Dear Colleagues,
IASLC WCLC 2016, with the theme “Active Prevention, Accurate Diagnosis, Advanced Care,” will be a multidisciplinary conference covering all aspects of lung cancer. The conference will inform participants about the most recent scientific advances in the field of lung cancer and will provide updates on the state-of-the-art management of patients with lung cancer. Multiple sessions will cover multidisciplinary topics.
Major topics will include the 8th TNM classification, molecular diagnosis, extended surgical procedures, and advances in radiotherapy. With respect to systemic treatment, the focus will be on targeted therapies, e.g., third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors. These advances will be covered in scientific and educational sessions as well as in industrysupported symposia.
More than 2,000 abstracts have been submitted for selection as an oral or poster presentation. Poster presentations will be an important part of the Congress. Posters will be on display in the major exhibition hall, just beside the industry exhibition, for the whole of the assigned day, with presenters present at certain time slots during the morning and afternoon. This should facilitate interaction between presenters and participants.
IASLC and the organizers of IASLC WCLC 2016 are particularly honored that the President of Uruguay, Dr. Tabaré Vázquez, has accepted our invitation to deliver a keynote lecture on “Tobacco control in Uruguay” on Monday morning. The attendance of President Dr. Tabaré Vázquez promises to raise global awareness of IASLC WCLC 2016 and of the importance of tobacco control. I kindly ask you to make sure to attend the keynote lecture of President Dr. Tabaré Vázquez, underscoring our support for Uruguay in its tobacco control initiatives as well as our commitment for primary prevention as the most efficient strategy to decrease the worldwide epidemic of lung cancer.
I particularly invite you to attend the Opening Plenary Session on Sunday evening, during which Nobel Laureate Dr. Harald zur Hausen will deliver a keynote lecture on Cancer Management in the 21st Century.
IASLC WCLC 2016 will provide you with a great opportunity to share scientific advances and clinical experiences with colleagues from all over the world. It will be also an excellent opportunity for initiating and strengthening ongoing collaborations, which will benefit lung cancer patients around the globe. There will also be time to get to know each other, to make new friendships and to become part of the global IASLC community. The atmosphere at the Conference itself as well as the way of life in the Viennese host city should support these important goals.
Finally, I would like to provide you with some practical information regarding your participation at IASLC WCLC 2016. Vienna is an international city in the heart of Europe and host to many international organizations, including the United Nations. Viennese and Austrians are friendly and helpful to foreigners, and Vienna is a safe city with an excellent public transport system. For travel within Vienna, you can use the Metro (U-Bahn) or streetcars (Straßenbahn). Travel to Vienna is also easy, and interruption of air travel due to weather conditions or for other reasons is very unlikely to occur. Although you can expect cool weather, with temperatures around 5 degrees Celsius, it will unlikely go below zero. Snow in early December is unlikely in Vienna, but it could snow in the more alpine regions of Austria. You may consider planning a few extra days to enjoy Vienna and its surroundings. Vienna, Salzburg, and Innsbruck can be reached easily by train. In addition, Bratislava, Budapest, and Prague are within 300 kilometers of Vienna and can also be reached by train. Please be aware that many tourists will visit Vienna in early December and that December 8 is a holiday in Austria. Therefore, please plan your trip well ahead. Your early registration will also save you money and make final arrangements easier for the organizers.
I hope you will be able to attend IASLC WCLC 2016, and would like to warmly welcome you in Vienna.
Yours sincerely,
Robert Pirker, MD IASLC WCLC 2016 Congress President
