The 2023 Multidisciplinary Thoracic Cancers Symposium was a two-and-a-half day meeting featuring interactive case discussions; educational sessions on multidisciplinary therapies, new targeted therapies, immunotherapy, treatment and screening guidelines, supportive care; and oral abstract sessions highlighting the most current, evidence-based practices. The goal of this meeting was to provide participants with updates on current clinical and translational initiatives in thoracic malignancies, including targeted therapy, immunotherapy, advanced radiation techniques, surgical methodologies and pathological advancements in molecular categorization that are relevant to daily clinical practice. Additionally, attendees were updated on the appropriate integration of these advancements in their daily practice, including indication, patient selection, combinations of different therapeutic modalities, prevention and management of common toxicities in the context of potentially improved clinical outcomes. This educational activity focused on several of the most complex and controversial topics in the multidisciplinary management of patients with thoracic cancers to optimize incorporation of recent advances into daily practice.
It is imperative that thoracic oncology physicians remain current in the state-of-the-art scientific advances and technologies. This meeting provided attendees the opportunity to gain exposure and understand advantages and disadvantages with the latest advances in surgery, radiation oncology, radiology, pathology, molecular pathology, pulmonary medicine and medical oncology related to thoracic malignancies. Attendees need to determine how the latest scientific advances will affect their day-to-day clinical practice and understand which advances represent new standards of care to be able to narrow competency gaps across the various specialties that focus on treatment of thoracic malignancies. Attendees also have to assess the greatest obstacles that hinder implementing scientific advances in thoracic oncology into their day-to-day practice. Use of molecular testing for all non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer is subpar and there is a need for greater use of testing including liquid biopsy as well as interpretation of testing results.
Upon completion of this live activity, attendees should be able to do the following:
This educational forum was designed to narrow the competency gaps of: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, systems-based practice, patient-centered care, work in interdisciplinary teams, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, professional standing, commitment to lifelong learning, cognitive expertise, evaluation of performance in practice, roles/responsibilities, interprofessional communication and teams and teamwork.
These were 16 of the 19 core competencies embraced by the American Board of Medical Specialties, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the Institute of Medicine, the American Board of Radiology and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.
This meeting was designed to meet the interests of medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, physicists, nurses, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists, radiation therapists, radiation dosimetrists and pulmonologists.
