ELIXR: Early-stage Lung cancer International eXpert Retreat

Symposium Day One

Thursday June 13th, 2024

Download the schedule

8:30 am

Breakfast and registration

9:30 am

Opening remarks

Section 1

The state of the art in early-stage NSCLC

9:45 - 11:45 am

Moderators: Drs. Normand Blais and Jonathan Spicer

9:45 am

The Canadian landscape: ahead or behind the curve? Or maybe just right?

10:00 am

Minimal residual disease detection through comprehensive analyses of circulating tumor DNA for early stage non-small cell lung cancer: Where do we stand with clinical implementation?

10:15 am

Who needs anti-PD(L)1 therapy in early-stage disease, and for how long?

10:30 am

Who is resectable and how do we decide?

10:45 am

Augmenting RT with IO

11:00 am

Cooperative group surgical trials in early-stage NSCLC: Where have we been and where are we going?

11:15 am - 11:45 am

Questions and panel discussion

The state of the art in early-stage NSCLC

Moderators: Normand Blais and Jonathan Spicer

11:45 am – 12:00 pm

Refreshment Break & Exhibits

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

BMS sponsored lunch symposium

With Drs. Rosalyn Juergens, Tina Cascone and Isabelle Opitz.

Section 2

Pivotal science in early-stage disease

1:00 pm - 2:15 pm

Moderators: Drs. Pierre Olivier Fiset and Jonathan Spicer

All talks in Section 2 are 12 minutes with 3 minutes for discussion

1:00 pm

Neoadjuvant platform studies for patients with resectable NSCLC in molecularly selected populations: current landscape and future directions.

1:15 pm

Dissecting spatial relationships within the tumor microenvironment for predictive value.

1:30 pm

Dissecting the lung microbiome as an untapped predictor of response to checkpoint blockade.

1:45 pm

Immunopathology in early stage. From science to clinical care.

2:00 pm

Dissecting the myeloid compartment for cure.

2:15 pm – 2:30 pm

Refreshment Break & Exhibits

Section 3

What to do with the nodule?

2:30 pm – 4:00 pm

Moderators: Drs. Bassam Abdulkarim and Jason Agulnik

2:30 pm

Landscape of liquid diagnostics for solitary pulmonary nodules.

2:45 pm

Blast it! And other details about diagnosis and staging for the radiation oncologist...

3:00 pm

Endobronchial surgery – from diagnostics to therapy.

3:15 pm

Is robotic surgery old-news or just the tip of the iceberg?

3:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Questions and panel discussion

What to do with the nodule?

Moderators: Drs. Bassam Abdulkarim and Jason Agulnik

Section 4

Putting patients first

Patient testimonials on multi-modality therapy interviewed by their physicians.

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Moderators: Drs. Ben Shieh and Anna McGuire

All talks in Section 4 are 12 minutes with 5 minutes for discussion

4:00 pm

Lung cancer Canada and the unmet needs in early-stage lung cancer.

4:17 pm

Where do we stand on Patient Reported Outcomes in early-stage NSCLC?

4:34 pm

Operating in black box: Lessons learned and technical accounts of operating in heavily pre-treated field.

4:51 pm

Competing risks of recurrence versus toxicity when considering systemic therapy in early NSCLC.

5:08 pm - 5:25 pm

Questions and panel discussion

Putting patients first

Moderators: Drs. Ben Shieh and Anna McGuire

5:25 pm

Closing remarks for day 1

Symposium Day Two

Friday June 14th, 2024

Download the schedule

9:45 am

Breakfast

Section 1

Next Generation Immunotherapy for early-stage NSCLC

10:30 am – 11:30 am

Moderators: Drs. Barbara Melosky and Carmela Pepe

10:30 am

How to explore rational IO combinations in early-stage disease?

10:42 am

Neoadjuvant neoantigens: mRNA strategies in NSCLC

10:54 am

Same particles, different result: the new age of image-guided radiation for lung cancer.

11:06 am - 11:20 am

Questions and panel discussion

Next Generation Immunotherapy for early-stage NSCLC

Moderators: Drs. Barbara Melosky and Carmela Pepe

Section 2

Global perspectives on the approach to adjuvant chemotherapy in EGFR and ALK altered resected NSCLC

11:20 am – 11:50 am

Moderators: Drs. Scott Owen and Nathalie Daaboul

11:20 am

An Asian perspective on the place of chemotherapy for EGFR mutated and ALK translocated resectable NSCLC.

