• -Enjoy about 10 cases of laparoscopic gastrectomies per week; more than 80% of all cases are performed by laparoscopic way even for AGC
• -Experience cutting edge technology; Totally laparoscopic surgery including total gastrectomy (3D laparoscope)

• -- Ajou university medical center have own lab (institute for gastric cancer mechanism), tissue bank, and laboratory animal research center

• -every Tuesday and Wednesday morning

The SNUH Gastric Cancer Center is one of the world-class centers at Seoul National University Cancer Hospital (SNUCH). Each year, about 1,000 gastric cancer surgeries are performed there with about 15% morbidity and 0.5% mortality. The cumulative number of gastric cancer surgeries performed at the center exceeded 20,000 in 2007, which is the highest number in any single institution in the world. We have provided an enriching educational experience to over 100 international clinicians (mostly faculty of major international institutions) at our center and developed an education program fit for academic physicians from all over the world, including China and even Japan. We have been running a fellowship exchange program with Roswell Park Cancer Institute since 2009, and one or two surgical oncology fellows visit our center yearly (7 fellows have visited our center for 1 month as part of their elective training course). We have also had many short-term visitors from all over the world through various routes. SNUCH Gastric Cancer Center can be the best option for global visitors for education on gastric cancer because it has high number cases per week in the world as well as structured and active research activities, even for but a short duration of a few weeks.

This is an integrated practical education course that provides experience with many diverse gastric cancer patients within a few weeks and is intended to offer a structured concept and knowledge of gastric cancer treatment. The visitors are expected to learn the basic principles of gastric cancer treatment, focused on gastric cancer surgery including lymph node dissection, post-operative management and chemotherapy. We hope they would be able to effectively apply their experience with a relatively large number of gastric cancer patients in their own practice in their home institutions. We also expect the introduction and discussion of research projects at SNUCH to develop a new international collaboration among gastric cancer researchers. more

1. 1)Duration : 2 -week program courses
2. 2)Accommodations: Accommodations can be arranged in advance.
3. 3)Educational contents
   1. A.Gastric cancer operation: Indications and technical principles of each operation technique
      • -Operation schedule: Usually more than 20 gastric cancer surgeries weekly
        Open or Laparoscopic surgery: Mondays (a.m. and p.m.), Tuesdays (a.m. and p.m.), Wednesdays (p.m.), Thursdays (a.m. and p.m.) and Fridays (a.m. and p.m.)
        Robotic surgery: Wednesdays (a.m.) and Thursdays (a.m.)
      • -Types of operation: Radical Subtotal Gastrectomy, Pylorus Preserving Gastrectomy, Total Gastrectomy, Proximal Gastrectomy, etc.
      • -Concept and details of lymph node dissection: D1, D1+ and D2 LN dissection
      • -Review and discussion of selected articles from SNUCH on gastric cancer
   2. B.Post-operative care: Diet progression, management of complications, follow-up period and examinations
      • -In-patient Ward Round
      • -Outpatient Clinic: Wednesdays (p.m.), Thursdays (a.m. and p.m.)
   3. C.Conferences: Decision-making on difficult cases, discussion of interesting cases and publication updates
      • -Multidisciplinary Stomach Case Conference (Wednesdays, 17:00, biweekly): Case conference for decision-making or review (participants: surgeons, gastroenterologists, medical oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and nuclear medicine specialists)
      • -Tumor Clinic of the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery (Fridays, 07:00): Post-operative morbidity and mortality conference and journal review
      • -Surgical Grand Round of the Department of Surgery (Wednesday, 07:00): Lectures by invited speakers on all topics associated with surgical diseases (in English)
   4. D.Research meeting: Clinical and translational research activities of the Gastric Cancer Center
      • -Thursdays, 07:00
      • -Discussion of ongoing research activities by clinicians, the Gastric Cancer Biology Lab and collaborating researchers
   5. E.Endoscopy for gastric cancer: Diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer via endoscopy
      • -Observation of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD)
      • -Observation of gastroscopy and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)
   6. F.Observation at the Outpatient Clinic and clinical trials of medical oncologists: Types and roles of chemotherapy for gastric cancer, clinical trials
   7. G.Opportunities to attend domestic scientific meetings or workshops on gastric cancer
4. 4)Curriculum
   1. A.Operation
      - Understanding of different gastric cancer operations and concept of lymph node dissection
      - Observation of about 15-20 operations
   2. B.Post-op care
      - 2- to 3-day Ward Round and 1 session at the Outpatient Clinic
   3. C.Conferences
      - Multidisciplinary Stomach Case Conference: 1 time
      - Tumor Clinic and Surgical Grand Round: 1 or 2 times
   4. D.Research meetings
      - 2 times
   5. E.Endoscopic treatment
      - Endoscopic submucosal dissection: 1 session
   6. F.Concluding remarks at the end of the visit
      - Presentation of a summary of your experience; feedback from the faculty
5. 5)Routine time table

   Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
   08:00 Operation	08:00 Operation	07:00 Surgical Grand Round 09:00 Robot operation 10:30 Patient education	07:00 Research meeting (Stomach Cancer Case Conference) 09:00 Outpatient Clinic or Operation	07:00 Tumor Clinic 08:00 Operation
   Continued Operation	Continued Operation	13:30 Operation or Outpatient Clinic	Continued Outpatient Clinic or Operation	Continued Operation
   		17:00 Stomach Case Conference (biweekly)

   * Optional schedules can be arranged individually
   * More information is attached.

1. 1)Following the visiting our hospital, visitor can obtain
   • -the basic principles and knowledge of treatment for gastrointestinal disease including gastric cancer, benign GI disease, and others.
   • -the concept of minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopy and robotic) in GI disease.
2. 2)Collaboration of clinical practice as well as academic works can be possible. more