Source: China Science Daily "Post-genomic Era Calls for a New Theoretical Framework in Oncology"

Science and Technology Daily "Chinese Scholars Establish a 'New Oncology' Theoretical Framework, Driving a Paradigm Shift in Cancer Prevention and Treatment"

Currently, oncology is at a crossroads of paradigm shift. For a long time, global cancer research and clinical practice have been centered on the "somatic mutation theory", which underpins key directions such as molecular typing, targeted therapy, neoantigen vaccine development, and high-throughput genomic sequencing. Even in the emerging research on tumor microenvironment and immunity in recent years, the mechanistic explanations mostly focus on the functional abnormalities or driver mutations of specific genes in cancer cells or stromal cells.

Herein, advanced cancer is currently regarded as a chronically manageable disease, supported primarily by advances in multi-omics sequencing and the development of targeted and immunotherapies. However, due to the fundamental limitations of the somatic mutation theory, these interventions remain inherently reactive—typically initiated only after tumors have undergone multiple rounds of clonal evolution, resulting in high levels of heterogeneity and adaptability—thus failing to effectively arrest their continuous progression. Recently, Dr. Luo Weiren, a researcher at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology (Shenzhen Third People's Hospital), reported that through the translation of cutting-edge international monographs and in-depth research on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in the Chinese context, committing to establish the theoretical framework of "neo-oncology".

In 2024, Dr. Luo’s translated work, Rethinking Cancer: A New Paradigm in the Post-Genomic Era, presents an innovative "systems view of cancer" by analyzing the disease from four dimensions: theoretical, systemic, temporal, and (micro)environmental. Moving beyond the singular focus on genetic mutations, this book emphasizes the regulatory roles of macro-level lifestyle factors, systemic homeostasis, and multi-tiered ecological niches in tumorigenesis and progression. In 2026, his translation of Cancer Ecology and Evolution redefines the essential nature and therapeutic logic of cancer through five evolutionary-ecological perspectives, explicitly conceptualizing cancer as a dynamic eco-evolutionary process.

Focusing on NPC—a malignancy with high prevalence in southern China—Dr. Luo established the first systematic theoretical framework, "NPC ecology", in 2023. This framework posits that tumors are pathological ecosystems characterized by integrated spatiotemporal ecological and evolutionary dynamics, encompassing both ecological interactions and evolutionary driving forces. He further proposed "medical ecological pathology", which applies ecological and evolutionary principles to dissect disease etiology, mechanisms, pathological alterations, and clinical outcomes. Notably, he emphasizes that cancer metastasis is often not a late-stage event but may even initiate during the in situ carcinoma phase, implying that potential metastatic risk must be incorporated into treatment planning at the time of primary tumor diagnosis.

Notably, in a commemorative column article for the 110th anniversary of the Chinese Medical Association, published in Chinese Journal of Oncology in 2025, Luo Weiren specifically emphasized: "It is time to re-examine the fundamental essence, systemic characteristics, and ecological patterns of tumors, thereby opening a new window for the research paradigm of oncology."

"We urgently need to transcend the explanatory boundaries of the 'somatic mutation theory' and construct a multi-level integrated intervention strategy rooted in ecological and evolutionary principles, with the 'systems-ecological-evolutionary perspective' as its theoretical core, to provide robust scientific support for achieving long-term effective control of patient conditions," Dr. Luo emphasized.

In 2024 and 2025，Dr. Luo is selected as Stanford Top2% Scientists List.