5th Annual State-of-the-Art Lung Nodule Symposium: From Detection to Resection 2026

Oak Lawn, IL US
November 21, 2026

This symposium is designed to deepen your expertise in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of lung nodules. Attendees will explore the latest advancements, research, and best practices in the field. In addition to educational sessions, the event offers valuable networking opportunities with fellow physicians, nurses, and pharmacist and other healthcare professionals. Participants will gain practical tools and insights that can be immediately applied in clinical practice. The symposium emphasizes the importance of staying current in a rapidly evolving specialty.

This conference is being held in person and virtually.

NOTE: Please note this activity will be presented 8:00am – 4:30pm CST / 9:00am - 5:30pm EST

Target Audience

This activity is designed for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this session, learners should be able to:

  • Apply evidence-based practices in the diagnosis, imaging, and management of lung nodules, including updates on screening protocols and advanced imaging techniques.
  • Evaluate emerging technologies such as AI-driven risk stratification, optical coherence tomography, and confocal laser endomicroscopy for their clinical utility in lung nodule assessment.
  • Compare multidisciplinary approaches to lung nodule treatment, including interventional pulmonology, thoracic surgery, and intratumoral therapies, to optimize patient outcomes.

Course summary

Available credit: 
  • 6.75 American Board of Surgery
    Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn credit toward the CME and Self-Assessment requirements of the American Board of Surgery's Continuous Certification program. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABS credit.
    • 6.75 ABS Self-Assessment
  • 6.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    Aurora Health Care is accredited by the Wisconsin Medical Society to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Aurora Health Care designates this activity for a maximum of 6.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • 6.75 Attendance
    Attendance Credit
    • 6.75 Approved AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 6.75 Continuing Nursing Education (CE)
    Aurora Health Care is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Wisconsin Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. 6.75 contact hours have been awarded to this activity by the Wisconsin Nursing Association. To receive contact hours, participants must attend the entire activity.
  • 6.75 Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE)
    Aurora Health Care Department of Pharmacy Services is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.
  • 6.75 Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE) Pharmacy Technician
    Aurora Health Care Department of Pharmacy Services is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.
  • 6.75 ABIM MOC Part II
    Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 6.75 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.
Course opens: 
08/21/2026
Course expires: 
12/31/2026
Event starts: 
11/21/2026 - 8:00am CST
Event ends: 
11/21/2026 - 4:30pm CST
Cost:
$150.00
Add to calendar: 
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07:30-08:00

Registration, Continental Breakfast, Exhibit Fair

 

Session 1: Lung Cancer Screening and Early Detection

07:45- 08:00

Welcome and Introduction
Essam Mekhaiel MD
Medical Director, Interventional Pulmonology, Advocate Health Care

8:00-8:30am

 

 

Updates in Lung Cancer Screening
Neeraj Desai, MD, MBA, FACP, FCCP, D-AABIP
Medical Director, Bronchoscopy & Interventional Pulmonology – Endeavor Health
UIC Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship Director
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine- University of Illinois at Chicago  

08:20 – 08:40

 

Building an Incidental Lung Nodule Program
Carla Lamb, MD, FACP, FCCP
Director of Interventional Pulmonary Medicine
Director of Interventional Pulmonary Fellowship Program 
Director of Bronchoscopy
Diplomate of AABIP
 President of American Association for Bronchology & Interventional Pulmonology (AABIP)

08:40– 09:00

 

Risk stratification - We found a lung nodule…Now what?​
Kevin Haas, MD
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Allergy - University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Associate Program Director - Pulmonary & Critical Care Fellowship
Director, Interventional Pulmonary – Jesse Brown VA Chicago

9:00-9:20

 

Artificial Intelligence in Lung Nodule Imaging
Christopher Kapp, MD
 Assistant Professor of Medicine
 Associate Program Director for IP Fellowship – Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

9:20-9:40

 

rEBUS & Ultrathin Bronchoscopy
 Alexander Chen, MD
Director, Interventional Pulmonology
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine

9:40-10:00

Cone Beam CT and Augmented Fluoroscopy
Wolfgang Hohenforst-Schmidt

10:00– 10:20

Coffee Break / Exhibit Fair

 

Session 2: Optimizing Diagnosis

10:20– 10:40

Pathology Updates in Lung Nodule Evaluation
Imran Uraizee, MD
Associate Pathologist and Cytopathologist – Midwest Diagnostic Pathology, SC
Department of Pathology – Advocate Christ Medical Center

10:40– 11:00

Beyond Navigation: The Impact of Cone Beam CT in Peripheral Bronchoscopy
Essam Mekhaiel, MD, FCCP, DAABIP
Interventional Pulmonologist & Pulmonary Critical Care Physician, Director of Interventional Pulmonology,
Advocate Christ Medical Center

