Meet our members: Herbert Loong

We speak to Herbert Loong, Clinical Associate Professor, the Chinese University of Hong Kong

What led you to work in the field of lung cancer?

Lung cancer has always been a key area of academic output in our department. Under the guidance of our department chairman, Professor Tony Mok – and with my fellowship training in oncology drug development/early phase clinical trials at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Canada – I have been working on lung cancer with a focus on novel therapeutics and clinical trials.

What does an average workday look like for you?

I have clinics, during which I see lung cancer patients who are either in clinical trials or on a routine clinical pathway. I am also involved in the management of patients with sarcomas, my other site of interest. As an academic department, we also have medical students and residents/fellows to supervise. A lot of our discussions with colleagues from around the world take place in the evenings.

What is working well in Hong Kong, and what could be improved?

Tobacco control is something that Hong Kong has been championing successfully for the last two decades. We have seen a significant decline in smokers through a multi-pronged approach: education, legislation and taxation. What we are lacking, though, is a screening programme – which we urgently need – addressing the issue of lung cancer in non-smokers, which is more prevalent in East Asia.

What motivated you to join the Lung Cancer Policy Network?

I am keen to learn from like-minded peers who also want to reduce the burden of lung cancer in their communities. Scientific advances at patient level need to be coupled with macroscopic broad-stroke policy changes or updates to benefit the community at large.

What would you like to see from the Network as it develops?

I would like to see an expanding membership. I would also like to see representation from regions that are socioeconomically challenged, so we can discuss and potentially implement resource-stratified screening and prevention approaches. There are also a lot of innovative and novel approaches to screening and prevention that developed areas can learn from developing regions.

What changes would you like to see in lung cancer care on a global level?

I would like to see the implementation of early detection programmes. Different regions may have different epidemiologies, healthcare access challenges and even different priorities when it comes to screening for cancers. But there is no doubt that earlier-stage disease is easier to deal with than late-stage – and not having cancer is always better than having it. So prevention is also important.

What recent research have you found the most interesting or exciting?

I have seen dramatic improvements in treatment outcomes for patients with late-stage disease. This is because we understand that lung cancer is not just one disease, but a large group of rare cancers – akin to sarcomas. With early identification of different molecular subtypes, the availability of tailored and targeted approaches, and the increasing use of immunotherapy (specifically checkpoint inhibitors), we are seeing major improvements in survival. These are also now being moved earlier in the treatment journey for patients, so early adoption of these approaches in the adjuvant or perioperative settings will likely see further gains.

Outside of work, what do you spend your time doing?

Work never seems to end. But I try to spend my downtime with my family and my dog. I got a boating licence during the Covid pandemic, when I thought taking a boat out would allow me some form of escape. But I have not pulled the trigger to buy myself a boat yet. Someday, maybe.

The Lung Cancer Policy Network brings together a unique mix of experts in lung cancer from around the world, united in their passion to eliminate lung cancer as a cause of death.

We regularly share profiles of our members so that you can find out more about what led them to work in lung cancer and what changes they would like to see in lung cancer prevention and care on a global level.