Thinking Thoracic

Jonathan Villena-Vargas, MD, sits down with Thinking Thoracic podcast host Erin Gillaspie, MD, to examine key findings from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, including advances in targeted therapy, dual-pathway immunotherapy, artificial intelligence, and adaptive treatment strategies that are reshaping thoracic oncology.

In this special joint episode of the STS Thinking Thoracic podcast and the American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (AABIP), Dr. Erin Gillaspie is joined by interventional pulmonologist Dr. Sameer Avasarala, of University Hospitals, and head and neck surgeon Dr. Britney Scott, of the CHI Health Clinic, to discuss the multidisciplinary management of malignant airway obstruction. The conversation emphasizes multidisciplinary collaboration among specialists, noting that treatment decisions depend not only on anatomy but also on patient-specific factors such as frailty, pulmonary function, and overall cardiopulmonary status. Using a top-to-bottom anatomic approach, the discussion explores management of tumors involving the upper trachea, mid-trachea, and carina, covering bronchoscopy, tumor debulking, stenting, tracheostomy, and surgical resection. They also discuss preoperative planning, postoperative airway care, and the value of multidisciplinary tumor boards and real-time collaboration.

In Part 2 of Thinking Thoracic's annual review of the year's most influential thoracic oncology research, Drs. Jeff Yang and Linda Martin examine practice-changing studies in perioperative care, lung cancer treatment, and multidisciplinary cancer management. The discussion covers emerging evidence on cryoanalgesia, preoperative fasting, targeted therapies for EGFR-mutated lung cancer, and other key clinical trials and consensus recommendations that are influencing patient care today.

In Part 1 of this special Thinking Thoracic episode, Dr. Jeff Yang welcomes Dr. Linda Martin for a discussion of groundbreaking research spanning immunotherapy, lung cancer epidemiology, and screening. Together, they explore emerging organ-preserving strategies for mismatch repair-deficient cancers, the growing population of patients with lung cancer who have never smoked, and new data highlighting opportunities to improve screening eligibility and uptake. Hear expert analysis of the studies shaping the future of thoracic oncology and what these findings mean for surgeons and patients alike.

Host Dr. Erin Gillaspie is back with a new season of the popular Best of Lung Cancer Science video podcast series. In this episode, featuring Dr. Jonathan Spicer, they break down key takeaways from the European Lung Cancer Congress, including evolving surgical approaches and how biology, AI, and real-world data are reshaping lung cancer care.

In recognition of National Women’s Health Month, this episode of Thinking Thoracic analyzes the evolving landscape of female-specific lung cancer care. Co-hosts Dr. Erin Gillaspie and Dr. Jane Yanagawa sit down with guest Dr. Leah Backhus to discuss a critical disparity: lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women, yet screening practices remain inequitable.    This timely episode moves beyond smoking history to examine the rise of lung cancer in never-smokers and Asian women. From the "stigma" of a diagnosis to innovative solutions like co-scheduling screenings with mammograms, providing a powerful call to action for more inclusive, biomarker-driven care.

In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, podcast hosts Hari Keshava, MD, and Erin Gillaspie, MD, talk with René Petersen, MD, of Copenhagen University Hospital, about the latest developments in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols. As a longtime leader and pioneer in the field, Dr. Petersen shares insights from his extensive experience advancing recovery practices. The conversation covers the broader evolution of minimally invasive thoracic surgery, including video-assisted approaches, and how these developments inform patient selection for tubeless procedures.

n this episode of Thinking Thoracic, podcast hosts Hari Keshave, MD, and Erin Gillaspie, MD, talk with J. W. Awori Hayanga, MD, West Virginia University Medicine, about his recent study published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery on surgical interventions for end-stage emphysema. The conversation highlights symptom burden, a multidisciplinary approach to treatment, and the latest data on lung volume reduction surgery.  Article references:   Hayanga JWA, Luo X, Reddy S, Mehaffey JH, Rothenberg P, Chauhan D, Rajjoub H, Mascio C, Baker N, Badhwar V, Lamb J, Toker A. Endobronchial Valve Therapy vs Lung Volume Reduction Surgery in the United States. Ann Thorac Surg. 2025 Nov;120(5):917-925. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2025.06.053. Epub 2025 Jul 19. PMID: 40691922; PMCID: PMC12542816   Hayanga JWA, Voppuru S, Bham N, Hansen A, Mehaffey JH, Rajjoub H, Reddy S, Badhwar V, Lamb J. Higher Costs and Lower Reimbursement of Endobronchial Valve Therapy vs Lung Volume Reduction Surgery in the United States. Ann Thorac Surg. 2026 Jan;121(1):174-180. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2025.09.033. Epub 2025 Nov 6. PMID: 41205846.

