With three decades of commitment to minimally invasive interventional oncology, building a scholarly framework for precision therapy through seed implantation and ablation.
There is a remarkable figure in China’s interventional medicine community. He is the chief editor of all four editions of the landmark work CT-Guided Interventional Therapy. He is the architect behind two national industry standards—Specifications for Radioactive Seed Therapy and Quality Control Indicators for Radioactive Seed Therapy—issued by the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, the leader of seven expert consensus guidelines, and the principal investigator of a National Key R&D Program focused on pioneering iodine-125 precision therapy for glioma. Tracing back to the early days of China’s interventional medicine development in the 1990s, he established his academic foundation in minimally invasive tumor therapy and has remained steadfast in this field for more than three decades. He is Professor Hu Xiaokun, Deputy Director of the Interventional Medicine Center of The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, director of Interventional Ward at the West Coast Campus, chief physician, doctoral and postdoctoral supervisor, and chairman of the Interventional Minimally Invasive Therapy Committee of the China Medical Education Association.
Professor Hu Xiaokun, born in 1967, began his medical career at the Pingyi Cooperative Hospital affiliated with Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, where he served as director of both the Imaging Center and the Interventional Medicine Center. Rising from the grassroots level, he advanced steadily and resolutely to become a notable figure in China’s interventional medicine community. From August to November 2015, he pursued advanced training as a visiting scholar at Harvard Medical School in the United States, bringing internationally advanced concepts in minimally invasive interventional therapy back to China. He currently serves as Deputy Director of the Interventional Medicine Center and Director of the Non-Vascular Interventional Department at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, as well as Director of the Interventional Ward at the West Coast Campus and Director of the Qingdao Tumor Interventional Minimally Invasive Technology Innovation Center. Professor Hu Xiaokun is a National Science and Technology Evaluation Expert of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China and a top-notch talent of Qingdao and has been honored as an “Outstanding Expert with Distinguished Contributions” and an “Outstanding Science and Technology Worker” in the Qingdao West Coast New Area. With more than three decades of clinical experience, he has personally performed over 35,000 minimally invasive tumor procedures and trained more than 360 visiting physicians and fellows from hospitals across China. He is widely recognized as one of the leading experts in interventional medicine in China.
In terms of technical expertise, Professor Hu Xiaokun has created a complete system for minimally invasive treatment that focuses on radioactive seed implantation and includes various ablation therapies. He is highly proficient in the full spectrum of tumor ablation technologies, including iodine-125 radioactive seed interstitial brachytherapy, radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, cryoablation, irreversible electroporation (NanoKnife), and photodynamic therapy. Over the years, he has accumulated extensive clinical experience in the minimally invasive treatment of solid tumors such as lung cancer, liver cancer, glioma, and pancreatic cancer. In parallel, he has also developed profound expertise in the management of non-neoplastic diseases, particularly vertebroplasty and minimally invasive treatments for intervertebral disc disorders. What truly distinguishes him is the seamless integration of academic research with clinical practice. He has published more than 120 academic papers in leading Chinese and international journals and, as the first principal contributor, has received multiple honors, including the Second Prize and Third Prize of the Shandong Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award. His academic contributions extend far beyond publishing papers — they are fundamentally about establishing standards. The two national regulatory documents he led in drafting for the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China remain, to this day, foundational standards for radioactive seed therapy in China.