11:30 am

A North American perspective on the place of chemotherapy for EGFR mutated and ALK translocated resectable NSCLC.

11:40 am - 11:50 am

Questions and panel discussion

Global perspectives on the approach to adjuvant chemotherapy in EGFR and ALK altered resected NSCLC

Moderators: Drs. Scott Owen and Nathalie Daaboul

11:50 am – 12:00 pm

Refreshment Break & Exhibits

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Merck sponsored lunch symposium

Key Note Speaker: Drs. Natasha Leighl, Moishe Liberman and Stephanie Snow

Section 3

Global perspectives on approach to surgical care in stage IA NSCLC

1:00 pm - 1:30 pm

Moderators: Drs. Anna McGuire and Mathieu Rousseau

1:00 pm

Life after JCOG0802 when deciding on the extent of pulmonary resection for stage IA NSCLC

1:10 pm

Life after CALGB140503 when deciding on the extent of pulmonary resection for stage IA NSCLC

1:20 pm - 1:30 pm

Questions and panel discussion

Global perspectives on approach to surgical care in stage IA NSCLC

Moderators: Drs. Anna McGuire and Mathieu Rousseau

1:30 pm – 1:45 pm

Refreshment Break & Exhibits

Section 4

Treating targets in early-stage NSCLC

1:45 pm – 2:15 pm

Moderators: Drs. Jonathan Cools-Lartigue and Bassam Abdulkarim

1:45 pm

Early-stage ALK and EGFR altered NSCLC: Are we driving for cure or managing a chronic disease?

1:55 pm

Defining the place of anti-body drug conjugates in early-stage NSCLC.

2:05 pm

Challenges and opportunities with translating clinical trial science to community practice.

Section 5

Debating choice of local therapy for locally advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC

2:15 pm – 2:45 pm

Moderators: Drs. Annick Wong & Jonathan Spicer

2:15 pm

Surgery is the preferred option whenever feasible.

2:25 pm

Chemo-radiation is the preferred option regardless of operability.

2:35 pm - 2:45 pm

Voting, questions, and panel discussion

Debating choice of local therapy for locally advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC

2:45 pm

Refreshment Break & Exhibits

Section 6

Debate #1: Closing with controversy: Debates in the temple of truth - Pathological response assessment after neoadjuvant therapy.

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Referrees: Drs. Normand Blais and Jonathan Spicer.

3:00 pm

The IASLC pathological response assessment method should be our standard of care.

3:10 pm

The irPRC assessment method should be our standard of care.

3:20 pm - 3:30 pm

Voting and discussion

Debates in the temple of truth: Pathological response assessment after neoadjuvant therapy

Referrees: Drs. Normand Blais and Jonathan Spicer.

Section 6 cont.

Debate #2: Local versus systemic therapists: A new rivalry?

3:30 pm – 4:00 pm

Referrees: Drs. Normand Blais and Jonathan Spicer.

3:30 pm

Total neoadjuvant therapy is feasible in early-stage NSCLC

3:40 pm

Local therapy will always be required after neoadjuvant therapy.

3:50 pm - 4:00 pm

Voting and discussion

Local versus systemic therapists: A new rivalry?

4:00 pm

Closing remarks

Cocktails and dinner

6:00 pm

Restaurant Le Vieux Port Steakhouse

39 Rue Saint-Paul E

Montréal, QC H2Y 1G2

514 866-3175

Symposium Day One

Thursday June 13th, 2024

Download the schedule

8:30 am

Breakfast and registration

9:30 am

Opening remarks

Section 1

The state of the art in early-stage NSCLC

9:45 - 11:45 am

Moderators: Drs. Normand Blais and Jonathan Spicer

9:45 am

The Canadian landscape: ahead or behind the curve? Or maybe just right?

10:00 am

Minimal residual disease detection through comprehensive analyses of circulating tumor DNA for early stage non-small cell lung cancer: Where do we stand with clinical implementation?

10:15 am

Who needs anti-PD(L)1 therapy in early-stage disease, and for how long?

10:30 am

Who is resectable and how do we decide?

10:45 am

Augmenting RT with IO

11:00 am

Cooperative group surgical trials in early-stage NSCLC: Where have we been and where are we going?

11:15 am - 11:45 am

Questions and panel discussion

The state of the art in early-stage NSCLC

Moderators: Normand Blais and Jonathan Spicer

11:45 am – 12:00 pm

Refreshment Break & Exhibits

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

BMS sponsored lunch symposium

With Drs. Rosalyn Juergens, Tina Cascone and Isabelle Opitz.

