China Association for Science and Technology calls for lab safety inspections after cancer cases at hospital

The China Association for Science and Technology on Thursday called for thorough inspections of laboratory security following a recent incident in which several staff members at a renowned hospital in Guangdong province were diagnosed with cancer.

The call comes after online reports stated that several staff members at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou had developed cancer due to the lab environment and reagents used.

In a post on its official WeChat account, CAST said a rigorous and professional investigation is necessary to determine whether the cancer cases are linked to the medical laboratory. It also urged relevant authorities to initiate prompt inspections of laboratory environments, particularly in higher-risk settings such as biology, medicine, and chemical laboratories.

CAST emphasized that lab environment security is an ethical issue in science and technology, and highlighted the importance of a safe lab environment in protecting researchers from exposure to toxic and harmful substances, as well as safeguarding the public.

The association pointed out that over the past few decades, there have been some incidents of laboratory leaks in various countries, some of which resulted in small-scale public infections that could have been prevented.

CAST also highlighted the public outcry surrounding the incident due to the young age of those affected and their association with the hospital's breast cancer research center. It called on relevant authorities to approach the incident pragmatically, scientifically, and rationally in order to uncover the truth as quickly as possible.

In response to the incident, the hospital issued a post stating that three people who had studied at its breast cancer research facility were diagnosed with cancer this year. It said the causes for individual cancer cases are complex, and the hospital welcomes third-party institutions to conduct evaluations and investigations at the lab.

According to the hospital's post, one of the individuals, a female doctor surnamed Huang, studied at the laboratory from 2017 to 2022 and began working in the hospital's breast surgery department in July 2022. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last month.

Another doctorate graduate surnamed Liu, who had experience at the laboratory from 2013 to 2018 and currently works in the breast surgery department, was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma in June. Synovial sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that often occurs near the knees and other large joints.

The third person is a visiting student from a hospital outside Guangzhou, who once worked at the laboratory for one year and completed their studies in April last year, was diagnosed with breast cancer this year.