Newswise — SAN FRANCISCO, March 9, 2017 -- The press program for next week’s 2017 Multidisciplinary Thoracic Cancers Symposium features research advances in lung cancer including immunotherapy, proton therapy and liquid biopsy, among others. Researchers will share their findings in a series of news briefings that will be held on-site and simultaneously webcast from the San Francisco Marriott Marquis. Embargoed study releases will be provided to registered reporters before the briefings, and outside experts in lung cancer are available on request. Information on press registration is available online.

Advanced Predictors and Targeted Therapies, Thursday, March 16, 2017, 12:30 – 1:15 p.m. Pacific time• “Tolerability and safety of thoracic radiation and immune checkpoint inhibitors among patients with lung cancer,” Kamran A. Ahmed, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center• “Heterogeneity and variation in resistance mechanisms among 223 EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients with > 1 post-resistance biopsy,” Zofia Piotrowska, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center• “Prospective trial of circulating tumor cells as a biomarker for early detection of recurrence in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with chemoradiation,” Chimbu Chinniah, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania• Moderator: Ravi G. Salgia, MD, PhD, City of Hope National Medical Center

Treatment Considerations for Focused Populations, Friday, March 17, 2017, 1:00 – 1:45 p.m. Pacific time• “Reirradiation of thoracic cancers with intensity modulated proton therapy,” Jennifer Ho, MD, MD Anderson Cancer Center• “Racial disparities in the treatment and outcome of stage I non-small cell lung cancer,” Andrew M. Farach, MD, Houston Methodist Hospital• “Stereotactic body radiotherapy for early stage non-small cell lung cancer in patients 80 years and older: A multi-center analysis,” Richard J. Cassidy III, MD, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University• Moderator: Pranshu Mohindra, MD, University of Maryland, Baltimore

All news briefings will be available live on-site in San Francisco and via webcast for registered press, with audio recordings and slides posted online after each briefing. Embargoed news releases will be distributed to registered press in advance of the news briefings, and abstracts will be available to the public on Thursday, March 16.

ABOUT THE SYMPOSIUMThe 2017 Multidisciplinary Thoracic Cancers Symposium, co-sponsored by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), features the latest advances in surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and novel molecular biologic therapies for thoracic malignancies such as lung cancer. The symposium will be held March 16-18, 2017, at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis. For more information about the symposium, visit www.thoracicsymposium.org. For press registration and news briefing information, visit www.astro.org/thoracicpress.

ABOUT ASTROThe American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is the premier radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through professional education and training, support for clinical practice and health policy standards, advancement of science and research, and advocacy. ASTRO publishes three medical journals, International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics (www.redjournal.org), Practical Radiation Oncology (www.practicalradonc.org) and Advances in Radiation Oncology (www.advancesradonc.org); developed and maintains an extensive patient website, RT Answers (www.rtanswers.org); and created the Radiation Oncology Institute (www.roinstitute.org), a nonprofit foundation to support research and education efforts around the world that enhance and confirm the critical role of radiation therapy in improving cancer treatment. To learn more about ASTRO, visit www.astro.org.

ABOUT ASCOFounded in 1964, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is committed to making a world of difference in cancer care. As the world’s leading organization of its kind, ASCO represents more than 40,000 oncology professionals who care for people living with cancer. Through research, education, and promotion of the highest-quality patient care, ASCO works to conquer cancer and create a world where cancer is prevented or cured, and every survivor is healthy. ASCO is supported by its affiliate organization, the Conquer Cancer Foundation. Learn more at www.ASCO.org, explore patient education resources at www.Cancer.Net, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

ABOUT STSFounded in 1964, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons is a not-for-profit organization representing approximately 7,200 cardiothoracic surgeons, researchers, and allied health care professionals worldwide who are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lung, and esophagus, as well as other surgical procedures within the chest. The Society’s mission is to enhance the ability of cardiothoracic surgeons to provide the highest quality patient care through education, research, and advocacy.