Major New Policy Released! Customized Vaccines for 6 Types of Digestive System Tumors – The Only Chance Must Be Seized Before Surgery!
- Elva Chen
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
”If I Know Earlier… “These were the exact same words from three cancer patients within just one month. They were talking about a cutting-edge personalized cancer vaccine, which research shows can reduce cancer recurrence and extend survival. But there is one critical condition: the decision must be made before surgery. If you or a family member is about to undergo surgery for a digestive system tumor, please take a few minutes to read this article — so you won’t regret missing this opportunity.
A month ago, Mr. Li underwent a pancreaticoduodenectomy at another hospital. He recovered well after the operation, but a heavy weight lingered in his mind — the extremely high recurrence rate of pancreatic cancer.
He found online that Academician Cai Xiujun of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine (hereinafter referred to as SRRSH, Zhejiang University) was leading a clinical trial for a tumor neoantigen mRNA vaccine. The vaccine is said to activate the body’s immune system, eliminate residual cancer cells after surgery, and lower the risk of recurrence.
Mr. Li clung rushed to SRRSH to consult Academician Cai Xiujun. After carefully reviewing his case, Academician Cai patiently explained: a key prerequisite for this study is completing enrollment assessment before surgery and preserving fresh tumor tissue removed during the operation for subsequent gene sequencing and vaccine customization. Since Mr. Li was already one month post-operation, he had regrettably missed the window for enrollment.
After hearing this, Mr. Li fell silent for a long while.
In contrast to Mr. Li’s regret, the story of Mr. Liu, another pancreatic cancer patient, brings hope.
In 2023, after learning about this cancer vaccine research, he traveled all the way from Northeast China to consult Academician Cai Xiujun. Under the Academician’s supervision, Mr. Liu successfully underwent a pancreaticoduodenectomy. Fresh tumor tissue was promptly preserved during the operation and used to customize an mRNA vaccine. Post-surgery, he completed standard chemotherapy combined with the vaccine as planned.
Today, Mr. Liu has recovered well, and recent follow-ups show no signs of tumor recurrence.
Yet Mr. Li was already the third patient this month who came for consultation after having surgery. That is why we feel it necessary to remind everyone once again: for patients about to undergo surgery for digestive system tumors, this opportunity can only be seized before the operation.
01 Major National Policy Takes Effect
A New Era for Personalized Cancer Vaccines
On May 1, 2026, a regulation of great significance to cancer patients officially came into force — Decree No. 818 of the State Council, Regulations on the Administration of Clinical Research and Translational Application of Biomedical New Technologies.
Known in the industry as the “818 New Policy”, this regulation creates a separate translational pathway for highly personalized cutting-edge technologies such as cell therapy, gene therapy, and cancer vaccines — outside the traditional drug approval process. This allows such innovative technologies to move more quickly from clinical research to clinical practice, benefiting patients.
The tumor neoantigen mRNA vaccine research at SRRSH is one of the pioneers on this innovative track.
02 Research Fully Upgraded
Opportunity for 6 Types of Cancer Patients
The clinical study led by Academician Cai Xiujun at SRRSH first launched back in 2023.
Encouraging Results from Phase 1
Phase 1 of the study (from 2023 to present) focused on pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, and biliary tract cancer.
To date, 43 patients have been treated, with highly encouraging preliminary results:
Patients who received the vaccine developed effective immune responses targeted at their own tumors, with reduced recurrence risk, prolonged survival, and favorable safety profiles.
Some findings were even presented at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), a top international conference in cancer immunotherapy.
Great News!
Phase Ⅰ Clinical Trial to Launch
The research has been fully upgraded!
Indications have expanded from 3 cancer types to 6:
pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, biliary tract cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer.
This means more patients with digestive system tumors can now benefit.
03 What Exactly Is a Personalized Vaccine?
Equipping the Immune System with “Facial Recognition”
It sounds highly technical, but it’s easy to understand.
Simply put, it’s like issuing a precision wanted notice to your immune system.
On the surface of every tumor cell are unique “identity markers” called neoantigens, which do not exist on normal cells.
Scientists extract these markers and create a custom vaccine. When injected into the body, the vaccine trains the immune system to recognize and hunt down residual cancer cells carrying these unique markers.
How Do International Data Look? Remarkably Effective!
Between 2023 and 2025, the world-leading journal Nature published a series of landmark studies:
Among post-operative pancreatic cancer patients who received this vaccine and mounted an effective immune response, the risk of recurrence and death dropped by 92%.
Long-term follow-up confirmed that vaccine responders had an 86% lower recurrence risk.
The T cells activated by the vaccine have an average lifespan of 7.7 years, with some lasting for decades.
This is why the global oncology community places such high hopes in this technology.
Even more promising: our research is optimized based on Chinese population data, making it better aligned with the genetic characteristics of Chinese people, with stronger compatibility and greater efficacy advantages.
04 The Most Critical Question
Why Must the Decision Be Made Before Surgery?
This is the most easily overlooked — yet most important — point!
A personalized vaccine requires fresh tumor tissue to extract high-quality genetic information.
If you wait until after surgery, the tumor tissue will have undergone routine pathological processing (such as fixation in formalin and embedding in paraffin), which damages part of the genetic material.
Therefore, the window of opportunity is only before surgery.
05 Who Can Join the Clinical Trial?
Preliminary Eligibility Criteria for Phase Ⅰ Study
Diagnosis: pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, biliary tract cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer
Treatment stage: scheduled to undergo radical surgery
Timing of enrollment: assessment and enrollment completed before surgery
06 The Correct Enrollment Process
If you or a family member meets the criteria, please follow these steps:
Pre-operative consultation → Contact us for eligibility assessment → Sign informed consent form → Preserve fresh tumor tissue during surgery → Post-operative standard treatment + vaccine customization → Vaccine administration → Regular follow-up.
Once again: do not wait until after surgery to act!
In closing:
Opportunities favor only those who prepare in advance.
If you or a family member is facing surgery for a digestive system tumor, take a moment to ask and learn more before the operation.
Perhaps that one question will open a brand-new door.
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