Thinking Thoracic

In this episode of the STS Thinking Thoracic podcast, host Dr. Jeff Yang is joined by thoracic surgeons Dr. Seth Krantz and Dr. Christopher Seder, along with Harvard medical student Alexandra Potter, to discuss three landmark studies using the STS General Thoracic Surgery Database that are reshaping how lymph node evaluation is performed in lung cancer surgery. The panel explores current guidelines, quality standards, and how more comprehensive nodal evaluation can improve staging accuracy while maintaining patient safety.
The discussion highlights national trends in surgical quality, the importance of surgeon-pathologist collaboration, and the future of personalized lymph node evaluation, including the potential role of emerging technologies such as radiomics, genomic markers, and AI.

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.