This November marks "World Lung Cancer Awareness Month". Recently, the national cancer patient rehabilitation community service platform, Doctor Lu's Lung Care Home, celebrated its 10th anniversary. Established in November 2014, the platform has evolved from a small science education initiative into a professional lung cancer service hub and patient support community with nationwide impact. Lu Kaihua, a physician who studied abroad, has devoted the past decade to advancing public health education. As a trailblazer in leveraging the internet to create rehabilitation service platforms for cancer patients, Dr. Lu has become a pioneer and innovator in the national medical field.
Dr. Lu Kaihua serves as the Chief Physician of the Oncology Department at People's Hospital of Jiangsu. She is also a reviewer for the National Natural Science Foundation, a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and a senior visiting scholar at the prestigious MD Anderson Cancer Center in the United States. Between 2010 and 2011, Dr. Lu specialized in multidisciplinary tumor treatment (MDT) at MD Anderson, one of the world’s leading cancer centers. Upon returning to China, she integrated her international expertise with local practices, striving to improve the quality of life for cancer survivors.
In November 2014, Dr. Lu founded Doctor Lu’s Lung Cancer Home at the People's Hospital of Jiangsu. This initiative introduced innovative models, including a “multidisciplinary treatment” approach and a “doctor-patient community” that bridges in-hospital care with post-hospital rehabilitation. The platform organizes monthly activities like patient recovery stories, outdoor excursions, and birthday celebrations, inviting patients and their families to engage together.
By blending traditional Chinese familial values with holistic care, the platform emphasizes precise diagnosis, comprehensive patient management, and emotional support. Family members are actively included in the recovery journey, creating a nurturing environment for mutual encouragement and spiritual healing. This unique approach addresses both physical and emotional needs, helping patients reintegrate into their families and society. The initiative aspires to become a model for innovative medical care in China.
Reflecting on the past decade, Dr. Lu remarked, “Since the establishment of Doctor Lu’s Lung Cancer Home, we have provided free consultations, education, and support to nearly ten thousand lung cancer patients and their families.” This year, the platform launched its medical column on China’s mobile internet television, enabling dual-screen interactions across both TV and mobile devices. According to Dr. Lu, the platform upgrade can effectively break time and space barriers, integrating online resources from professional multidisciplinary teams to provide the fastest medical consultation services for patients across the country.
After successfully establishing a presence on desktop platforms, the Doctor Lu’s Lung Care Home: Small Nodule Consultation Wechat mini-program is set to launch by the end of the year. This tool will enable patients, even in remote areas, to upload their medical information and receive expert advice online, realizing true home-based internet healthcare.