Professor Hu Xiaokun’s contributions to academic organizations and disciplinary development are equally remarkable. He serves as chairman of the Interventional Minimally Invasive Therapy Committee of the China Medical Education Association, Director Member of the Special Committee in Tumor Minimally-Invasive Treatment and Personalized Treatment of China Anti-Cancer Association, Director Member of the Special Committee in photodynamic therapy of China Anti-Cancer Association, and Founding Director Member of the Special Committee in Imaging of Tumor Minimally-Invasive Treatment of China Anti-Cancer Association. He also serves as Director Member of the Special Committee of tumor Minimally-Invasive Treatment of Shandong Anti Cancer Association and Director Member of the Special Committee of Minimally-Invasive Tumour Treatment of Qingdao Medical Association. As the chief editor of all four editions of the landmark textbook CT-Guided Interventional Therapy, published by the People's Health Press, Professor Hu Xiaokun has created a work that has become an indispensable training textbook and clinical reference in the field of interventional medicine in China. From establishing clinical standards to cultivating the next generation of specialists, from advancing academic scholarship to shaping the direction of an entire discipline, Professor Hu Xiaokun has, over more than three decades, evolved from a skilled practitioner into an architect of standards in China’s interventional medicine community. The disciplinary framework he has built is grounded in authoritative textbooks, guided by standardized protocols, and sustained through talent cultivation. In doing so, he has established enduring foundations and a systematic framework for the development of minimally invasive tumor intervention in China.
According to available statistics, Professor Hu Xiaokun has published more than 120 academic papers in leading Chinese and international journals. His research focuses on radioactive seed implantation therapy, microwave ablation, radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation, and photodynamic therapy for the treatment of solid tumors, including lung cancer, liver cancer, glioma, and pancreatic cancer.
1. Hu Xiaokun, Wang Mingyou, YangZhiguo, et al, The study of curing central-type lung cancer by CT guided percutaneous embedding of 125 I seeds, Chinese Journal of Radiology, 2004, (9).
Professor Hu Xiaokun served as the first author of this study(cited by 128), which was published in the Chinese Journal of Radiology, one of the leading journals in the field of radiology in China. The paper systematically investigated the procedure, safety, and efficacy of CT-guided percutaneous interstitial implantation of iodine-125 radioactive seeds for the treatment of central-type lung cancer. The study retrospectively analyzed 22 patients with pathologically confirmed central-type lung cancer who underwent CT-guided percutaneous implantation of 7 to 16 radioactive seeds. The results demonstrated that this technique is safe, minimally invasive, and clinically effective, thereby laying an important technical foundation for the early development and application of radioactive seed therapy for lung cancer in China.
2. Zuo Taiyang, Hu Xiaokun, Li Zixiang. Clinical Application of CT-Guided Iodine-125 Radioactive Seed Implantation for Elderly Patients with Peripheral Lung Cancer. journal of medical imaging, 2014, (12).
Professor Hu Xiaokun served as the co-author(Ranked second). Focusing on the special population of elderly patients with peripheral lung cancer, the paper investigated the clinical efficacy and safety of CT-guided iodine-125 radioactive seed implantation, providing a minimally invasive treatment option for elderly lung cancer patients who are unable to tolerate surgery. The study has been cited 7 times.
3. Wang Qifeng, Zuo Taiyang, Hu Xiaokun. Treatment of recurrent malignant tumor in paranasal sinuses with radioactive particle 125 I implantation by CT guidance. journal of medical imaging, 2014, (8).
Professor Hu Xiaokun served as a co-author of this study. The research enrolled 11 patients with recurrent malignant tumors of the paranasal sinuses and investigated the technique, efficacy, and safety of CT-guided percutaneous iodine-125 radioactive seed implantation. The findings further expanded the clinical applications of radioactive seed implantation in the treatment of recurrent head and neck tumors.
4. Zhang Kaixian, Hu Xiaokun. Study on 125 I seed implants for recurrent brain gliomas under CT guidance. Proceedings of the 5th Chinese Conference on Oncology, 2008.
Professor Hu Xiaokun served as a co-author of this study. The research investigated the technical approach and clinical efficacy of CT-guided iodine-125 radioactive seed implantation for the treatment of recurrent glioma, representing one of the earliest exploratory studies in China to apply radioactive seed implantation to intracranial malignancies.
5. Hu Heying, Wang Hong, Peng Lijing, Liu Shifeng, Hu Xiaokun. The role of real-time optimization of radioactive seed implantation in treatment of gliomas. journal of medical imaging.
