The IASLC | ASCO 2025 North America Conference on Lung Cancer (NACLC), a leading event for those dedicated to advancing lung cancer care, will take place December 5-7 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile. The conference offers a unique opportunity for leading experts, clinicians, and researchers nationwide to come together for networking, education, and the presentation of the latest research in thoracic oncology.
Christine Bestvina, MD, Associate Professor at the University of Chicago Medicine and one of the four 2025 conference chairs—alongside Erin Gillaspie, MD; Kristen Marrone, MD; and Ramesh Rengen, MD, PhD—recently spoke with ILCN about NACLC 2025. In the following interview, hear about session highlights and tips for making the most of the upcoming conference.
ILCN: The keynote addresses tackle two big topics in thoracic oncology (Lessons From Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy Trials and AI’s Transformative Power in NSCLC). Why are these topics important to address, and what do you expect attendees to come away with from these talks?
Dr. Bestvina: We are thrilled Patrick Forde, MD, PhD, will be joining us to present on neoadjuvant immunotherapy. This has improved cure rates for patients with surgically resectable stage II and III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), though we still have a long way to go to increase the number of patients who can benefit from these treatments. Many unanswered questions remain, such as the additive benefit of adjuvant immunotherapy following neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy.
We are also thrilled to have Marina Garassino, MD, present on the potential implications of artificial intelligence (AI) in NSCLC care. She has already been a pioneer in this field, helping to identify the TROP2 normalized membrane ratio, the first computational pathology biomarker identified in NSCLC. Attendees will be inspired to harness the power of AI to advance research further and faster.
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ILCN: What other can’t-miss sessions do you recommend for attendees at NACLC 2025?
Dr. Bestvina: I look forward to Friday’s back-to-back sessions of Pre-Op, Post-Op, Don’t Stop: The Lung Cancer Treatment Shuffle and Between the Scans and the Scalpel: Perioperative Case Files. We planned these two sessions to have a strong impact on the learner. First, we will lay the foundation with educational lectures and then move to a lively tumor board discussion to reinforce these learning principles in real time. These are two sessions you won’t want to miss on Friday.
ILCN: Beyond the educational sessions, what other events or networking opportunities are you looking forward to during the meeting?
Dr. Bestvina: We always intentionally build in long networking breaks at NACLC to try to foster community. While NACLC is happily growing, it is still one of the smaller and more accessible meetings of the IASLC. All of the faculty are happy to field questions or engage in discussion.
We also look forward to an engaging reception with poster viewing on Saturday evening. We encourage everyone to stick around for a glass of wine and an abstract viewing before heading out to enjoy any number of amazing restaurants in Chicago.
ILCN: What is a fond memory or moment from a prior year’s NACLC?
Dr. Bestvina: I have so many fond memories of getting together with friends and colleagues for lively discussions over meals and beverages each evening, enjoying some of the host city’s best food, and discussing our struggles and successes. It is always an affirming meeting.
ILCN: Is there anything else attendees should know as they prepare for the meeting?
Dr. Bestvina: Come ready to engage in discussion and learning! We have left plenty of time for questions and answers in each session, and we want to give all attendees an opportunity to engage with the faculty on any burning patient care questions and to engage in the learning material in real time.
