The World Congress on Lung Cancer is unique, and not just because it is the single largest annual gathering dedicated to lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. It also has staying power, with 2024 being the 50th annual meeting of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.
“Back in the 1970s it became clear just how important it is to get all the different disciplines involved in lung cancer together,” said former IASLC CEO Paul A. Bunn, Jr., MD, James Dudley Chair in Cancer Research and Distinguished Professor of Medicine-Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora.
“ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) started as a bunch of medical oncologists, AACR (American Association for Cancer Research) had a few medical oncologists and a lot of basic scientists,” he continued. “But neither of those organizations had the spectrum of pathologists, thoracic surgeons, pulmonologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, allied health professionals, and patient advocates who deal with lung cancer every day. IASLC is unique in that it is both multinational and multi-specialty, bringing together the different thoracic oncology disciplines from around the world.”
Dr. Bunn will explore the path of the IASLC from its original 250 founding members meeting in Milan, Italy, in 1974 to the nearly 8,000 attendees meeting in San Diego half a century later. He will be joined by another early IASLC CEO, Fred Hirsch, MD, PhD. Dr. Hirsch is now Executive Director at the Center for Thoracic Oncology and Co-Director of the Center of Excellence for Thoracic Oncology at The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai and the Joe Lowe and Louis Price Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
The two will share memories, insights, and predictions during a special plenary Celebrating 50 Years of the IASLC, Legacy of Impact, Future of Promise, which will take place from 17:00 – 18:15 PDT on Sunday, September 8, in the Plenary Hall of the San Diego Convention Center. The plenary will be livestreamed for virtual attendees and available on demand for all registered WCLC attendees.
17:00-18:15 PDT, Sunday, September 8
Plenary Hall, San Diego Convention Center
Celebrating 50 Years of the IASLC, Legacy of Impact, Future of Promise
A special plenary session will explore the history of the IASLC from its 250 founding members meeting in Milan, Italy, in 1974 to the nearly 8,000 attendees meeting in San Diego half a century later.
IASLC has played key roles in improving outcomes for lung cancer, Dr. Bunn said. Many of the key advances in prevention, screening and early detection, and treatment have been unveiled during WCLC and in the pages of the IASLC’s flagship journal, the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.
Other meetings and other professional associations focus on specific pieces of lung cancer research and treatment. IASLC is uniquely positioned to spread advances from multiple disciplines throughout the global lung cancer community quickly, accurately, and with direct impact on patient care and outcomes.
IASLC’s global membership has helped sharpen the focus on regional variations in lung cancer susceptibility and prevalence. Clinical trials and research were once centered largely in Europe and North America. IASLC members have helped highlight regional differences such as the higher incidence of molecular alterations in Asian populations and the growing recognition of sex-based difference in lung cancer incidence around the globe.
“Clinical trials in Asia or Latin America were uncommon years ago,” Dr. Bunn said. “The IASLC has made life easier for researchers, clinicians, and patients everywhere by encouraging active involvement from around the world.
“Lung cancer is a global challenge,” he continued. “IASLC has regular meetings in Asia, Latin America, and soon in Africa; one of the most underserved regions of the world. The goal of the IASLC is to reduce lung cancer mortality worldwide, not just in developed countries where there are more physicians and more resources. Patients, no matter where they are, must have the best opportunities possible for early detection and prevention as well as better therapies.”
