Global Cancer Research Race and China's Rise

Global Cancer Research Race and China's Rise: Cancer Research Output Grows by 19%, Surpassing the U.S.

In the vast expanse of scientific research, cancer research has always been an important area in humanity's exploration of health mysteries. According to the latest data from the Nature Index published by the top global academic journal "Nature," China surpassed the United States in cancer research output for the first time in 2024, becoming the global leader in the field.

In the past, the United States dominated the field of cancer research with giants like Harvard University and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), occupying an absolute advantage in the Nature Index, leading fundamental theoretical exploration and clinical translation in cancer research.

However, China, with support from government policies, research system reforms, and international cooperation, gradually narrowed the gap with the United States. By 2024, China strongly surpassed the U.S. with a 19% growth rate, while the U.S. growth rate during the same period was only 5%. This shift in numbers vividly reflects the intense race between the two countries in the cancer research arena.

Professor Xu Ruihua, Director of the Cancer Prevention and Treatment Center, Director of the Cancer Hospital, and Director of the Cancer Research Institute at Sun Yat-sen University, once stated: "We should not only pursue the quantity of scientific research results but also focus on the clinical value of the outcomes, making scientific research truly serve patients."

This statement comes against the backdrop that, in 2022, China's five-year cancer survival rate was 40.5%. While significant progress has been made in recent years, it still lags far behind the U.S.'s five-year survival rate of 70%.

Global Cancer Research Race and China's Rise

Over the past five years (2019 - 2024), global cancer research output has generally increased. Research teams from various countries have worked hard to explore the pathogenesis of cancer, find new treatments, and improve the survival rates of cancer patients, leading to an increase in the number of cancer research papers published and research achievements globally.

During this period, the United States has remained a powerhouse in cancer research, leading in areas such as basic research and clinical trials.

The U.S. has many world-renowned cancer research centers and top universities, such as Harvard University and the MD Anderson Cancer Center, which bring together a large number of researchers and resources. These institutions have delved deeply into multiple disciplines in cancer research, continuously uncovering the molecular mechanisms and cellular signaling pathways of cancer, providing continuous theoretical support for clinical translation.

In terms of clinical application, top U.S. cancer centers lead multiple global multi-center clinical trials, quickly translating cutting-edge research into practical treatment plans. 80% of global cancer gene therapy clinical trials are influenced by U.S. patents, highlighting the U.S.'s technological dominance in cancer gene therapy.

Harvard University had a Nature Index share of 1169.18 from 2019 to 2024, far surpassing the Chinese Academy of Sciences (768.09), and continues to lead in areas such as CAR-T cell therapy and proton therapy, contributing many pioneering achievements to global cancer research. These original technologies not only drive the continuous development of U.S. cancer research but also provide new ideas and methods for global cancer treatment, pushing the entire industry forward.

However, the global competition landscape in cancer research has quietly changed, with China's rise being particularly notable. Since 2019, China's share in cancer research output has been climbing year by year, and in 2024, it surpassed the U.S.

This shift is due to China's ongoing investment in scientific research, optimization of the research environment, and the stimulation of innovation by researchers. The Chinese government, in its "13th Five-Year Plan" to the "14th Five-Year Plan," has listed precision medicine and cancer immunotherapy as key areas of development, injecting strong momentum into research. In terms of funding for cancer research projects, China has strengthened its efforts, building a number of high-level cancer research institutions and laboratories, attracting outstanding talent from both domestic and international arenas to cancer research.

Chinese researchers have actively explored cutting-edge fields like precision medicine, immunotherapy, and gene therapy, achieving a series of important results that contribute to improving the survival rates and quality of life of cancer patients.

Moreover, China's massive clinical resources and data advantages have become a solid backing for cancer research. A vast amount of case data provides rich material for translational research, helping researchers refine scientific questions and validate research outcomes from clinical practice.

Other countries also have their own development trends in cancer research. For example, Japan has advantages in early cancer screening and treatment, achieving significant results in the study of gastrointestinal cancers like gastric and esophageal cancers; Germany maintains a high level of research in molecular diagnostics and targeted therapies; the UK has made in-depth explorations in cancer epidemiology and prevention strategies. These countries, along with China and the U.S., form the core forces in global cancer research, competing and cooperating with each other to push cancer research further.

The Competition Between Leading Cancer Research Institutions in China and the U.S.

In the cancer research map of China and the U.S., Harvard University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences stand as the top research institutions in their respective countries, each showcasing unique strengths and characteristics.

Harvard University has always been a global leader in cancer research, and its success in this field can be attributed to its excellent model of interdisciplinary collaboration. Genomics, artificial intelligence, and clinical medicine deeply integrate here to jointly explore the molecular mechanisms and treatment strategies for cancer. Research teams use advanced gene sequencing technologies to precisely analyze the genetic maps of cancer patients, identify potential therapeutic targets, and employ artificial intelligence algorithms to extract patterns from vast clinical data, optimizing treatment plans.

