Leading lung cancer experts wrapped up their informative talks at a conference in Ho Chi Minh City last weekend.
The Asia Conference on Lung Cancer, organized by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), started on Oct. 8 and concluded on Oct. 11. Vietnam’s Young Physicians Association and the Vietnam Medical Association also assisted with putting the event together.
It featured a series of specialized workshops for a new generation of leading lung cancer researchers, a symposium on CT screening and a trio of plenary sessions on treatment options, healthcare disparities and medtech advancements.
Broadly, these 30+ meetings and discussions were centred around the evolution of biomarker testing, the concerningly high prevalence of the disease’s genetic mutations and screening advancements made possible with AI. Also, surgical and radiotherapy innovation, ways to improve access to targeted therapies, public health campaigns and tobacco control awareness initiatives.
“We’re pushing forward with policies that promote innovation in healthcare — from AI and big data to precision medicine,” said Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Health, Tran Van Thuan, at the event, “to strengthen our ability to detect, treat, and prevent diseases more effectively.”
He says that one of the government’s top priorities over the next five years is to enhance its focus on lung cancer screening.
Those in attendance included top-ranking scientists, officials from Vietnam’s Ministry of Health and members of prominent medical associations.
“This event goes beyond a scientific conference,” said IASLC chief executive, Karen Kelly. “It’s a platform for experts to come together, exchange the latest scientific insights, share clinical experience and strengthen collaboration.”
Revolutionary impact of AI discussed here and everywhere else
Artificial intelligence has become a key topic in the medical field as it continues to gain steam in multiple industries. It is particularly useful for lung cancer fighting applications and has already proven its worth for assisting with screening tools and custom-tailored treatments.
In relation to the CT screening symposium, AI has become a valuable tool for enhancing the accuracy of these scans by serving as a second set of eyes and providing important insights. It is also being used for examining chest X-rays.
Artificial intelligence has become integral for innovative screening modalities that have advantages over conventional low-dose CT scan machines too. OneBreath, developed by Breath Diagnostics, is one such AI-integrated screening tool that is advantageous because of its non-invasive, radiation free nature.
It uses machine learning algorithms to assist with examining the composition of volatile organic compounds (VOC) present in breath samples to accurately identify lung cancer.
“By decoding the VOC signatures hidden within, we bring science one step closer to making non-invasive diagnostics a daily reality,” said a company representative in a blog post on Oct. 12.
In a nutshell, the Asia Conference on Lung Cancer served as a valuable opportunity for leading experts to exchange ideas and form research partnerships. This was the fourth time the conference has been held since its launch in 2018. The first showcase was held in Guangzhou, China; the second was hosted in Nara, Japan; and last year’s event took place in Hong Kong.
Organizers from the IASLC just wrapped up this year’s World Conference on Lung Cancer in Barcelona, Spain. Next month, the global lung cancer authority will be hosting the “2025 Hot Topic in Basic & Translational Science: Unraveling Precancerous & Early-Stage Lung Cancer” event in Tokyo, Japan.
In December, the organization will be putting on the North America Conference on Lung Cancer in Chicago, Illinois.
Kicking off @IASLC #ACLC25 with our @APCLC_2023 @LungPolicy #ASPIRE organised workshop on #implementation of #lungcancer #screening 🫁. Very fruitful discussions from #stakeholders from around the region.
Thanks everyone for being with us bright and early!@HHorinouchi #LCSM pic.twitter.com/DYwt61xRAl
— Herbert Loong, MBBS, FASCO (@herbloong) October 9, 2025
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