Yuichiro Ohe, M.D., Ph.D.
Congress President of The 65th Annual Meeting of the Japan Lung Cancer Society
Chief of the Department of Thoracic Oncology
Deputy Director, National Cancer Center Hospital

The 65th Annual Meeting of the Japan Lung Cancer Society will be held over a period of three days from Thursday, October 31 to Saturday, November 2, 2024 at Pacifico Yokohama North.

The theme of this year’s annual meeting will be “Combining Our Strengths to Conquer Lung Cancer.” In 1980’s when I first began my journey in treating lung cancer, the pathological diagnosis focused only on its classification as small cell (SCLC) or non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), and which, at times, was only diagnosed through a cytologic evaluation. The concept of multidisciplinary therapy had not yet taken hold in that era where surgery was performed for resectable cases, radiotherapy used for locally advanced and unresectable cases, and chemotherapy administered for distant metastatic cases, all of which were treated independently.

With subsequent advances in treatment options, and in molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy in particular, there has been significant progress in lung cancer treatments and considerable improvements in treatment outcomes. In addition to pathological diagnosis, genetic diagnosis has become indispensable for treating lung cancer in recent years, requiring the application of different techniques and technologies, such as cryobiopsy, to collect sufficient samples for genetic diagnosis. With the exception of very early cases, surgery is rarely the only option used to treat lung cancer; today, immune checkpoint inhibitors and molecular-targeted drugs are used together with anticancer agents before and after surgical procedures. By the same token, radiation therapy for locally advanced, unresectable cases has become standard in combination with anticancer agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors, rather than as a standalone treatment. Today, in cases with distant metastases, surgery for oligo recurrence is being performed, after a complete response to molecular-targeted drugs and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Treatment outcomes are also expected to make additional strides as a result of the use of CT screenings for early detection, the discovery of new, innovative drugs through TRs, clinical development of new pharmaceuticals in phase 1 trials, and the installation of standard treatments in multicenter clinical trials. A culture of close collaboration with nursing staff, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals and coordination with palliative care physicians and psychiatric oncologists, is an essential component in improving a patient’s quality of life. We do indeed live in a time of solidarity where everyone is pulling together to help patients survive and thrive.

The Japan Lung Cancer Society plays a meaningful and significant role in bringing together the clinical departments of surgery, internal medicine, and radiology, basic departments such as pathology, and other healthcare professionals, and providing them with a space to discuss the foundations, diagnoses, and treatment options for all thoracic malignancies, with special focus on lung cancer. We are looking forward to your participation in this year’s annual meeting.