Dr Florez on the Importance of the Bridging the Gaps Meetings in Lung Cancer

“Every meeting is tailored to the needs of the lung cancer community that year, but we also take feedback from the year before to address the questions that couldn’t be addressed in that year.”

Narjust Florez, MD, associate medical director of the Cancer Care Access Program and a thoracic medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discussed how the agenda for the Bridging the Gaps in Lung Cancer meeting evolves year-to-year based on emerging data and community feedback.

Florez explained that the meeting’s structure is shaped by lessons learned from the prior year’s biggest gaps in knowledge. Last year, she noted, small cell lung cancer (SCLC) took on new importance following the introduction of DLL3-targeted therapy, transforming it from what she described as a largely forgotten disease into a central topic. This year, she said, the meeting opened with a dedicated SCLC session rather than treating it as an afterthought.

Florez also pointed to the increasing complexity of EGFR-positive non–small cell lung cancer treatment over the past 2 years. Where a single frontline agent once sufficed, she noted, the field now includes combination and intensification regimens, raising open questions about the added value of these combinations and the appropriate approach following disease progression. As a result, the meeting now includes a dedicated EGFR-focused session.

Florez further highlighted emerging biomarkers that remain difficult to act on clinically, including STK11 as a potential predictive marker for immunotherapy response, along with newer targets such as NRG1 and MTAP. She noted that significant questions remain around how to test for MTAP alterations, as drugs targeting this space are still in development. Ultimately, Florez said, each year’s meeting is tailored to the lung cancer community’s most pressing needs, incorporating feedback from the previous year to address questions that couldn’t be fully resolved before.