Section 2

Pivotal science in early-stage disease

1:00 pm - 2:15 pm

Moderators: Drs. Pierre Olivier Fiset and Jonathan Spicer

All talks in Section 2 are 12 minutes with 3 minutes for discussion

1:00 pm

Neoadjuvant platform studies for patients with resectable NSCLC in molecularly selected populations: current landscape and future directions.

1:15 pm

Dissecting spatial relationships within the tumor microenvironment for predictive value.

1:30 pm

Dissecting the lung microbiome as an untapped predictor of response to checkpoint blockade.

1:45 pm

Immunopathology in early stage. From science to clinical care.

2:00 pm

Dissecting the myeloid compartment for cure.

2:15 pm – 2:30 pm

Refreshment Break & Exhibits

Section 3

What to do with the nodule?

2:30 pm – 4:00 pm

Moderators: Drs. Bassam Abdulkarim and Jason Agulnik

2:30 pm

Landscape of liquid diagnostics for solitary pulmonary nodules.

2:45 pm

Blast it! And other details about diagnosis and staging for the radiation oncologist...

3:00 pm

Endobronchial surgery – from diagnostics to therapy.

3:15 pm

Is robotic surgery old-news or just the tip of the iceberg?

3:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Questions and panel discussion

What to do with the nodule?

Moderators: Drs. Bassam Abdulkarim and Jason Agulnik

Section 4

Putting patients first

Patient testimonials on multi-modality therapy interviewed by their physicians.

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Moderators: Drs. Ben Shieh and Anna McGuire

All talks in Section 4 are 12 minutes with 5 minutes for discussion

4:00 pm

Lung cancer Canada and the unmet needs in early-stage lung cancer.

4:17 pm

Where do we stand on Patient Reported Outcomes in early-stage NSCLC?

4:34 pm

Operating in black box: Lessons learned and technical accounts of operating in heavily pre-treated field.

4:51 pm

Competing risks of recurrence versus toxicity when considering systemic therapy in early NSCLC.

5:08 pm - 5:25 pm

Questions and panel discussion

Putting patients first

Moderators: Drs. Ben Shieh and Anna McGuire

5:25 pm

Closing remarks for day 1

Symposium Day Two

Friday June 14th, 2024

Download the schedule

9:45 am

Breakfast

Section 1

Next Generation Immunotherapy for early-stage NSCLC

10:30 am – 11:30 am

Moderators: Drs. Barbara Melosky and Carmela Pepe

10:30 am

How to explore rational IO combinations in early-stage disease?

10:42 am

Neoadjuvant neoantigens: mRNA strategies in NSCLC

10:54 am

Same particles, different result: the new age of image-guided radiation for lung cancer.

11:06 am - 11:20 am

Questions and panel discussion

Next Generation Immunotherapy for early-stage NSCLC

Moderators: Drs. Barbara Melosky and Carmela Pepe

Section 2

Global perspectives on the approach to adjuvant chemotherapy in EGFR and ALK altered resected NSCLC

11:20 am – 11:50 am

Moderators: Drs. Scott Owen and Nathalie Daaboul

11:20 am

An Asian perspective on the place of chemotherapy for EGFR mutated and ALK translocated resectable NSCLC.

11:30 am

A North American perspective on the place of chemotherapy for EGFR mutated and ALK translocated resectable NSCLC.

11:40 am - 11:50 am

Questions and panel discussion

Global perspectives on the approach to adjuvant chemotherapy in EGFR and ALK altered resected NSCLC

Moderators: Drs. Scott Owen and Nathalie Daaboul

11:50 am – 12:00 pm

Refreshment Break & Exhibits

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Merck sponsored lunch symposium

Key Note Speaker: Drs. Natasha Leighl, Moishe Liberman and Stephanie Snow

Section 3

Global perspectives on approach to surgical care in stage IA NSCLC

1:00 pm - 1:30 pm

Moderators: Drs. Anna McGuire and Mathieu Rousseau

1:00 pm

Life after JCOG0802 when deciding on the extent of pulmonary resection for stage IA NSCLC

1:10 pm

Life after CALGB140503 when deciding on the extent of pulmonary resection for stage IA NSCLC

1:20 pm - 1:30 pm

Questions and panel discussion

Global perspectives on approach to surgical care in stage IA NSCLC

Moderators: Drs. Anna McGuire and Mathieu Rousseau

1:30 pm – 1:45 pm

Refreshment Break & Exhibits

Section 4

Treating targets in early-stage NSCLC

1:45 pm – 2:15 pm

Moderators: Drs. Jonathan Cools-Lartigue and Bassam Abdulkarim

1:45 pm

Early-stage ALK and EGFR altered NSCLC: Are we driving for cure or managing a chronic disease?

