FROM THE PUBLISHER
Many events have happened around the globe in a relatively short time frame. Just last month, we saw a historic moment where President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met face-to-face for a summit in Singapore. It was the first time we witnessed the sitting leaders of United States and North Korea meet to conduct diplomatic negotiations and ease international tensions between the two countries. June also marked the beginning of a long anticipated 2018 World Cup in Russia. Although South Korea was unsuccessful in advancing to Round 16, they stunned the nation and the world by defeating the defending champion Germany.
In this issue we feature a prominent physician Dr. Eun Sook Lee who is at the forefront of war on cancer. The interview of Dr. Lee is meaningful as she is the first female physician to be featured on WKMJ’s cover story. She has dedicated herself to breast cancer treatment where the somber diagnosis may be tendered more sensibly by a female doctor. Cancer outcome depends on the staging and this is where screening is important to pick up in the early phase. And her positive attitude is one of the most important therapeutic interventions that sets the tone. Dr. Lee clearly personifies the ‘tip of the spear’ as a first female in many regards, and she has been a leader in her field for the past 30 years. And today she carries the spear forward as the president of Korean National Cancer Center which is the leading cancer research center in the country. Bringing Proton Therapy, which is as effective as X-ray therapy while causing less collateral damage on healthy tissue, to NCC in 2007 was a major advancement. Dr. Lee is comprehensive in her outlook on cancer, and the most beneficial and broad application of her endeavors is in cancer prevention through healthy lifestyle. In Loma Linda CA, or other parts of the world known as Blue Zones, healthy lifestyle has shown to lead to longevity. Dr. Lee has been a pioneer, and hopefully through her continued efforts future Blue Zones will emerge in Korea. The story of her career is a model for those aspiring future physicians, both men and women, who will advance the medical field as Dr. Lee has done.
Many changes are happening in the world and with a political shift, there seem to be emerging signs of nationalism with less globalization and cooperation between the nations; Britain left EU, US closed its borders, and Russia tried to expand its borders. Despite this shift toward nationalism, I believe there is still hope for more medical cooperation among the nations.
David Y. Ko, MD
Publisher
President of WKMO
Loma Linda University
FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The National Cancer Center (NCC) is the Korean government’s principal agency for cancer research, cancer patient treatment and cancer specialists training. NCC leads, conducts, and supports cancer research across the nation to advance scientific knowledge and to help all people live cancer-free lives. The battle to conquer cancer through prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and research is being fought on both national and international levels, and the NCC has persevered to be the leader in these battles for the Koreans. For the Cover Story, WKMJ interviewed Eun Sook Lee, MD, PhD who is currently the president of the National Cancer Center (NCC).
As the editor-in-chief, I have two reasons to introduce Dr. Eun Sook Lee and the NCC to our readers. First reason is my keen affection for the NCC. In the late 2000s, when I was serving as the secretariat for Korea Health Forum for two years, I worked closely with Dr. Keun-Young Yoo, the president of NCC at the time, as one of the board members, and I had the chance to learn much about the roles and the responsibilities of the NCC from him. Ever since, I tried to become a conduit for the agency whenever I had the chance to introduce the NCC to the outer world, and now I have the chance to introduce the agency to our WKMJ readers worldwide. Second reason is the specialty of Dr. Eun Sook Lee. Dr. Lee is a world-renowned breast cancer surgeon, and WKMJ aims to feature breast cancer leaders in our consecutive editions to enhance the awareness of breast cancer, one of the most common threats to women’s health. As a physician, her achievements in the area of cancer treatment have been significant. As a healthcare leader and a female role model, her visions on human health has become an inspiration for the young generation.
New trends and issues of the bio-health industry were featured in the articles. In the Special Report, we also introduced current findings in breast cancer clinical studies.
World Korean Medical Journal was founded and published to feature the most relevant issues on the global healthcare arena while introducing the most influential and inspirational healthcare leaders.
Many eminent experts shared their knowledge and insights as authors in this edition. I wish that our readers will find this exciting selection of articles to be helpful and pleasant. Thank you.
DoHyun Cho, PhD
Editor in Chief
President & CEO of W Medical Strategy Group
Chairman of New York Health Forum
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