Harvard University boasts abundant research resources and advanced experimental facilities. Its affiliated medical schools and research centers focus on different types of cancer and research directions. For example, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute closely cooperates with Harvard Medical School to achieve remarkable results in clinical treatment and scientific research translation.

China's Academy of Sciences (CAS), as the highest academic institution for natural sciences in China, also plays a crucial role in cancer research. 

Between 2019 and 2024, CAS's cancer research output share was 768.09, still lagging behind Harvard University, but it remains a leader among Chinese research institutions. Numerous institutes and research centers under CAS have continuously made breakthroughs in cancer's basic and applied research.

For instance, the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica at CAS has made significant progress in cancer drug development. By delving into the mechanisms of cancer and drug target sites, they have successfully screened and developed a series of promising anti-cancer drugs. Additionally, CAS has actively laid out in emerging interdisciplinary fields like bioinformatics and nanomedicine, using advanced technological means to open up new ideas and methods for cancer research, demonstrating China's innovation capabilities and scientific strength in cancer research. In terms of industry collaboration, CAS has partnered with pharmaceutical companies to jointly build R&D platforms and promote the launch of domestic innovative drugs.

Sun Yat-sen University’s Cancer Prevention and Treatment Center, one of the earliest cancer hospitals established after the founding of New China, is also one of the largest and most academically powerful cancer research bases in the country, integrating medical treatment, teaching, research, and prevention.

The center has built a “research-clinical” closed loop, with clinical demand as the guiding principle, quickly translating research outcomes into clinical applications. Its achievements in rectal cancer immunotherapy and nasopharyngeal carcinoma PD-1 combination therapy have rewritten international guidelines and become new benchmarks for global cancer treatment.

Efforts and Achievements in Cancer Research in China and the U.S.

In recent years, changes in the cancer incidence and survival rates in both China and the U.S. reflect the efforts and achievements of the two countries in cancer prevention and treatment.

In terms of incidence, China's cancer rate has shown an upward trend in recent years, closely related to factors such as an aging population, lifestyle changes, and environmental pollution. China's cancer incidence also shows regional characteristics.

In 2022, China saw 4.825 million new cancer cases, with an age-standardized incidence rate of 201.6/100,000, lower than the U.S.'s 367.0/100,000, but with a higher mortality rate (96.5/100,000 vs. 82.3/100,000). Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, accounting for 28.5%, followed by liver cancer, gastric cancer, and other digestive system cancers.

These high-incidence cancers are closely related to the lifestyle and environmental factors of the Chinese population. Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, with a population attributable fraction (PAF) exceeding 30%. Chronic infections are significant drivers of liver cancer, gastric cancer, and other digestive system cancers, accounting for 18.8%. In some rural areas, unhealthy eating habits and a lack of health education further exacerbate the cancer incidence risk.

In contrast, the cancer incidence rate in the U.S. has generally shown a downward trend in the past few decades, largely due to comprehensive measures in cancer prevention, early screening, and treatment.

The U.S. has a well-established cancer screening system and public health education mechanisms, with a stronger awareness of cancer prevention among the public and more people undergoing regular cancer screenings. For example, breast cancer and cervical cancer screening have significantly reduced the mortality rates of these two cancers.

In terms of survival rates, both countries have made significant progress, though specific types of cancer have different outcomes. In China, survival rates for certain cancers, such as colorectal cancer and breast cancer, have significantly improved with the advancement of treatment technologies and the application of combined treatment models. However, for cancers such as liver cancer and pancreatic cancer, survival rates remain relatively low due to their insidious onset and high malignancy.

In the U.S., many cancers, such as prostate cancer, have high five-year survival rates, mainly due to early screening and precise treatments. Despite challenges in improving survival rates for cancers like lung cancer, the U.S. remains a global leader in cancer treatment.

Overall, both China and the U.S. are actively responding to the global health challenge of cancer, striving to reduce cancer incidence and improve survival rates and quality of life through increased research investment, improved healthcare systems, and better public health awareness.

China's rapid growth in cancer research output provides strong support for its development in cancer prevention and treatment, and future breakthroughs in key cancer prevention and treatment indicators are expected to contribute more Chinese wisdom and power to global cancer prevention efforts.

Professor Xu Ruihua has publicly stated, "Scientific research is a long, lonely marathon, but the finish line will surely be a blessing for patients." The future of cancer research in China requires both the innovative courage to look at the stars and the grounded practice to achieve transformation. On the journey of innovation, researchers use wisdom as a pen and practice as ink to write research papers; on the path of transformation, they focus on patients and clinical needs to drive the application of research outcomes in clinical settings.

Reference

[1]. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-011544

[2]. http://www.jmcm2018.com/CN/Y2024/V10/I3/1#1
[3]. https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/caac.21834
[4].https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/FSPJs8w2rudn2r7nrIqtHw