1:55 pm

Defining the place of anti-body drug conjugates in early-stage NSCLC.

2:05 pm

Challenges and opportunities with translating clinical trial science to community practice.

Section 5

Debating choice of local therapy for locally advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC

2:15 pm – 2:45 pm

Moderators: Drs. Annick Wong & Jonathan Spicer

2:15 pm

Surgery is the preferred option whenever feasible.

2:25 pm

Chemo-radiation is the preferred option regardless of operability.

2:35 pm - 2:45 pm

Voting, questions, and panel discussion

Debating choice of local therapy for locally advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC

2:45 pm

Refreshment Break & Exhibits

Section 6

Debate #1: Closing with controversy: Debates in the temple of truth - Pathological response assessment after neoadjuvant therapy.

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Referrees: Drs. Normand Blais and Jonathan Spicer.

3:00 pm

The IASLC pathological response assessment method should be our standard of care.

3:10 pm

The irPRC assessment method should be our standard of care.

3:20 pm - 3:30 pm

Voting and discussion

Debates in the temple of truth: Pathological response assessment after neoadjuvant therapy

Referrees: Drs. Normand Blais and Jonathan Spicer.

Section 6 cont.

Debate #2: Local versus systemic therapists: A new rivalry?

3:30 pm – 4:00 pm

Referrees: Drs. Normand Blais and Jonathan Spicer.

3:30 pm

Total neoadjuvant therapy is feasible in early-stage NSCLC

3:40 pm

Local therapy will always be required after neoadjuvant therapy.

3:50 pm - 4:00 pm

Voting and discussion

Local versus systemic therapists: A new rivalry?

4:00 pm

Closing remarks

Cocktails and dinner

6:00 pm

Restaurant Le Vieux Port Steakhouse

39 Rue Saint-Paul E

Montréal, QC H2Y 1G2

514 866-3175

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Montreal, Canada at La Gare Viger June 13 - 15, 2024

In collaboration with The McGill University Health Centre (Dr. Jonathan Spicer) and Le Centre Hospitalier De l’Université de Montréal (Dr. Normand Blais), we are thrilled to announce the second annual international conference entitled Early-stage Lung cancer International eXpert Retreat - #ELIXR24.

This 2.5 day conference will be held in Montreal from June 13th to 15th, 2024. Last year’s event included the top names in early-stage lung cancer from a number of disciplines across the globe including Drs. Drew Pardoll, Tina Cascone and Barb Melosky. We look to invite another impressive group of comprehensive and multi-disciplinary experts that share a common goal of improving outcomes for early-stage lung cancer patients and have active basic, translational and clinical research programs that delineate the path to achieve such improvements.

The goal of this meeting is to build a tightly knit network of international experts to align on several key topics in early-stage lung cancer with a specific focus on current challenges and knowledge gaps. Ideas that will improve outcomes for patients in the most rapid, effective, and meaningful way possible are the top objective.

Hosted By

Dr. Jon Spicer
Associate Professor, McGill University
Medical Director McGill Thoracic Oncology Network
Completed his Bachelor degree in Science at McGill University. He continued his medical training at McGill earning an MD, and completed his surgical internship at the University of British Columbia. He returned to McGill the to complete his general surgical training and earned a PhD in Experimental Surgery.
Dr. Normand Blais
Director of clinical research in thoracic oncology, Centre Hospitalier De l’Université de Montréal
Major interest in correlative research aimed at personalized adaptation of cancer treatments. Direction of research in haemostasis-thrombosis, particularly applied to thrombotic issues related to cancer.

Expert Speakers

ELIXR 2024 brings together the top experts in early-stage lung cancer from a number of disciplines across the globe including Drs. Andrea R. Filippi, Cecilia Pompili, Drew Moghanaki, Heather A. Wakelee, Mara Antonoff, Masahiro Tsuboi, Thomas Marron, Tina Cascone, Valsamo and Wenhao Zhong.

For the full lineup, check out the ELIXR 2024 Speaker Bios