ASM 2023 Program

We are pleased to announce that the following speakers have confirmed their participation in the TOGA ASM 2023.

We are delighted that the two international speakers, Professors Karen Kelly and Stephen Swisher, have accepted our invitations and will be joining us in-person at the TOGA ASM.

  • Prof Karen Kelly, CEO from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) who will present on Immunotherapy Past, Present and Future.
  • Prof Stephen Swisher, Division Head of Surgery, the Charles A. LeMaistre Distinguished Chair in Thoracic Oncology and Professor in the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Department at MD Anderson Cancer Center who will present on immuno-oncology as it relates to surgery in early-stage disease.


We will also be joined by two other international speakers, Professor Christopher Booth and Dr Christine Berg via ‘livestream’.

  • Professor Christopher Booth, Medical Oncologist from Queen’s University who will present on time toxicity in cancer treatment.
  • Dr Christine Berg, Radiation Oncologist from U.S. National Cancer Institute (retired) who will present on climate change and lung cancer.


We also have an agenda full of local speakers presenting on diverse topics. 

See the full program below.

Note: * The agenda topics, speakers and times provided herein may be subject to change*

- - - Wednesday, 19 July 2023 - - -

NSCLC Molecular Testing Workshop

TimeTopicPresented By
12:00-13:00REGISTRATIONS
13:00-13:10Welcome and IntroductionDr Rebecca Tay
Medical Oncologist
Royal Hobart Hospital and Icon Cancer Centre
13:10-14:05Overview of Molecular Testing TechniquesA/Prof Trishe Leong
Medical Director of Pathology & Director of Anatomical Pathology
St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne
14:05-14:20'Tissue is the Issue' - Optimising Tissue SamplingDr Tracy Leong
Respiratory Physician
Austin Health
14:20-14:50AFTERNOON TEA
14:50-15:30Molecular Testing in Clinical PracticeDr Malinda Itchins
Medical Oncologist
Royal North Shore Hospital, GenesisCare, and North Shore Private
15:30-16:00Funding for NGS Molecular Testing of NSCLC in AustraliaProf Wendy Cooper
Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology
NSW Health Pathology
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
16:00-16:15Molecular Testing in Regional Centres - Disparities and Overcoming the GapDr Rebecca Tay
Medical Oncologist
Royal Hobart Hospital and Icon Cancer Centre
16:15-16:30BREAK
16:30-17:00Molecular Tumour Board Case StudiesAll Presenters
17:00FINISH

- - - Thursday, 20 July 2023 - - -

TimeTopicPresented By
09:00-10:00REGISTRATIONS
09:45-10:00Welcome to Country
10:00-10:10WelcomeA/Prof Zarnie Lwin
ASM Convenor
Senior Medical Oncologist
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital & The Prince Charles Hospital
University of Queensland
10:10-10:30Opening AddressChair: A/Prof Zarnie Lwin
Rebecca Davies
Consumer Advocate
10:30-11:05Plenary: Immunotherapy (IO) Past, Present and FutureChair: Prof Nick Pavlakis
Prof Karen Kelly
CEO, IASLC
Professor Emeritus
University of California, Davis
11:05-11:40Plenary: Early-Stage Disease IO
Current status of immuno-oncology as it relates to surgery in NSCLC
Chair: Mr Stephen Barnett
Prof Stephen Swisher
Head, Division of Surgery
Charles A. LeMaistre Distinguished Chair in Thoracic Oncology
Professor, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
MD Anderson Cancer Center
11:40-12:00Time Toxicity in Cancer TreatmentChair: A/Prof Zarnie Lwin
Prof Christopher Booth
Professor of Oncology and Public Health Sciences
Canada Research Chair in Population Cancer Care
Director, Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology
Queen's University and Kingston Health Sciences Centre
12:00-12:20Timing of Radiation Therapy with ImmunotherapyChair: Dr Nicholas Bucknell
Dr Fiona Hegi-Johnson
Radiation Oncologist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
12:20-13:20LUNCH
13:20-13:40Immuno-Oncology in MesotheliomaChair: Prof Nick Pavlakis
A/Prof Steven Kao
Medical Oncology Staff Specialist, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse
Clinical Associate Professor, The University of Sydney
Research Fellow, Asbestos Diseases Research Institute
13:40-14:00Survivorship Experience for People Treated with Immunotherapy or Targeted TherapyChair: Ms Mary Duffy AM
Dr Sarah Heynemann
Oncology Research Fellow
St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne
14:00-14:20Exercise Rehabilitation Pre and Post Lung Cancer SurgeryChair: Dr Jazmin Eckhaus
A/Prof Catherine Granger
Associate Professor of Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne
Head of Physiotherapy Research, The Royal Melbourne Hospital
14:20-14:40What’s Hot in Palliative CareChair: Ms Mary Duffy AM
A/Prof Jaclyn Yoong
Medical Oncologist | Palliative Care Physician
Northern Health | Monash Health
14:40-15:00The role of a Nurse Practitioner in Rural/Regional AustraliaChair: Ms Melanie Rabbets
Ms Katrina West
Nurse Practitioner
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
15:00-15:30AFTERNOON TEA
15:30-17:30Oral AbstractsChairs: Dr Deborah Zhou / Dr Nicholas Bucknell
17:30FINISH
18:30-22:00DINNER: Residence @ Grand Hyatt Melbourne

