Precision oncology in gastrointestinal malignancies is advancing rapidly — driven by an expanding landscape of clinically actionable biomarkers, increasingly targeted therapeutic strategies, and a growing recognition that molecular profiling must be integrated into treatment decision-making from the earliest stages of care. A new in-person educational conference in Bethesda, Maryland, brings together the leaders shaping this transformation for a comprehensive, multidisciplinary program focused on translating molecular insight into improved patient outcomes across pancreatic, colorectal, and hepatobiliary cancers.
Advancing Precision Oncology & Pathology – Bethesda is part of the Advancing Precision Medicine event series and offers complimentary registration as well as complimentary CE/CME and MOC credits for eligible attendees.
About the Conference
This in-person educational program is designed for oncologists, pathologists, molecular diagnosticians, translational researchers, and clinicians working at the intersection of cancer biology and patient care in gastrointestinal malignancies. The meeting’s core focus is the evolving role of clinically actionable biomarkers and targeted therapies — examining both the current state of practice and the emerging science that is reshaping how gastrointestinal cancers are classified, treated, and monitored.
The agenda covers three major cancer types that collectively represent some of the most significant unmet needs in oncology today: pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, and hepatobiliary cancers — a group that includes hepatocellular carcinoma and biliary tract malignancies. Across these disease areas, the molecular landscape is evolving at a pace that demands ongoing education for clinicians and researchers committed to delivering biomarker-driven care.
Co-Chairs
Michael J. Pishvaian, MD, PhD
Dr. Pishvaian is the Director of Gastrointestinal, Developmental Therapeutics and Clinical Research Programs at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and Associate Professor of Oncology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His clinical and research focus spans gastrointestinal oncology and early-phase therapeutics, with particular expertise in pancreatic cancer and the development of biomarker-guided treatment strategies for GI malignancies. Dr. Pishvaian brings to the co-chair role both deep clinical experience in managing complex GI cancers and a strong translational science perspective on how molecular profiling findings can be applied to treatment selection in routine practice.
Jonathan R. Brody, PhD
Dr. Brody is Vice Chair of Research and Professor in the Department of Surgery at Oregon Health & Science University, and Associate Director of Translational Research at the Brenden-Colson Pancreatic Center at the Knight Cancer Institute. His research program is focused on the molecular biology of pancreatic cancer — with particular emphasis on identifying novel biomarkers and therapeutic vulnerabilities, and on translating laboratory discoveries into clinical application. As a leader at one of the nation’s dedicated pancreatic cancer research centers, Dr. Brody brings a translational research perspective that bridges the gap between molecular discovery and clinical implementation.
Together, Drs. Pishvaian and Brody will lead a multidisciplinary agenda that reflects both the clinical and scientific dimensions of precision oncology in gastrointestinal malignancies — ensuring that the program is relevant and actionable for attendees from across the spectrum of oncology practice and research.
Key Biomarkers and Targets on the Agenda
The scientific program examines a set of biomarkers and molecular targets that are either already reshaping treatment decisions in GI oncology or are positioned to do so in the near term. These include:
RAS
RAS mutations — particularly KRAS — are among the most common oncogenic alterations across gastrointestinal cancers, present in the vast majority of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas and in a substantial proportion of colorectal cancers. For decades, RAS was considered undruggable, but the development of KRAS G12C-specific inhibitors and, more recently, inhibitors targeting other KRAS variants including G12D has transformed this biomarker from a marker of treatment exclusion into a genuine therapeutic target. The program will address how RAS mutation profiling informs both the selection of KRAS-targeted agents and the interpretation of treatment resistance mechanisms.
CLDN18.2
Claudin 18.2 (CLDN18.2) has emerged as a clinically validated therapeutic target in gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancers, and its expression profile across other gastrointestinal tumor types is an active area of investigation. The approval of zolbetuximab — a CLDN18.2-targeted antibody — in CLDN18.2-positive, HER2-negative gastric and GEJ adenocarcinoma has established CLDN18.2 testing as part of the standard molecular workup for these patients, and ongoing trials are exploring CLDN18.2-targeted strategies in additional GI indications. The program will address how to integrate CLDN18.2 testing into diagnostic workflows and how to interpret CLDN18.2 expression data in clinical practice.
