By Nicola M. Parry, DVM
From August 25 to 27, 2016, the 7th International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Latin American Lung Cancer Conference will take place in Panama City, Panama.
According to conference chairpersons, Edgardo S. Santos, MD, FACP, Lynn Cancer Institute, Boca Raton, Florida, and Roberto Iván López, MD, Hospital Punta Pacifica, Panama City, Panama, this annual conference attracts a varied audience that includes surgical oncologists, pulmonologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, and affiliated healthcare professionals.
During this year’s 3-day program, international and national experts will discuss the latest developments in basic and translational research, molecular diagnosis and prognostic factors, early diagnosis, targeted and individualized therapies, and surgical and clinical management of lung cancer in Latin America and worldwide. Although the official language of the conference is English, all sessions will be simultaneously translated into English and Spanish.
Dr. Santos notes that the IASLC School of Thoracic Oncology is a new event that will take place in conjunction with this year’s meeting. This intense, 1-day workshop is aimed at physicians in training, junior investigators, or faculty physicians, and will be held on Wednesday, August 24, before the conference begins. During the workshop, experts will discuss topics related to lung cancer, including pathology, radiation oncology, pulmonology, surgery, biostatistics, and medical oncology.
On Thursday, August 25, 2016, the conference will host a Young Investigators’ Session, and will once again support the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, by hosting a half-day Tobacco Forum involving leaders from the tobacco industry, as well as legislators and government officials. For the first time, this forum will also include patients and family members. “It is our responsibility to listen to and understand the needs of the patients affected with lung cancer,” said Dr. Santos.
The scientific program over the next 2 days includes plenary sessions, oral and poster presentations, roundtable discussions, and industry-supported symposia. According to Dr. Santos, “Immunotherapy and liquid biopsy, and how to utilize novel technology will be among the hottest topics this year, as well as targeted therapy.” He also noted that key opinion leaders from Latin America and the United States will share emerging data from innovative clinical trials in non-small cell lung cancer.
More than 600 delegates from Latin America are expected to attend this year’s conference, along with a wide range of commercial exhibitors. Each morning and afternoon, light refreshments will be provided in the Exhibit Hall during networking breaks. These breaks provide opportunities for delegates to view the posters and to mingle with colleagues, exhibitors, and sponsors.
Drs. Santos and López encourage all healthcare professionals with an interest in thoracic malignancies to attend this conference, to help bring more hope to lung cancer patients, to increase access to novel therapies in Latin America, and to be unified in a mission to
