Reporter: Nancy Qian
"Every day is filled with challenges, and every day is about solving difficulties." In her work, she is always energetic, optimistic, and efficient, exuding a positive force. Talking about her nearly fifteen years of dedication to cancer research, she appears even more radiant, with a special gleam in her eyes – it's the pursuit of scientific inquiry and, more profoundly, an endless reverence for life.
She is Dr. Min Li, a renowned oncology expert from China.
Self-improvement and Continuous Academic Expansion
Since obtaining her Master's Degree in Clinical Medicine from Anhui Medical University in 2009, Min Li has devoted herself wholeheartedly to the work of the Department of Oncology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. As a resident physician, she is virtually on call year-round, her phone available 24 hours a day, ready to assist patients at any time. This round-the-clock work rhythm has become her norm.
In her clinical work, Min Li faces various challenging issues daily. Through the process of solving these problems, her clinical skills continuously improve. Simultaneously, she realizes that medical technology is an ever-ascending spiral, and being a doctor means a lifelong commitment to learning. Thus, she is determined to continuously enhance her professional capabilities. In 2014, already well-regarded in the field of cancer treatment, Min Li decided to pursue a doctoral degree at Anhui Medical University. This valuable academic experience not only elevated her medical and academic expertise to a new level but also further solidified her belief in using acquired knowledge to bring hope to cancer patients.
In 2023, Min Li obtained the opportunity to visit and exchange at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, which is ranked first in the United States for research-oriented hospitals. Immersed in this top-tier academic institution in the field of oncology, she fully engaged in research and exchange activities. From academic lectures to case discussions, and then to research endeavors, she cherished every moment of learning and exchange. Through this process, her academic horizons were further expanded.
Min Li often says, "Medical work is not just about imparting professional knowledge, providing medical services, and realizing one's own value. It is also a process of continuously absorbing nutrients and achieving self-improvement." It is only with accumulation that one can achieve breakthroughs. Over the past decade, holding onto the spirit of continuous learning and accumulation, Min Li has continuously elevated her academic level. This has laid the groundwork for the series of brilliant scientific research achievements she has made in the field of cancer treatment over the years.
Subverting Tradition, Novel Peritoneal Port Leading the Medical Trend
In the medical field, infusion is a common treatment method. Especially for cancer patients, infusion is indispensable. However, traditional infusion methods often come with potential risks such as frequent vascular puncture, drug leakage, and infection, causing significant pain and distress to patients. To address this issue, infusion port technology emerged as a safer and more convenient treatment modality.
However, traditional peritoneal infusion port technology still requires implantation through open abdominal surgery, which not only increases patients' suffering but also delays their recovery time. Therefore, improving peritoneal infusion port technology to reduce patients' pain and the risk of complications has been an important topic in the global medical field.
Facing this challenge, Min Li actively engaged in the research and innovation of infusion port technology. After extensive research, experimentation, and testing, she successfully developed a novel peritoneal infusion port that does not require open surgery. This new peritoneal infusion port consists of an infusion device implanted in the patient's body and a catheter system connecting the inside and outside of the patient's body. It can be implanted into the patient's body through minimally invasive surgery, significantly reducing the harm to the patient's body caused by traditional implantation methods.
To address the problem of twisting and adhesion of traditional peritoneal infusion port catheters with the patient's internal tissues, Min Li designed an anti-twist mechanism between the various levels of catheters of the infusion port. This ensures that the catheters will not twist or deform during use. Additionally, the catheter system utilizes medical-grade silicone, titanium alloy, and other biocompatible materials to prevent adhesion with the patient's internal tissues, greatly enhancing safety and comfort during use.
To achieve precise monitoring of the infusion process, Min Li embedded miniature sensors in the infusion device to monitor the patient's physiological parameters such as body temperature, blood pressure, and blood flow in real time. Combined with advanced control algorithms, the infusion rate and drug dosage can be automatically adjusted to ensure the safety and efficacy of treatment. Moreover, the device utilizes wireless communication technologies such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and RFID to achieve wireless connection and data transmission with medical devices. Doctors can remotely monitor the patient's condition anytime, anywhere using mobile devices or computers.
This non-open surgery peritoneal infusion port not only alleviates the pain of cancer patients but also improves treatment effectiveness. Therefore, once it was introduced, it was favored by medical institutions in many countries. In the actual application process, it has brought good news to many patients who need long-term peritoneal infusion.
Technology-driven, New Medical Imaging System Facilitates Precision Identification of Tumors
In the rapidly advancing landscape of medical technology, early detection and treatment of tumors are particularly crucial, with precise identification of tumor areas being paramount in diagnostic and therapeutic endeavors. Min Li, as a seasoned expert in oncology, based on keen insights into the practical needs of clinical tumor work, has developed "Method and System for Identifying Lung Tumor Areas based on Imaging Features." This achievement utilizes advanced image processing and analysis techniques to accurately extract tumor-related features from complex medical images, enabling rapid and precise processing of large volumes of medical image data.
The system can collect patients' lung medical imaging data such as CT scans, MRI, and X-rays. Utilizing Min Li's improved next-generation Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) technology for image recognition and processing, it enhances image quality and readability through preprocessing steps such as noise reduction and contrast enhancement. Based on this foundation, the system intelligently analyzes the lesion status of lung tumor areas according to image thin-layer sequences and post-processing steps, helping doctors automatically detect, annotate, and view suspicious lesions. It also intuitively displays the nature, location, size, volume, density, etc., of the lesion areas. Furthermore, the system can provide valuable diagnostic suggestions to doctors based on historical cases and medical knowledge base, assisting doctors in making more accurate judgments.
Min Li's research achievement provides new tools and methods for precise tumor identification and treatment, setting a worthy example for the innovative application of artificial intelligence technology in the international medical field.
Academic Reinvestment, Driving Prosperous Development of the Medical Profession
As an oncology expert with profound academic accomplishments, Min Li has been actively engaged in academic research and dissemination in the field of tumor treatment while fulfilling clinical duties, using her acquired knowledge to contribute back to the medical industry and provide academic guidance to her peers.
Over the years, Min Li has participated in several major scientific research projects such as "Study on the Mechanism of Long Non-coding RNA CTD-2066L21.1 Regulating FOXD3 in Cisplatin Resistance of Gastric Cancer," "Clinical Application of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) as Novel Molecular Markers for Gastric Cancer," and "Clinical Study on the Application of In-situ Albumin Near-infrared II Fluorescent Probes in Imaging of Tumor Metastasis and Sentinel Lymph Nodes," filling multiple academic gaps in the field of tumor disease treatment. In addition, Min Li has co-authored several academic monographs such as "Integrative Therapy of Cancer" and "Rare Oncology," providing fresh theoretical support for the development of oncology.
In addition to her position at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Min Li also holds multiple academic part-time positions, including Vice Chairman of the Rare Tumors Professional Committee of Anhui Province Anti-cancer Association, member of the First Professional Committee of Female Physicians of Anhui Clinical Oncology Society, and member of the Gynecological Oncology Professional Committee of China Primary Health Care Foundation. Leveraging her outstanding academic talents and forward-looking industry perspective in the field of oncology, she actively participates in the development, international academic exchanges, and talent cultivation of these industry organizations, making outstanding contributions to the overall advancement of the global oncology treatment field.
Looking ahead, Min Li expressed her vision with anticipation: "I am full of confidence in the future. I believe that through continuous efforts and exploration, I can overcome more medical challenges and bring more advanced and effective methods to the field of tumor treatment. I look forward to co-writing a brilliant chapter in medicine with medical scholars from all over the world and contributing more to the cause of human health!"（Reporter: Nancy Qian）