In the season two premiere episode of Thinking Thoracic, cohosts Drs. Erin Gillaspie, Hari Keshava, Jeff Yang, and Jane Yanagawa review the latest thoracic surgery research presented at the 2026 STS Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

Leah Backhus, MD, joins Dr. Gillaspie to explore key takeaways from WCLC, including how precision data, surgical restraint, and breakthrough immunotherapy are transforming care.

In this episode, Dr. Gillaspie speaks with Paula Ugalde, MD, to examine findings from ELCC, including restaging in the neoadjuvant era, redefining resectability, AI in multidisciplinary precision, and the de-escalation debate.

Jessica Donington, MD, and Christine Bestvina, MD, join Dr. Gillaspie to unpack key lung cancer advances from ESMO, including adjuvant ALK inhibition (ALINA, ELEVATE), perioperative immunotherapy (KEYNOTE-671), and the expanding neoadjuvant space in borderline resectable disease.

Host Erin Gillaspie, MD, sits down with Brendon Stiles, MD, to discuss insights from ASCO, including perioperative immunotherapy, CheckMate 816, and expanding surgical boundaries.

The latest episode of Thinking Thoracic dives into one of the most challenging diseases in thoracic oncology—malignant pleural mesothelioma. Host Erin Gillaspie, MD, speaks with Joshua Reuss, MD, a thoracic medical oncologist and clinical trials leader, about how immunotherapy, evolving surgical strategies, and global practice patterns are reshaping care for this rare cancer. The episode covers the impact of the Checkmate 743 trial, controversy surrounding the MARS-2 surgical study, promising results from neoadjuvant immunotherapy trials, and the critical need for collaboration and clinical trial enrollment to drive progress. Listen now to explore where mesothelioma research is headed and what it means for patient care.

In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, host Dr. Erin Gillaspie talks with Dr. Robert Lentz and Dr. Fabien Maldonado about the groundbreaking VERITAS trial, which is reshaping how clinicians diagnose lung cancer. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the VERITAS trial compared navigational bronchoscopy with CT-guided biopsy in a rigorous, randomized design, bringing much-needed evidence to interventional pulmonology. The discussion explores how the study was conceived, why robust device trials are vital to patient outcomes, and what the findings mean for the future of minimally invasive lung diagnostics.

The latest episode of Thinking Thoracic takes on a topic that’s on everyone’s minds: finances. Host Erin Gillaspie, MD, sits down with Lawrence Greiten, MD, and Josh Daily, MD, both from Arkansas Children’s Hospital, to discuss their recent paper examining financial decision-making in cardiothoracic surgery. From training pathways to compensation survey data, the conversation highlights how earnings and financial trade-offs shape career choices and negotiations. Tune in today.

This latest episode of Thinking Thoracic, an STS podcast, features host Erin Gillaspie, MD, in conversation with Jonathan Spicer, MD, a leading thoracic oncologist and clinical trial investigator. The two dive into the landmark CheckMate 816 trial, which helped usher in a new era for immunotherapy in lung cancer treatment. Dr. Spicer shares insights on trial design, clinical outcomes, and what these findings mean for the future of thoracic surgery and oncology. Listen today.

Don’t miss the latest Thinking Thoracic episode as host Erin Gillaspie, MD, is joined by Stephanie Worrell, MD, associate professor, University of Arizona, and thoracic surgeon, Banner Health, for a lively and insightful post-ASCO discussion. Together, they unpack the significance of the CheckMate 577 and Matterhorn trials, and explore what these groundbreaking studies mean for the future of esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer care.

In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, Dr. Elliott Servais, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, joins host Dr. Erin Gillaspie to share how he developed a robotic 1st rib resection program. Recognizing an unmet need at his institution, he seized the opportunity to build a dedicated program. The result? A growing referral network and a newfound enthusiasm for a procedure he once dreaded. 

