To be a woman working in thoracic oncology was once considered quite unusual. However, while the IASLC has had just two female presidents in the 50 years since its founding, the field is evolving.
“We are trying to change the perception that thoracic oncology is not a female-friendly space when, in fact, it is. Many of us have thrived within IASLC,” said Narjust Florez, MD, FASCO, Associate Director of the Cancer Care Equity Program, Thoracic Medical Oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston.
“More women are surviving lung cancer than ever before and more women are dying of lung cancer than ever before,” Dr. Florez continued. “And when we look at patients with lung cancer without tobacco history, two-thirds of those patients are women. There is tremendous importance for our patients in diversifying the workforce when it comes to women in thoracic oncology.”
Dr. Florez will co-chair Gender Equity in Thoracic Oncology from 12:30–13:30 PDT tomorrow, Sunday, September 8, in Room 22 at the San Diego Convention Center. She will share the stage with fellow co-chair Linda W. Martin, MD, MPH, FACS, Professor and Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville.
12:30-13:30 PDT, Sunday, September 8
Room 22, San Diego Convention Center
Gender Equity in Thoracic Oncology
Narjust Florez, MD, FASCO, and Linda W. Martin, MD, MPH, FACS, will co-chair a special session on gender equity that includes a case-based panel discussion on addressing challenging situations.
“About 6-10% of all thoracic surgeons are women,” Dr. Martin said. “Medical oncology may be a little ahead, but thoracic surgery is pretty unbalanced. We have a lot more women entering thoracic surgery than we did when I went through training, but we are still pretty far from any sort of equity.”
Gender equity in thoracic oncology is improving, albeit slowly. There are more women than men entering medical school, Dr. Martin noted, though men continue to outnumber women in surgical residencies and specialty training programs. Surgery is not the most hours-friendly or family-friendly of specialties, she added.
There is also a notable lack of female representation in thoracic oncology leadership. Affinity bias plays a role, Dr. Florez said. Women are likewise underrepresented in clinical trials at all levels from principal investigators to patients.
“There is significant gender bias associated with diagnosis, a presumption that women do not get lung cancer, which leads to significant delays in diagnosis,” she said. “Delayed diagnosis is the difference between curable disease and metastatic disease.”
Acknowledging gender bias is a start, but bringing equity to thoracic oncology requires positive action.
“Many of us have tried to be mentors to the younger generation,” Dr. Martin said. “Thankfully, there are quite a few men in the profession who have been notable upstanders and very supportive of their women colleagues since there are not yet many people in the higher ranks that are female. Some of our male colleagues have stepped into that role and have been very public advocates and supporters of their women colleagues and trainees.”
Professional organizations also have important roles. IASLC may have had just two women presidents, but IASLC Chief Executive Officer, Karen Kelly, MD, who will take part in the session, is making a visible difference, Dr. Martin said. Dr. Kelly was named CEO in 2022.
“Consciously or unconsciously, Dr. Kelly makes an effort to include women,” Dr. Martin said. “Having a highly capable, respected woman who leads by example as well as by intention is a huge way to move things in the right direction.
“And while this is a professional session, talking about the ramifications of encouraging more women to be involved in cancer care is important for our patients,” she said. “It’s about trial design and execution, developing leadership in ways that mirror the population demographics that ultimately helps lead to better care for our patients.”
The session will include talks from experts from all regions of the world and will cover topics such as work-life balance and how to handle difficult situations.