- - - Friday, 21 July 2023 - - -

TimeTopicPresented By
07:00-08:00Microsatellite Breakfast Symposium
Emerging Immunotherapies: From early to late NSCLC
Chair: A/Prof Zarnie Lwin
08:00-08:30REGISTRATIONS
08:30-08:35WelcomeA/Prof Zarnie Lwin
ASM Convenor
Senior Medical Oncologist
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital & The Prince Charles Hospital
University of Queensland
08:35-08:55Tackling Smoking in Indigenous AustraliansChair: A/Prof Zarnie Lwin
Prof Tom Calma AO
Co-Chair, Reconciliation Australia
2023 Senior Australian of the Year
08:55-09:30Targeted Therapies – Keeping up with the DataChair: Prof Ben Solomon
Dr Tarek Mekhail
Medical Director, Thoracic Cancer Program
AdventHealth Cancer Institute
09:30-09:50Equipping the Workforce for a Lung Cancer Screening ProgramChair: Dr Sarah Heynemann
A/Prof Emily Stone
Deputy Chair, TOGA Board of Directors
Respiratory Physician
St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney
09:50-10:10Enhancing responsiveness to immunotherapy in KRAS-mutant lung adenocarcinomaChair: Prof Ben Solomon
A/Prof Kate Sutherland
Laboratory Head
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
10:10-10:30Squamous Cell Lung Cancer – Understanding the MatrixChair: Prof Nick Pavlakis
Dr Amelia Parker
Senior Research Officer
Garvan Institute of Medical Research
10:30-11:00MORNING TEA
11:00-12:30TOGA TRIALSChairs: A/Prof Tom John / Dr Sarah Heynemann
11:00-11:17ASPiRATION - An observational cohort study to assess the clinical impact of comprehensive genomic profiling in metastatic lung cancer patientsProf Nick Pavlakis
Chair, TOGA Board of Directors
Medical Oncologist and Senior Staff Specialist
Royal North Shore Hospital
11:17-11:25DYNAMALK - DYNAMic ctDNA profiling in ALK+ NSCLC: a study of the AUstralian Registry and biObank of thoRacic cAncers (AURORA)Dr Malinda Itchins
Medical Oncologist
Royal North Shore Hospital, GenesisCare, and North Shore Private
11:25-11:45OCEANIC - Osimertinib plus Chemotherapy Evaluation in Adjuvant NSCLC incorporating CtDNAA/Prof Thomas John
Medical Oncologist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
11:45-12:00SHERLOCK - Sotorasib witH bEvacizumab fiRst Line cOmbined with Chemotherapy for KRAS G12C NSCLCA/Prof Chee Lee
Medical Oncologist and Senior Staff Specialist
St George and Sutherland Hospitals
12:00-12:15CHEST-RT - Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy in Extensive Stage Small cell with Thoracic RadiotherapyA/Prof Paul Mitchell
Associate Professor, University of Melbourne
Thoracic Oncologist, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre
Director, North-East Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service
12:15-12:30DREAM3R - DuRvalumab (MEDI4736) with chEmotherapy as first line treAtment in advanced pleural Mesothelioma - A phase 3 Randomised trialA/Prof Brett Hughes
Senior Staff Specialist Medical Oncologist
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
The Prince Charles Hospital
Associate Professor, University of Queensland
12:30-13:30LUNCH
13:30-13:50Climate Change and Lung Cancer - Why We Need to Take NoticeChair: A/Prof Zarnie Lwin
Dr Christine Berg
U.S. National Cancer Institute (retired)
13:50-14:20TOGA Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM)
(Open to only TOGA Members)
Prof Nick Pavlakis
Chair, TOGA Board of Directors
Medical Oncologist and Senior Staff Specialist
Royal North Shore Hospital
14:20-14:40Vision of the IASLCChair: Dr Rebecca Tay
Prof Karen Kelly
CEO, IASLC
Professor Emeritus
University of California, Davis
14:40-15:00Introducing the Lung Cancer Moonshot ProgramChair: A/Prof Phillip Antippa
Prof Stephen Swisher
Head, Division of Surgery
Charles A. LeMaistre Distinguished Chair in Thoracic Oncology
Professor, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
MD Anderson Cancer Center
15:00-16:15THE GREAT DEBATE
‘AI will take over lung cancer management in the future’
Chair: Mr Stephen Barnett
16:15-16:30Awards and CloseA/Prof Zarnie Lwin
ASM Convenor
Senior Medical Oncologist
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital & The Prince Charles Hospital
University of Queensland
16:30FINISH