BRAF
BRAF V600E mutations occur in approximately 8–12% of colorectal cancers and are associated with a distinct clinical and molecular phenotype — including a predilection for right-sided tumors, microsatellite instability, and a historically poor prognosis in the metastatic setting. The development of BRAF-targeted combination regimens — including encorafenib plus cetuximab, now standard of care for BRAF V600E-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer — has transformed outcomes for this molecularly defined subset. The program will explore BRAF testing strategies, the biology underlying BRAF-mutant colorectal cancer, and the evolving therapeutic landscape for this patient population.
MTAP
MTAP (methylthioadenosine phosphorylase) deletion — occurring as a consequence of co-deletion with the CDKN2A tumor suppressor locus — is one of the most common somatic alterations in pancreatic cancer and is present across multiple other tumor types. MTAP deletion creates a metabolic vulnerability through synthetic lethality with PRMT5 inhibition, making it a compelling therapeutic target for a substantial proportion of pancreatic and other GI cancer patients. MTAP deletion testing and the clinical development of PRMT5 inhibitors represent one of the more active emerging areas in GI oncology biomarker science, and the program will address how this target is being evaluated and what the near-term clinical outlook looks like for MTAP-deleted tumors.
The Broader Scientific Program
Beyond these specific biomarkers, the conference agenda addresses the broader scientific and clinical framework within which precision oncology is advancing across GI malignancies:
- Molecular profiling in clinical practice: How comprehensive genomic profiling, liquid biopsy, and tumor molecular profiling are being integrated into the standard workup of GI cancer patients — and how the results of these tests are being used to inform treatment selection, clinical trial matching, and prognostic assessment.
- Targeted therapies and combination strategies: The evolving landscape of targeted agents approved or in development for GI malignancies, including how combination strategies — pairing targeted agents with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or other targeted drugs — are being designed to overcome primary and acquired resistance.
- Translational science bridging discovery and practice: How laboratory findings — including studies of resistance mechanisms, tumor evolution, and novel target biology — are being translated into clinical hypotheses and trial designs that can ultimately change practice.
- The role of molecular diagnostics and pathology: How pathologists and molecular diagnosticians are supporting precision oncology programs — from biomarker test development and validation through the interpretation of complex molecular results in multidisciplinary tumor board settings.
Registration and Credits
Advancing Precision Oncology & Pathology – Bethesda offers complimentary registration for eligible attendees — removing a financial barrier that can limit access to high-quality continuing education for busy clinicians and researchers.
Complimentary CE/CME and MOC (Maintenance of Certification) credits are available, with the exact credit amount to be determined. These credits support the ongoing professional development requirements of oncologists, pathologists, and other specialists involved in the care of GI cancer patients.
The meeting is an in-person event held in Bethesda, Maryland — a location that places it in proximity to the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, and a dense concentration of academic medical centers and research institutions that make the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area one of the most significant hubs for cancer research and clinical oncology in the United States.
Part of the Advancing Precision Medicine Event Series
This conference is part of the broader Advancing Precision Medicine event series — a program of educational meetings designed to bring the latest developments in precision medicine, biomarker science, and targeted therapeutics to practicing clinicians and translational researchers in a focused, in-person format.
The series reflects the recognition that precision oncology education requires more than review articles and guidelines — it requires the kind of direct scientific exchange, case-based discussion, and expert dialogue that only in-person conferences can fully deliver. For clinicians navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of biomarker-driven GI oncology, programs like this one provide the structured, expert-led education that keeps clinical practice aligned with the pace of scientific advance.
Attendance is recommended for medical oncologists managing GI cancer patients, gastrointestinal pathologists and molecular diagnosticians, translational researchers working in pancreatic, colorectal, and hepatobiliary cancer, clinical fellows and residents in oncology or surgical oncology, and any clinician or scientist seeking to deepen their understanding of precision medicine in GI malignancies.