Professor Seonjongmu of Samsung Seoul Hospital Awarded the 23rd Boryung Cancer Academic Award

Boryung and the Korea Cancer Research Foundation announced on the 28th that they have selected Professor Seon Jong-mu of the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Samsung Seoul Hospital as the recipient of the 23rd Boryung Cancer Academic Award. The award ceremony will be held at the Cancer Research Institute of Seoul National University Hospital on the same day, where Professor Seon will receive a prize of 30 million KRW and a plaque.

Professor Seon Jong-mu of the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Samsung Seoul Hospital, selected as the recipient of the 23rd Boryeong Cancer Academic Award
[Photo by Boryeong]

Professor Seon graduated from Seoul National University College of Medicine and earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Oncology from the same university's graduate school. After serving as a clinical fellow and assistant professor at Samsung Seoul Hospital, he is currently a professor at both Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine and Samsung Seoul Hospital. He is a world-renowned authority in the fields of lung and esophageal cancer, focusing his research on the clinical application of immuno-oncology drugs and clinical trials for new drug development.

In 2021, Professor Seon published an international phase 3 clinical trial on immuno-oncology drugs in the prestigious journal The Lancet, providing evidence to expand the indication of first-line treatment for metastatic esophageal cancer. This breakthrough allowed the use of immuno-oncology drugs for metastatic esophageal cancer, which previously had almost no treatment options, presenting a new paradigm in cancer therapy and significantly improving patient prognosis. He was selected as the award recipient in recognition of his clinical research achievements, including numerous publications in prominent domestic and international academic journals.

The Boryung Cancer Academic Award was jointly established in 2002 by the Korea Cancer Research Foundation and Boryung to encourage and support researchers dedicated to cancer eradication research for the improvement of public health. It has been recognized for contributing to the advancement of oncology research activities in Korea and has established itself as the most prestigious award in the domestic oncology field. The recipient is selected based on academic achievements over the past three years among physicians and scientists who have been engaged in oncology research for more than five years. Candidates are recommended and recruited through medical schools nationwide, related institutions, and academic societies, and one recipient is chosen each year through the review of a newly formed achievement evaluation committee and the steering committee. For the 23rd Boryung Cancer Academic Award, the final recipient was selected after a thorough review of 144 papers from both domestic and international sources.

Im Seok-ah, Chairperson of the Korea Cancer Research Foundation, said, "The Boryung Cancer Academic Award, now in its 23rd year, is the most meaningful academic award in Korea’s cancer research field. We hope that the award will inspire Professor Seon Jong-mu and many other researchers to continue their research enthusiasm and lead to even better research outcomes." Jang Doo-hyun, CEO of Boryung, also stated, "Thanks to the sweat and passion of the award recipient and many other researchers, we are bringing new hope for life to cancer patients. Boryung will continue to support the dedication of researchers committed to cancer research and walk together on the path to cancer eradication."