World Conference on Lung Cancer Wednesday Press Conference: Applying Conference Discoveries and Themes to the Real World

TORONTO, Sept. 26, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The final press briefing from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer’s (IASLC’s) 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) was led by conference co-presidents Natasha B. Leighl, M.D., BSc, MSc, and Gail Darling M.D., FRCSC, who reviewed the innovative work in lung cancer research and treatment presented over the course of the conference. “The future is bright, and I think we’ve seen that at this conference,” said Dr. Darling.

Paul A. Bunn Jr., M.D., distinguished professor, Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado, provided an experienced practitioner’s view on the impact of this year’s practice-changing abstracts. Emphasizing that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the world and in men and women, Dr. Bunn said that the best thing to do is prevent it and to find it early. In commenting on the impact of “overwhelming” improvement in lung cancer mortality seen in the NELSON trial on randomized CT screenings, Dr. Bunn stated, “Even more than a coloscopy or a mammography, women in the world at risk for lung cancer should undergo an annual CT screening.”

Jill Feldman, lung cancer survivor and advocate, lost both parents, an aunt and a grandparent to lung cancer and shared her drive to advocate for an increase in research and treatment of this devastating disease. “When I look at these practice-changing abstracts, I know they’re exciting for clinicians, but for patients, they’re life changing,” Feldman said. “We must keep forging ahead, so others have the chance to watch their children grow up.”

Anna Farago, M.D., Ph.D., medical oncologist at Mass General Hospital, provided a young practitioner’s perspective on the practice-changing abstracts. In discussing the impact of the PACIFIC trial, Dr. Farago stated, “Based on the overall survival data we saw from the this trial presented at the WCLC, I think durvalumab is now solidified as the standard of care for Stage III unresectable non-small cell lung cancer following chemotherapy and radiation.”

In commenting on the IMpower133 trial, Dr. Farago concluded, “The standard of care/first line therapy for small cell lung cancer has been unchanged for 30 years. This is the first trial to demonstrate a clinically significant survival benefit.” 

Study analyzes use of thoracic radiotherapy for limited-stage SCLC
A recent study led by Xiao Hu, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Thoracic Radiotherapy, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, demonstrated that using involved field radiotherapy (IFRT) and irradiating post-chemotherapy residual primary tumor volume for limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) did not result in increased recurrence of the cancer.

While combined chemotherapy and thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) is the standard of care for most patients with SCLC, TRT target volumes of limited-stage SCLC have been controversial. To date, this is the only prospective randomized study on these issues evaluating TRT for limited-stage SCLC.

“Considering the high malignancy and easy metastasis of SCLC, chemotherapy remains the cornerstone of comprehensive treatment,” said Dr. Hu. “For patients having difficulty with full-dose intravenous chemotherapy, it could be administered safely by dose reduction or using single agent chemotherapy or oral chemotherapy, along with radiotherapy.”

Read the full press release here.

Dr. Leighl closed the press briefing with a preview of today’s closing plenary, “The goal of this plenary is to help us take the great progress at this meeting—take it home, take action and really put this into practice.” 

Livestreams of the daily press conferences are available here.

About the WCLC
The World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) is the world’s largest meeting dedicated solely to lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies, attracting over 7,000 researchers, physicians and specialists from more than 100 countries. The conference will cover a wide range of disciplines and unveil research studies and clinical trial results. For more information, visit http://wclc2018.iaslc.org/. Follow the conference on social media with: #WCLC2018.

About the IASLC
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is the only global organization dedicated solely to the study of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. Founded in 1974, the association's membership includes more than 7,500 lung cancer specialists across all disciplines in over 100 countries, forming a global network working together to conquer lung and thoracic cancers worldwide. The association also publishes the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the primary educational and informational publication for topics relevant to the prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment of all thoracic malignancies. Visit www.iaslc.org for more information. You can also follow the IASLC on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Contacts:
Lisa Rivero Vice President lrivero@jpa.com | +1 617-657-1305	Becky Bunn, MSc Public Relations Manager Becky.Bunn@IASLC.org | +1 720-254-9509

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