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 TechniquesTBC
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
10:00-10:10WelcomeA/Prof Zarnie Lwin
ASM Convenor
Medical Oncologist
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
The Prince Charles Hospital
10:10-10:30Opening AddressConsumer Advocate
10:30-11:05Plenary: IO Past, Present and FutureProf 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
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 TreatmentProf 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 IODr Fiona Hegi-Johnson
Radiation Oncologist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
12:20-13:20LUNCH
13:20-13:40A Clinical Quality Registry for MesotheliomaTBC
13:40-14:00‘This is Me’ - Integrating what matters most to older adults with cancer into multidisciplinary team discussionsProf Mei Krishnasamy
Director Academic Nursing Unit
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre/University of Melbourne
14:00-14:20Exercise Rehab Pre and Post Lung Cancer SurgeryA/Prof Catherine Grainger
Associate Professor of Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne
Head of Physiotherapy Research, The Royal Melbourne Hospital
14:20-14:40What’s Hot in Palliative CareA/Prof Jaclyn Yoong
Medical Oncologist | Palliative Care Physician
Northern Health | Monash Health
14:40-15:00The role of a Nurse Practitioner in Rural/Regional AustraliaMs Katrina West
Oncology Nurse Practitioner
Icon Cancer Centre Hobart
15:00-15:30AFTERNOON TEA
15:30-17:30Oral Abstracts
17:30FINISH

- - - Friday, 21 July 2023 - - -

TimeTopicPresented By
07:00-08:00Microsatellite Breakfast Symposium
Current and emerging IO therapies/combinations in NSCLC from early to late stage
08:00-08:30REGISTRATIONS
08:30-08:35WelcomeA/Prof Zarnie Lwin
ASM Convenor
Medical Oncologist
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
The Prince Charles Hospital
08:35-08:55Tackling Smoking in Indigenous AustraliansProf Tom Calma AO
08:55-09:15Equipping the Workforce for a Lung Cancer Screening ProgramTBC
09:15-09:35Enhancing responsiveness to immunotherapy in KRAS-mutant lung adenocarcinomaA/Prof Kate Sutherland
Laboratory Head
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
09:35-09:55Targeted Therapies – Keeping up with the DataTBC
09:55-10:15Squamous Cell Lung Cancer – Understanding the MatrixDr Amelia Parker
Senior Research Officer
Garvan Institute of Medical Research
10:15-10:45MORNING TEA
10:45-12:15TOGA TRIALS
10:45-11:10ASPiRATIONProf Nick Pavlakis
Chair, TOGA Board of Directors
Medical Oncologist and Senior Staff Specialist
Royal North Shore Hospital and GenesisCare
11:10-11:30OCEANICA/Prof Thomas John
Medical Oncologist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
11:30-11:45SHERLOCKA/Prof Chee Lee
Medical Oncologist and Senior Staff Specialist
St George and Sutherland Hospitals
11:45-12:00CHEST-RTA/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
12:00-12:15DREAM3RA/Prof Brett Hughes
Senior Staff Specialist Medical Oncologist
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
The Prince Charles Hospital
Associate Professor, University of Queensland
12:15-12:45TOGA General Meeting for MembersProf Nick Pavlakis
Chair, TOGA Board of Directors
Medical Oncologist and Senior Staff Specialist
Royal North Shore Hospital and GenesisCare
12:45-13:45LUNCH
13:45-14:05Climate Change and Lung Cancer - Why We Need to Take NoticeDr Christine Berg
U.S. National Cancer Institute (retired)
14:05-14:25Vision of the IASLCProf Karen Kelly
CEO, IASLC
Professor Emeritus
University of California, Davis
14:25-14:45Introducing the Lung Cancer Moonshot ProgramProf 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
14:45-16:00THE GREAT DEBATE
‘AIs will take over lung cancer management in the future’
16:00-16:15Awards and CloseA/Prof Zarnie Lwin
ASM Convenor
Medical Oncologist
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
The Prince Charles Hospital
16:15FINISH