STS is strengthening its commitment to the field of general thoracic surgery with the formation of the Presidential Task Force on General Thoracic Surgery Initiatives directed by STS President Dr. Jennifer C. Romano. This dedicated task force is charged with enhancing the value of STS membership for general thoracic surgeons by expanding offerings in education, quality improvement, research, industry relations, advocacy, and networking opportunities.
“I appointed a Presidential Task Force on General Thoracic Surgery Initiatives to explore opportunities to strengthen the Society’s support for our thoracic surgeon colleagues,” said Dr. Romano. “Under the leadership of STS Treasure-Elect Dr. John Mitchell, the task force is charged with bringing forth new resources and activities to keep thoracic surgeons informed on the latest developments.”
According to Dr. Mitchell, this renewed spotlight on the general thoracic surgery subspecialty represents an invaluable opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the advancement of patient care. “Dr. Romano, deserves full credit for identifying this need and launching the Presidential Task Force to drive new and impactful initiatives in the thoracic space," said Dr. Mitchell.
A Year of Progress
In its inaugural year, the task force has overseen or supported several impactful initiatives designed to address the unique needs of general thoracic surgeons and improve patient care. Key accomplishments include:
- Short-Term Thoracic Surgery Risk Calculators: Two 30-day risk calculators for esophagectomy and lung cancer resection launched in the fall of 2024. These tools provide surgeons with vital data to support clinical decision-making and patient discussions. Long-term outcomes versions of these calculators are slated for release in 2025, reflecting a continued commitment to innovation in surgical quality and planning.
- Lung Cancer Symposium: A pre-conference symposium titled Lung Cancer: Clinical Trials Meet Clinical Practice will take place at the 2025 STS Annual Meeting, January 24-26, in Los Angeles. The event will bridge the gap between groundbreaking clinical trial findings and their application in surgical practice, offering attendees actionable insights to advance care for lung cancer patients.
- Landmark Research: A longitudinal paper comparing lobectomy, segmentectomy, and wedge resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) will debut at the 2025 Annual Meeting. Highlighted in the Research in Focus: Distinguished Conference Abstracts session, this work will appear alongside the prestigious Chamberlain and Twedell papers, marking a significant milestone in the study of NSCLC treatments.
- Podcast Launch: The task force created Thinking Thoracic, a new podcast dedicated to general thoracic surgery. Each episode features in-depth conversations with leading surgeons about the latest research, techniques, and trends in the specialty, fostering knowledge sharing and professional growth.
"I’m particularly proud of the Thinking Thoracic podcast, which has hit the ground running with an outstanding conversational format featuring experts like Drs. Jeff Yang, Erin Gillaspie, Jane Yanagawa, and Hari Keshava,” said Dr. Mitchell. “It’s quickly become a must-listen for anyone in our field, exploring cutting-edge topics that are reshaping thoracic surgery."
A Vision for the Future
As the task force continues its work, STS members can look forward to further advancements that enhance professional development, surgical outcomes, and patient care in general thoracic surgery.
"Looking ahead, our focus will expand to initiatives like integrating long-term outcomes into our risk calculators, which will give patients and surgeons a more complete picture of treatment impacts over time,” explained Dr. Mitchell. “We’re also exploring opportunities to further expand mobile lung cancer screening programs and innovative uses of the General Thoracic Surgery Database to advance care and collaboration in thoracic oncology."
