The 62nd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Lung Cancer Society will be held on November 26-28th, 2021, at PACIFICO YOKOHAMA, NORTH, in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.

The Japanese Lung Cancer Society Meeting is a unique and significant conference where various scientists, including surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and others, get together to present and discuss their newest research work. Participants can familiarize themselves with latest research developments in lung cancer and other malignancies of the thoracic region and discuss ideas across a broad range of fields. It is my great honor to host this exciting meeting and I am happy to assume this responsibility.

I have been personally engaged in basic research and pathologic diagnosis of lung cancer for more than 20 years, and feel that application of both the bronchoscope and computed tomography has facilitated great advances in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancers. On the other hand, the rapid progression of molecular targeted therapy, immunotherapy and proton radiation therapy has diversified the treatments options for advanced lung cancers. Especially, oncologists have been able to devote much time to clinical trials, and such clinical studies have grown into a true science. Furthermore, with the development of next-generation sequencing and techniques for handling huge amounts of genomic data, scientists have become able to examine human genome abnormalities in detail, although it is still difficult to collate and comprehend the huge volume of data that has been obtained.

The theme of this annual meeting is “Lung cancer: back to basics”. I worry that it might be as much as we can do to keep abreast of recent progress in lung cancer research in daily practice. Therefore, I think that by going back to the basics of lung cancer research, it might be possible to discuss future study concepts that still remain to be realized in Japan, allowing us to visualize the future challenges that face us. In this way, going back to the “basics” might allow us to consider lung cancer from new angles.

Although the Coronavirus pandemic is still raging, I anticipate that this 62nd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Lung Cancer Society will give participants a direct opportunity to assimilate a wide range of research results, contributing to fruitful discussion and enhancement of professional friendships.