The Asia Thoracic Cancer Care Summit (ATCCS), held from June 19 to 20, 2025, brought together leading thoracic oncology specialists worldwide to discuss the cutting-edge advancements and future directions in thoracic cancer care under the theme of “Breaking Boundaries towards Personalized Therapies”.
Journal of Thoracic Disease (JTD) and its sister journals, published by AME Publishing Company, participated in the summit with an exhibition booth (Figure 1), and were pleased to engage with the international attendees.
Figure 1 The booth of AME Publishing Company.
The conference commenced with a welcome speech by Prof. Calvin S.H. Ng, followed by insightful presentations on video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) by renowned surgeons (Figure 2).
Figure 2 Prof. Calvin S.H. Ng delivered the Welcome Speech. (A) Prof. Calvin S.H. Ng and (B) attendees at the Asia Thoracic Cancer Care Summit (ATCCS) in Hong Kong.
The first session “Changing Face of VATS” started with Prof. René H. Petersen’s speech (Figure 3A), sharing his expertise on the clinical adoption, advantages, and evolving role of VATS in anatomical lung resections, particularly lobectomy. Over the past three decades, VATS has emerged as a minimally invasive alternative to traditional thoracotomy, offering reduced trauma and faster recovery. However, challenges such as the steep learning curve, limited tactile feedback, and restricted intraoperative visibility were also highlighted. Prof. Petersen emphasized that continued technological advancement, surgeon training, and evidence from ongoing trials will shape the future role of VATS, making it an increasingly integral component of personalized lung cancer care.
Prof. Yin-Kai Chao (Figure 3B), Prof. Diego Gonzalez Rivas (Figure 3C), and Prof. Lei Jiang (Figure 3D) then delivered presentations, sharing their insights on VATS. The session concluded with an engaging Q&A moderated by Chairpersons Prof. Hyun Koo Kim and Prof. Calvin S.H. Ng, fostering further discussions on the future of VATS (Figure 4).
Figure 3 Experts delivered their lectures for Session 1 on “Changing Face of VATS” on the first day of the summit. (A) Prof. René H. Petersen, (B) Prof. Yin-Kai Chao, (C) Prof. Diego Gonzalez Rivas, and (D) Prof. Lei Jiang.
Figure 4 Q&A session led by Prof. Hyun Koo Kim and Prof. Calvin S.H. Ng.
As a premier platform for global academic exchange, ATCCS 2025 fostered meaningful dialogue about personalized treatment strategies. International experts enthusiastically shared their unique perspectives and invaluable clinical experiences, offering profound insights into the evolving field of thoracic cancer care (Figure 5 and 6).
Figure 5 Lecturers at the Asia Thoracic Cancer Care Summit (ATCCS) 2025. A. Prof. Takashi Suda; B. Prof. Shuben Li; C. Prof. Hyun Koo Kim; D. Prof. Toshihiko Sato; E. Prof. Jianxing He; F. Prof. Rainbow W.H. Lau (left) and Prof. Nuria M. Novoa (right); G. Dr. Molly S.C. Li; H. Prof. Daniel H. Sterman; I. Prof. Naveed Alam.
Figure 6. Photo Session.
Beyond surgical techniques, multimodal treatment emerged as a key focus. Prof. Jessica S. Donington (Figure 7) delivered an insightful presentation on the role of induction immunotherapy in VATS and robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS), sharing valuable clinical experiences. Her talk highlighted how integrating systemic therapies with advanced surgical approaches can significantly enhance patient outcomes.
Figure 7 Prof. Jessica S. Donington delivered her speech on “Role & Experience of Induction Immunotherapy VATS / RATS for Advanced Lung CA”.
During this summit, we were honored to have the opportunity to interview Prof. Daniel Sterman (Figure 8A), Prof. Jessica S. Donington (Figure 8B), Prof. Douglas Kyle Hogarth (Figure 8C), and Prof. Takashi Suda (Figure 8D), who kindly shared their invaluable perspectives.
Figure 8 AME editors interviewed four experts during the summit. (A) Prof. Daniel Sterman, (B) Prof. Jessica S. Donington, (C) Prof. Douglas Kyle Hogarth, and (D) Prof. Takashi Suda.
On the second day of the summit, Prof. René H. Petersen visited our booth and we shared with him that JTD received its latest impact factor of 1.9 on June 18 (Figure 9).
Figure 9 AME editors (Aisling Luo, Anne Y. Lu) and Prof. René H. Petersen.