World Conference on Lung Cancer – Singapore, 2023 – By Christine Jones, Lung Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist and Mesothelioma UK Nurse

On 7 September last year, my colleague and Head of Nursing at Mesothelioma UK, Leah Taylor, and I boarded a plane for the 14-hour flight to Singapore to attend our first International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (“IASLC”) World Conference on Lung Cancer.

Our excitement was mitigated slightly by the length of the flight, but nonetheless we felt very honoured and privileged that we were able to attend such a prestigious event in such an amazing location.

The event was held in the Suntec Centre in downtown Singapore and, to add to our already heightened emotions, the F1 Grand Prix was being set up whilst we were there with the route going past all the important landmarks.

We had decided to attend the conference because the results from the MARS 2 surgical trial were being presented by Consultant Thoracic Surgeon, Professor Eric Lim. As Mesothelioma UK nurses, we had supported the trial and were keen to know the outcome, so early on Monday morning we gathered with the largest auditorium of delegates we had ever seen to hear Professor Lim advise that the trial was negative and that surgery was not indicated in mesothelioma.

Despite the disappointment, there were many other presentations giving hope that new novel treatments, including proton-beam therapy and other forms of radiotherapy, were also being considered.

The conference was an amazing experience, allowing time to meet with fellow professionals from across the world. Leah and I felt reassured that we all face the same challenges with this insidious disease.

We are grateful to RWK Goodman for facilitating our attendance at such a prestigious event.