Professor Hu Xiaokun served as the corresponding author of this study. The research explored the value of intraoperative real-time dosimetry optimization in iodine-125 radioactive seed implantation for the treatment of glioma. By comparing the dosimetric distributions achieved through preoperative planning and intraoperative optimization, the study demonstrated that intraoperative real-time dosimetry optimization enables a more accurate and rational postoperative dose distribution. These findings carry important clinical significance for improving the precision and therapeutic efficacy of radioactive seed implantation therapy.
6. Wang Kehai, Ma Cunmei, Hu Xiaokun, Sun Yimin. Applied Research on CT-Guided 125I Radioactive Seed Implantation in the Treatment of Chest Wall Metastases. journal of medical imaging.
Professor Hu Xiaokun served as a co-author of this study. The research enrolled 38 patients with chest wall metastases who underwent CT-guided percutaneous iodine-125 radioactive seed implantation. At the one-year follow-up, the local tumor control rate reached 94.7%, accompanied by significant pain relief and only mild complications. The findings demonstrated that this approach can achieve excellent local tumor control and effective pain palliation with a favorable safety profile.
7. Yin Yueshuai, Hu Xiaokun. Clinical application of TACE combined with CT guided microwave ablation in treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma. Chinese Journal of Interventional Radiology, 2018, (4).
Professor Hu Xiaokun served as a co-author of this study. The research investigated the clinical value of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with CT-guided microwave ablation in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, providing important clinical evidence to support the multimodal interventional treatment strategy for liver cancer.
8. Mao Yuanyuan, Yin Yueshuai, Mi Bing, Hu Xiaokun. A Case of Giant Cavitation Following CT-Guided Percutaneous Microwave Ablation for Lung Adenocarcinoma. Chinese Journal of Interventional Radiology, 2023, 11(3).
Professor Hu Xiaokun is a co-author of this paper. This article reports a rare complication of giant cavity formation in a 67-year-old female patient with lung adenocarcinoma following CT-guided percutaneous microwave ablation, providing valuable clinical insights into the identification, prevention, and management of post-ablation complications.
9. Hu Xiaokun, Wang Mingyou, Jin Zhengyu, et al,. Clinical application of percutaneous needling lung abscess drairnage under CT guidance. Journal of Interventional Radiology, 2004, (4): 337.
Professor Hu Xiaokun is the first author of this paper. Published in a leading core journal in the field of interventional radiology, the study systematically investigates the clinical value of CT-guided percutaneous drainage for lung abscesses. It extends CT-guided precision puncture techniques into the field of infectious disease treatment and highlights his broad technical expertise in non-oncological interventional therapy.
1.Development of Industry Guidelines and Expert Consensus Statements
Professor Hu Xiaokun led the drafting of two industry documents issued by the National Health Commission: Specifications for Radioactive Seed Therapy and Quality Control Indicators for Radioactive Seed Therapy. He also spearheaded the development of seven expert consensus guidelines.
2. Lead Editor of the monograph:CT-Guided Interventional Therapy(1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th editions)
Professor Hu Xiaokun served as the Lead Editor of this monograph, which was published by People's Health Press. The book systematically presents the technical framework of CT-guided minimally invasive interventional diagnosis and treatment for tumors and has become an essential training textbook and clinical reference in the field of interventional medicine in China.
1.Served as the Chief Expert leading the National Key Research and Development Program project, Research and Promotion of the Precision Iodine-125 Treatment System and Key Technologies for Glioma (Project No. 2019FED120100).
2.As the first contributor, he received multiple awards, including the Second and Third Prizes of the Shandong Provincial Science and Technology Progress Awards and the First and Second Prizes of the Qingdao Municipal Science and Technology Progress Awards.
3.He led and completed a series of studies on radioactive seed therapy, and the achievements received multiple honors, including the Qingdao Municipal Science and Technology Progress Second Prize in 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2010, as well as the Shandong Provincial Science and Technology Progress Third Prize in 2007 and 2011.
4.Main research directions: Minimally invasive tumor therapy—radioactive seed therapy, radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, photodynamic therapy, cryoablation, and irreversible electroporation (nanoknife ablation).