11:00– 11:20

Breath Hold & Apneic Oxygenation During Robotic Bronchoscopy
Ali Jiwani, MD, MCs
Director of Interventional Pulmonology – Orlando Health Care Institute

11:20– 11:40

Iriscope: Expanding the Diagnostic Toolbox
Sammy Onyancha, MD

11:40-12:00

Never Lose the Target: Real-Time Radial EBUS-Guided Cryobiopsy
Miguel Ariza, MD
Interventional Pulmonologist - Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA)
Vice President - Spanish Association of Respiratory Endoscopy (AEER)

12:00 – 12:45

 

Lunch Break / Exhibit Fair

 

Session 3: Management of Early Lung Cancer

12:45-1:05

Cryoablation: Treat and Resect
Jennifer Duke, MD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center  

1:05-1:25

Surgery in Early Stage Lung Cancer
Paul J. Gordon, MD
Thoracic Surgeon, Director Thoracic Oncology, Advocate Christ Medical Center

1:25-1:45

From Procedure to Payment: Navigating Billing and Coding in Interventional Pulmonology
Kim French

 

1:45- 2:05

 

Lung Nodule Year-in-Review: Key Studies and Updates from 2026
Sonali Sethi, MD, FCCP
Director, Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Staging Program
Program Director for Interventional Pulmonary Fellowship & Fellows Procedural Training
President-Elect American Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology,
Respiratory Institute - Department of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine & Transplant Center, Cleveland Clinic  

2:05-2:20

Point – Counterpoint Debate: Should all High-Risk Pulmonary Nodules Be Biopsied?
Paul Gordon, MD vs. Essam Mekhaiel

2:20-2:45

Break/Exhibit Fair

 

Session 4: Rapid-Fire Clinical Pearls

2:45-3:00

 Re-Biopsy in Lung Cancer: Tissue vs. Liquid Biopsy
Prashant Joshi, MD
Medical Director of AMG South Chicagoland Hematology and Oncology
Medical Director Infusion Services
 AMG Southland : Advocate Christ Medical Center, South Suburban Hospital, Trinity Hospital

3:00-3:15

Point Counterpoint Debate—When Technology Changes the Equation: Should We Biopsy Sub-8 mm Pulmonary Nodules?
Essam Mekhaiel, MD, FCCP, DAABIP
Interventional Pulmonologist & Pulmonary Critical Care Physician, Director of Interventional Pulmonology,
Advocate Christ Medical Center

Mounir Ghali, MD, DAABIP
Director, Interventional Pulmonology Division
Vice Section Chief, Pulmonology
Chief of Thoracic Division for the Cancer Network of West Michigan

3:15-3:30

 

The Non-Diagnostic Bronchoscopy: What Happens Next?
Christopher Kapp, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Associate Program Director for IP Fellowship – Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

3:30-3:45

 

Beyond Diagnostic Yield: Molecular Adequacy in Peripheral Bronchoscopy
Mahir Khan, MD
Hematology/Oncology Physician – Advocate South Chicagoland

3:45-4:00

 Title TBD
Sameer Arbat, MBBS, MD, FCCP
Interventional Pulmonologist – One Healthcare, Nagpur, India
Chair, Media Committee – World Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology

4:05-4:20

Panel Discussion and Audience Questions

4:20

Closing Remarks

 

 

 

Advocate Christ Medical Center
4440 95th St.
Stein Auditorium
Oak Lawn, IL 60453
United States

Faculty

Name of individual with credentialsJob titleHospital affiliations/Company names 
Carla Lamb, MD FACP FCCP Director of Interventional Pulmonary Medicine 
 Director of Interventional Pulmonary Fellowship Program  
 Director of Bronchoscopy 
 Diplomate of AABIP 
 President of  American Association for Bronchology & Interventional Pulmonology (AABIP) 
Neeraj Desai, , MD, MBA, FACP, FCCP, D-AABIPMedical Director, Bronchoscopy Endeavor Health 
 Medical Director, Interventional PulmonologyEndeavor Health 
 UIC Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship Director University of Illinois at Chicago
 Clinical Associate Professor of MedicineUniversity of Illinois at Chicago
Wolfgang Hohenforst-Schmidt  
Chris Kapp, MDAssistant Professor of MedicineNorthwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
 Associate Program Director for IP Fellowship 
   
Imran Uraizee, MDAssociate Pathologist and CytopathologistMidwest Diagnostic Pathology, SC
 Deptartment of Pathology Advocate Christ Medical Center
Sammy Onyancha  
Kevin Haas, MDDivision of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and AllergyUniversity of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
 Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine 
 Associate Program Director - Pulmonary & Critical Care Fellowship 
 Director, Interventional Pulmonary Jesse Brown VA Chicago
   
