At the 2025 European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC), Professor Enrico Ruffini, thoracic surgeon at the Università di Torino and Co-Chair of the ELCC, delivered a dedicated presentation titled "Thymoma and thymic carcinoma: Different surgical management strategies?" During the conference, Oncology Frontier had the opportunity to speak with Professor Ruffini for an in-depth discussion on the latest developments in surgical treatment for thymic tumors and key takeaways from the ELCC.

Oncology Frontier：What are the key differences in surgical approaches for thymoma and thymic carcinoma?

Prof. Enrico Ruffini:The surgical treatment of small tumors is one of my favorite topics. My presentation focused on the differences in surgical strategies between thymoma and thymic carcinoma. These are two entirely different types of tumors. Thymoma is malignant but typically not as aggressive as thymic carcinoma, which is highly invasive. Although the surgical principles are similar, for thymic carcinoma, we surgeons believe a more aggressive approach is necessary—this includes wider resections and greater readiness to combine surgery with other therapies.

For example, in patients with locally advanced thymic carcinoma, chemotherapy and surgery are both critical components, and integrating radiotherapy is also often needed. In my talk, I emphasized the importance of distinguishing between these two diseases. Despite using the same staging system, they demand distinct multidisciplinary treatment strategies.

Oncology Frontier：As Co-Chair of ELCC 2025, could you briefly summarize the main themes and highlights of this year’s congress?

Prof. Enrico Ruffini: As Co-Chair of the ELCC Scientific Committee, my role was to coordinate the overall program. ELCC is one of Europe’s premier meetings focused on three main topics: lung cancer, mesothelioma, and thymic tumors. A defining feature of ELCC is its ability to bring together experts from various specialties—thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists, and pathologists—for meaningful interaction and exchange.

In recent years, advancements in thoracic oncology have come largely from multidisciplinary collaboration. ELCC 2025 has worked hard to strike a balance between specialties rather than allowing any one field to dominate. This year’s research highlights were largely in lung cancer, particularly in the area of combined modality treatments—immunotherapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery—for early-stage tumors.

The congress also focused heavily on mesothelioma and thymic tumors, showcasing advances in multidisciplinary care, new staging systems, and innovative surgical techniques.

In summary, ELCC 2025 spotlighted three main areas—lung cancer, mesothelioma, and thymic tumors—with a strong emphasis on multidisciplinary approaches.

Oncology Frontier：This year, the Heine H. Hansen Award was presented to Professor Keith Kerr. Could you share the rationale behind this recognition?

Prof. Enrico Ruffini: Professor Keith Kerr, a pathologist from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, has made significant contributions to the field of pathology, particularly in reclassifying lung cancer and driving precision medicine forward. His work has been instrumental in developing new molecular and histological classifications and advancing genomic testing, providing clinicians with richer, more precise information for patient management.

In his keynote lecture at ELCC 2025, Professor Kerr underscored the importance of bridging the gap between pathology and clinical practice. He emphasized that pathologists should not work in isolation but rather collaborate closely with clinicians to support informed therapeutic decisions. This philosophy is precisely why Professor Kerr is a deserving recipient of the prestigious Heine H. Hansen Award.

Oncology Frontier：Could you comment on the abstracts related to thoracic tumors featured at ELCC 2025?

Prof. Enrico Ruffini: As Co-Chair of the Abstract Review Committee, I was impressed by the volume and quality of submissions—we received 450 abstracts, which is a significant number. What stood out was the strong focus on cutting-edge therapies, particularly molecular treatments such as targeted therapies and immunotherapies tailored to specific patient populations.

One of the most compelling abstracts, in my view, focused on the integration of immunotherapy with surgery and radiotherapy. This kind of multidisciplinary synergy—spanning medical oncology, surgery, radiation oncology, imaging, and pathology—is central to the success of this year’s congress and, more broadly, to the future of thoracic oncology.