When waters of the river and the well meet

摘要

There is a famous idiom in China: 河水不犯井水 (“the waters of the river and of the well do not mix”). This describes the state of two parties each going their own way without interfering with the other. It also aptly describes the traditional relationship between many surgeons and oncologists when managing lung cancer. The former treats patients with early‐stage disease, the latter deals with patients suffering advanced stage disease, and (almost) never the twain shall meet.