Mahir Khan, MD Hematology/Oncology Physician Advocate South Chicagoland 
Sameer Arbat, MBBS, MD, FCCPInterventional Pulmonologist One Healthcare, Nagpur, India 
 Chair, Media CommitteeWorld Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology 
Miguel Angel Ariza Proto, MDInterventional PulmonologistHospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA)
 Vice PresidentSpanish Association of Respiratory Endoscopy (AEER)
Ali Jiwani, MD MCsDirector of Interventional PulmonaryOrlando Health Care Institute 
   
Jennifer Duke  Vanderbilt University Medical Center 
Prashant Joshi, MD Hematology/Oncology Physician Advocate Medical Group 
  Advocate Trinity Hospital
  Advocate Christ Medical Center 
Alexander Chen, MD Director, Interventional Pulmonology Associate Professor, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Washington University School of Medicine 
 Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery  
Paul Gordon, MD Thoracic Surgeon, Director Thoracic OncologyAdvocate Christ Medical Center 
Sonali Sethi, MD, FCCPDirector, Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Staging Program Cleveland Clinic
 Program Director for Interventional Pulmonary Fellowship & Fellows Procedural Training  
 President-Elect American Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology  
Kim French   
Mounir Ghali, MD   
Emily Ball, PharmD, BCCCP Medical ICU Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Advocate Christ Medical Center 
Essam Mekhaiel, MD, FCCP, DAABIPInterventional Pulmonologist & Pulmonary Critical Care PhysicianAdvocate Christ Medical Center 
 Director of Interventional Pulmonology  
   
   
   
Ashley Lemmon, MSN, RN, CAPA Coordinator, Medical Staff Professional DevelopmentAdvocate Southland PSA: Advocate South Suburban Hospital/Advocate Christ Medical Center/Advocate Trinity Hospital 

 

 

Disclosure

Faculty disclosures are being reviewed and will be presented to the audience in advance of the program.

 

Accreditation Statement


In support of improving patient care, Advocate Health is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

 

Credit Statement(s)
 

American Medical Association (AMA) 
Advocate Health designates this live activity for a maximum of 6.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) 
Advocate Health designates this live activity for a maximum of 6.75 ANCC contact hours. Nurses should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 

Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) 
Advocate Health designates this live activity for a maximum 6.75 hours of CPE credit for (pharmacists and pharmacy technicians). CPE credit can be claimed on the AAH CE platform within 60 days of activity completion and information will be provided to CPE Monitor. Participants should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 
Pharmacy UAN: JA0006327-0000-26-137-L01-P
Pharmacy Technician UAN: JA0006327-0000-26-137-L01-T

Board Recognition Statement(s)
 

American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 6.75 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

American Board of Surgery (ABS)
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn credit toward the CME and Self-Assessment requirements of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABS credit.

Available Credit

  • 6.75 American Board of Surgery
    Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn credit toward the CME and Self-Assessment requirements of the American Board of Surgery's Continuous Certification program. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABS credit.
    • 6.75 ABS Self-Assessment
  • 6.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    Aurora Health Care is accredited by the Wisconsin Medical Society to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Aurora Health Care designates this activity for a maximum of 6.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • 6.75 Attendance
    Attendance Credit
    • 6.75 Approved AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 6.75 Continuing Nursing Education (CE)
    Aurora Health Care is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Wisconsin Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. 6.75 contact hours have been awarded to this activity by the Wisconsin Nursing Association. To receive contact hours, participants must attend the entire activity.
  • 6.75 Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE)
    Aurora Health Care Department of Pharmacy Services is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.
  • 6.75 Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE) Pharmacy Technician
    Aurora Health Care Department of Pharmacy Services is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.
  • 6.75 ABIM MOC Part II
    Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 6.75 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

Price

Cost:
$150.00
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For those attending this conference virtually, a link to the meeting will be provided prior to the event

 Early bird registration until 10/16 @3:00 pm CTRegistration after 10/16 @3:00 pm CT
Physician$90.00$150.00
NP, PAs, APRNs$45.00$75.00
RNs, Fellows, Residents   Free - must have coupon to register Free - must have coupon to register

**For coupon code please contact [email protected]

Payable by credit card only

Registration for this activity can only be completed through the CE Learning Platform. Attendee registrations made through any other sites cannot be honored. 

Cancellation and Refund Policy

Cancellation/Refunds/Substitutions

  • Cancellations must be in writing (email)
  • Registrants cancelling between two weeks and five full business days prior to the first day of the event are "refunded at 70% of the registration fee subject to a minimum $25 cancellation fee."
  • No refunds or credits will be given for cancellations received less than five full business days prior to the event.
  • No refunds or credit will be given for no-shows.
  • No vouchers will be issued in lieu of a refund.

For Further Information
 

If you have any questions regarding the conference, please contact [email protected]

If you have any questions regarding registration, please contact the IPCE Office at [email protected]

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