My Journey in Research on Nasopharyngeal Cancer

Abstract

My journey started under the inspiration of my first mentor Prof. John Ho, one of the greatest pioneers on nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). He taught us that cancer treatment must be evidence-based; and if data is lacking, we should initiate our own research. For NPC, with its uniquely skewed distribution, Asian centers play a key role in the needed research. I started my research to address questions most frequently encountered in clinical management. As a medical doctor working in a busy government service departments, without research grants and supports by other university scientists, the challenges and limitations are obviously formidable. With perseverance and concerted team efforts, we managed to come up with useful messages covering the whole spectrum of clinical issues from staging & prognostication, radiotherapy techniques and dose fractionation, chemotherapy sequence and regimen, late toxicities, and management of recurrence. In more recent years, I also attempt to conduct studies that can have impact on global health policy and international standards. Furthermore, with taking up of academic post, I began to participate more in translational studies in collaboration with scientists and virologists. This talk is aimed at sharing of my experience, particularly with young researchers. Summary of my research on NPC and the lessons that I have learnt along my journey will be presented.