In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, hear from Christopher Seder, MD, professor of surgery and chief of the thoracic surgery division at Rush University, and Robert Habib, vice president of research and analytics at STS, about the development of the Society’s short-term risk calculators for pulmonary resection and esophagectomy, powered by the General Thoracic Surgery Database with more than 800,000 patient records. They discuss how these models reflect modern surgical practices and incorporate newer, evidence-backed variables, setting a new standard in personalized risk assessment for general thoracic surgery. And they discuss the launch of the widely anticipated STS risk calculator mobile app. Listen today.

What were the most practice-changing thoracic surgery papers of 2024? In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, Dr. Linda Martin, UVA Health, and Dr. Jeff Yang, Thinking Thoracic co-host, spotlight top studies shaping the field, from groundbreaking lung cancer and esophageal cancer findings to surgical profession papers that impact how surgeons work and lead. Dr. Martin’s curated list is a go-to resource for surgeons looking to stay at the forefront of evidence-based care. Check out her GTSC Key Papers presentation here. 

In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, hear from Alexandra Potter, researcher, and Dr. Chi-Fu Jeffrey Yang, both from Massachusetts General Hospital, about a new study that reveals current lung cancer screening guidelines miss nearly half of patients who develop the disease. Alternative approaches could greatly expand access—especially for women, minorities, and former smokers.

Thinking Thoracic host Dr. Erin Gillaspie and Dr. Stephen Liu, associate professor of medicine at Georgetown University and head of Developmental Therapeutics at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, discuss the surgeon's role in navigating the biomarker space and working collaboratively with oncology colleagues.  

In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, co-host Dr. Jeff Yang welcomes Dr. Gavitt Woodard and Dr. Christopher Seder to discuss their recent research on lobectomy versus sublobar resection for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. Their studies, leveraging data from The STS General Thoracic Surgery Database, provide valuable insights into the long-term survival outcomes of these surgical approaches. Hear from Dr. Woodard on how her study, recognized as the Richard E. Clark Memorial Paper, aimed to evaluate patient populations that were not well represented in prior randomized trials, such as older adults and those with poorer pulmonary function. Dr. Seder explains how his research took a complementary approach, examining over 32,000 patients from 2012 to 2022, with a focus on distinguishing the survival outcomes between lobectomy, segmentectomy, and wedge resection. Listen today.  

In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, Dr. Jane Yanagawa talks with Dr. Olujimi Ajijola, UCLA Health, about cardiac sympathetic denervation. They cover the basics, such as indications for CSD, and the latest advances to make surgery less invasive. The focus is on patients with severe ventricular arrhythmias for whom none of the conventional therapies available are effective. Listen today.

In this episode, hear from Thinking Thoracic hosts, Drs. Erin Gillaspie, Hari Keshava, Jeff Yang, and Jane Yanagawa as they participated in a sublobar debate on extent of resection that took place at the 2025 STS Annual Meeting. Are you Team Wedge or Team Segment? Hear the unique perspectives and best practices from these experts on the extent of resection and quality metrics in lung cancer care, as well as other changing trends.   

In this episode, Dr. Hari Keshava talks with Dr. Sid Murthy, section head, thoracic surgery at Cleveland Clinic, about thoracic surgical emergencies related to pulmonary and lung surgeries...and how optimal management of these situations often requires surgeons to anticipate, collaborate and be prepared with a well-thought-out action plan. 

In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, Dr. Jane Yanagawa talks with Dr. Stephanie Worrell, clinical associate professor and thoracic section chief, division of cardiothoracic surgery, University of Arizona, about her expertise in esophageal perforation management. Hear how esophageal surgery can involve complications such as anastomotic leak, pain, bleeding, infection, and reflux and how surgeons can best handle them. 

A traveling, mobile lung screening program has the potential to diagnose cancer earlier, leading to a higher cure rate and lower death rate. In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, STS’s new podcast series, host Dr. Jeffrey Yang talks with Dr. Robert Headrick about CHI Memorial’s “Breathe Easy” mobile lung screening program and how meeting people where they are with quality healthcare services like this one is saving lives. Learn how to build a mobile lung screening program at a hospital and gain tips on assembling a multidisciplinary team, identifying eligible patient populations, securing funding and the necessary equipment, and more.

In this first episode of Thinking Thoracic, Dr. Erin Gillaspie talks with Dr. Wade Iams about notable takeaways on key clinical trials presented at the 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer and how these findings will help shape the thoracic surgery landscape.