle-aged Experts Forum & MDT session, many experts of the new generation delivered speeches on "Treatment Progress of Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer", "Neoadjuvant and Precision Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer" and "Translational Therapy of Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer" based on the most urgent practical clinical problems and the frontier research of the discipline.

In addition, the South China HPB Surgery Video Contest and the South China Debate Contest on Pancreatic Diseases were also held on the forum. In the HPB Surgery Video Contest, more than ten young and middle-aged backbones from all over China competed on the same stage and demonstrated highly difficult and representative HPB surgeries, including laparoscopic pancreatic head-preserving duodenectomy (LPHPD) and laparoscopic central hepatectomy. The fine and smooth surgeries caused unanimous praise from the audience and judges. Finally, Prof. Li Jia and Prof. Chen Botao from Cheng Wei's team of Hunan Provincial People's Hospital won the first prize in the pancreatic and hepatobiliary surgery groups respectively. On the debate contest, regarding the topic “Shall we adopt laparotomy or laparoscopy in the radical operation of pancreatic cancer”, Chen Rufu’s team of Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital chose to support laparoscopy. They presented their arguments with clear logic, solid evidence and forward-looking perspective, which was highly recognized by judges and audiences on site. The team won the debate and was chosen as "Best Team in the Debate Contest", and Zhou Yu of GDPH Department of Pancreatic Surgery was awarded the title of the Best Debater.

Under the leadership of Professor Chen Rufu, GDPH Pancreatic Center has long been dedicated to the clinical treatment of pancreatic diseases, striving to promote standardized, precise, personalized and process-oriented treatment, and has formed a personalized and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment system for patients with different types and stages of pancreatic cancer, with laparoscopic surgery as a feature and radical surgery of pancreatic cancer as the main focus. The project, Establishment and Application of Personalized Precision Diagnosis and Treatment System for Pancreatic Cancer, won the first prize of Guangdong Medical Science and Technology Award in 2021. At the same time, the center strives to make high-quality HPB minimally invasive medical resources available to the grassroots community, promote relevant MIS techniques, nurture HPB talents, and lead the establishment of the South China Minimally Invasive Pancreatic Surgery Alliance. Since 2019, the center has been actively promoting the treatment standard of HPB diseases to medical institutions in South China, and opening up opportunities for doctors from community-level medical institutions to study in large hospitals. So far, the diagnosis and treatment level of the Pancreatic Center has been well recognized by domestic and foreign counterparts. As the leading unit of the Branch of Minimally Invasive and Comprehensive Treatment of Pancreatic Disease under the China Anti-Cancer Association and that of the Pancreatic Disease Specialists Branch of Guangdong Medical Doctor Association, the Pancreatic Center will further study and practice pancreatic cancer treatment, and strive to promote the personalized precision diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer to a new height.

Zhou Yu