21st Annual Fall Midwest Thoracic and GI Oncology Conference

Thoracic Agenda - Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026

7:00 a.m. Registration / Breakfast / Exhibits

7:40 a.m. Welcome / Introduction
Rudy P. Lackner, MD, FACS, FCCP
Vice Chief, Cardiothoracic Surgery; Professor and Chief, Section of Thoracic Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, UNMC

7:50 a.m. Radiology of Pleural Disease
Matt DeVries, MD
Charles A. Dobry Professor; Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Imaging, Department of Radiology, UNMC

8:30 a.m. Systemic Therapy for Mesothelioma
TBA

9:10 a.m. Surgical Management of Mesothelioma
Jane Yanagawa, MD

9:50 a.m. Break / Exhibits

10:05 a.m. Radiation Oncology for Locally Advanced NSCLC
Qateeb Khan, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, UNMC

10:45 a.m. Systemic Therapy in Locally Advanced NSCLC
Omar Abughanimeh, MBBS
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, UNMC

11:25 a.m. Surgical Management of Locally Advanced NSCLC
Rudy P. Lackner, MD, FACS, FCCP

12:05 p.m. Lunch / Exhibits

12:35 p.m. Systemic Therapy for Head and Neck Cancers
Apar Kishor Ganti, MD
Professor, Division of Oncology and Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine; Associate Director for Clinical Research, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, UNMC

1:15 p.m. Radiation Oncology for Head and Neck Cancers
Weining (Ken) Zhen, MD, FACR, FASTRO
Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, UNMC

1:55 p.m. Surgical Management of Head and Neck Cancers
Elizabeth Bradford-Bell, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, UNMC

2:35 p.m. Break / Exhibits

2:50 p.m. Update on Lung Cancer Screening
David Berkheim, MD
Associate Professor, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, UNMC

3:30 p.m. TBA
Kate-Lynn Muir, DO
Assistant Professor, Division of Oncology and Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, UNMC

4:10 p.m. Single Port Robotic Surgery
Erik E. Lewis, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, UNMC

4:50 p.m. Closing Remarks
Rudy P. Lackner, MD, FACS, FCCP

5:00 p.m. Adjourn