International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC): Celebrating 40 Years with Scientific and Educational Achievements!
Authors: Fred R. Hirsch
Journal: Journal of Thoracic Oncology (2014)

In 1974, a group of visionary lung cancer investigators decided the need to form an association, which had the primary goal of facilitating research and clinical trials in lung cancer. After some years with encouraging treatment results of malignant lymphomas (particularly, Hodgkin's disease) and certain forms of leukemia, the time came to focus on solid tumors. Systematic clinical trials in patients with solid tumors were in its beginning, and the lung cancer community consisting of a multidisciplinary group of investigators saw the need for collaborations and meetings to discuss new developments in cancer therapy, which could be applicable to lung cancer. At the first meeting at Airlie House in Virginia (April of 1974), a formal association—the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)—was founded. The group established bylaws and an organizational infrastructure, which could facilitate work toward the mission. Although the World Conferences held every third year was the main meeting event, which gathered investigators from the different parts of the world, small workshops focusing on specific themes, e.g., biology of small cell lung cancer, multimodality treatment of lung cancer, treatment of non–small-cell lung cancer, were held more frequently and were the vehicle to bring scientists and science together. The group of investigators saw a need for establishing a focused lung cancer journal to encourage and gather lung cancer-oriented scientific articles, and also the organization had a need for reporting the results from the different meetings. The first IASLC journal “Lung Cancer” was established after a few years with an “IASLC Newsletter.” Many scientific supplements to “Lung Cancer” were published over the years addressing multiple themes. The IASLC journal “Lung Cancer” later turned into our current journal, Journal of Thoracic Oncology (JTO), which for many years was led by the first Chief Editor James Jett, who more recently was followed by the current Chief Editor Alex Adjei. All the workshops and the World Conferences certainly facilitated scientific collaborations, and facilitated also a specific “IASLC Culture” on the same time. Collaborations were established, and also friendships developed across geographical borders and specialty borders. Committees within IASLC were established with the Pathology Committee as the first one to be instrumental in the development of the World Health Organization's international classification of lung tumors. As the organization grew, there was a need for establishing an IASLC Headquarters and having an executive director. The first headquarters was localized in Copenhagen, Denmark, under the leadership of Prof. Heine Hoi Hansen. The IASLC continued to grow under the leadership of Dr. Paul A. Bunn Jr. as the executive director and several distinguished presidents. During the 40 years, the IASLC has continuously promoted science and education in lung cancer and most recently also in other thoracic malignancies. Notable are the organization's contribution to standardize the histopathological classification of malignant thoracic tumors by providing expertise and core committee for the World Health Organization's classification,1Travis WD Brambilla E Noguchi M et al.International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society international multidisciplinary classification of lung adenocarcinoma.J Thorac Oncol. 2011; 6: 244-285Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (3563) Google Scholar and its contribution for a standardized, internationally recognized staging system.2Goldstraw P Crowley J Chansky K et al.International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer International Staging Committee; Participating Institutions. The IASLC Lung Cancer Staging Project: proposals for the revision of the TNM stage groupings in the forthcoming (seventh) edition of the TNM Classification of malignant tumours.J Thorac Oncol. 2007; 2: 706-714Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (2895) Google Scholar,3Vallières E Shepherd FA Crowley J International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer International Staging Committee and Participating Institutions et al.The IASLC Lung Cancer Staging Project: proposals regarding the relevance of TNM in the pathologic staging of small cell lung cancer in the forthcoming (seventh) edition of the TNM classification for lung cancer.J Thorac Oncol. 2009; 4: 1049-1059Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (405) Google Scholar The pathology and the staging classifications from IASLC have been the backbone and reference for numerous scientific achievements both in basic science and clinical science, and the IASLC publications are significant contributions that are widely cited in the scientific literature. Also through its smaller and larger meetings IASLC has facilitated collaborations, which has led to scientific achievements within all aspects of thoracic oncology.4Detterbeck FC Asamura H Crowley J Staging and Prognostic Factors Committee Members of the Advisory Boards Participating Institutions of the Thymic Domain et al.The IASLC/ITMIG thymic malignancies staging project: development of a stage classification for thymic malignancies.J Thorac Oncol. 2013; 8: 1467-1473Crossref PubMed Scopus (64) Google Scholar,5Rice D Rusch V Pass H International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer International Staging Committee and the International Mesothelioma Interest Group et al.Recommendations for uniform definitions of surgical techniques for malignant pleural mesothelioma: a consensus report of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer International Staging Committee and the International Mesothelioma Interest Group.J Thorac Oncol. 2011; 6: 1304-1312Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (208) Google Scholar Most recently, the IASLC also developed guidelines for molecular testing and personalized therapy,6Lindeman NI Cagle PT Beasley MB et al.Molecular testing guideline for selection of lung cancer patients for EGFR and ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors: guideline from the College of American Pathologists, International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, and Association for Molecular Pathology.J Thorac Oncol. 2013; 8: 823-859Crossref PubMed Scopus (655) Google Scholar which has been a model for similar guidelines in many countries. It is a great pleasure for IASLC to present in our journal, JTO, a series of articles describing more focused scientific achievements made over the 40 years, in which it has been directly or indirectly involved. The first article in this “Anniversary Series” of articles is published in the current issue of JTO by Dr. Novello et al7Novello S Asamura H Bazan J et al.Early stage lung cancer: 40′s anniversary.J Thorac Oncol. 2014; Google Scholar and describes developments in early-stage non–small-cell lung cancer. With contributions from our current leaders in the field, the development in our understanding of biology and improved clinical management of patients with lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies over the 40 years are described, and it is our hope that this will be to inspiration for new generation investigators to continue this development, which in the future will give a long-awaited hope for many desperate patients with lung cancer to turn lung cancer into a preventable, potential, curable “chronic disease.”