As the field of thoracic oncology becomes increasingly more complex, multidisciplinary care involving the medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, and thoracic surgeon has become the rule, not the exception. Patients are no longer seeing just one physician for his or her cancer and thus forums like these are of paramount interest in educating physicians on this approach.

Dr. Benjamin Levy, MD, Director of Thoracic Medical Oncology at Beth Israel Hospital in New York City and member of ASCO’s Integrated Media and Technology Committee indicates “the value of developing this online educational series between the Society of Thoracic Surgeons [STS] and ASCO is to provide an opportunity for medical and thoracic surgical oncologists, general surgeons, advanced thoracic surgical nurses, physician assistants, fellows, and other professionals to learn from renowned faculty who share similar perspectives in their approach for managing and treating lung cancer patients.”

Dr. Yolonda Colson, MD, PhD, (Thoracic Surgeon) and member of the ASCO-STS Planning Group further explains: “Multidisciplinary educational programs create a format in which all viewpoints are shared. This in turn helps optimize medical decision making in more complex cases. The care of lung patients has, for better or worse, become more complicated, often requiring the intellectual input of all disciplines.”

This three-part learning series developed between The STS and ASCO highlights and reinforces the approach of shared perspectives in managing lung cancer patients and improving care by providing the best options for each patient. Through case-based learning activities and detailed discussion, expert faculty including medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and thoracic surgeons address overlapping educational needs between STS and ASCO which include such subjects as the role of surgery in patients with Stage IIIA cancer, the utility of adjuvant chemotherapy post resection, and surgery vs. radiation for early stage disease in medically high-risk patients.

These three topics were felt to be some of the most interesting and innovative areas in thoracic oncology.

For further information you can view the Lung Cancer (Early Stage): Screening & Management, Lung Cancer: Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy vs. Surgical Resection, and Lung Cancer: Management of Stage IIIA Disease & Role of Surgery courses on ASCO University. Additional learning resources including select virtual meeting presentations and patient resources are also available to course participants.