Gastrointestinal Oncology Symposium

Where & When

Friday, October 3, 2025
7:50 a.m.-2:45 p.m.
Troy Marriott
200 W Big Beaver Rd
Detroit Marriott Troy

Program Director

Najeeb Al Hallak, M.D., M.S.

Registration

Don't delay! Registration deadline is Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025.

Pre-registration is encouraged.

Cost to attend is $100 for physicians, $30 for retired physicians, pharmacists, mid-level providers, nurses, CTO staff and other allied health providers, and $20 for fellows, residents, and medical students refundable upon attendance.

Register Now

Accreditation

This activity has been approved for 6.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

Agenda

7-7:50 a.m.
Registration & Welcome
Breakfast

7:50-8 a.m.
Introduction - Opening Remarks
Najeeb Al Hallak, M.D., MS
Associate Professor
Department of Oncology
Co-Director Gastrointestinal Oncology MDT
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Detroit, Michigan

8-8:20 a.m.
ct DNA in Colon Cancer: Is More Chemo Better for Residual Disease
Wasif Saif, M.D.
Professor, Department of Oncology
Leader Phase I MDT & Director Eisenberg Center for Translational Therapeutics
Co-Leader and Co-Director Gastrointestinal Oncology MDT
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Detroit, MI

8:20-8:40 a.m.
Immunotherapy in MSI-High Colon Cancer 
Ziad Kafri, M.D.
Medical Oncology, Hematology
Henry Ford Cancer Institute
Detroit, Michigan

8:40-9 a.m.
Targeting BRAF v600e in Colon Cancer
Gazala Khan, M.D.
Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology
Henry Ford Cancer Institute
Detroit, Michigan

9-9:15 a.m.
Panel Discussion

9:15-9:35 a.m.
Multimodality Treatment for Locally Advances Esophageal and GEJ Adenocarcinoma
Nitin Vaishampayan, M.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Detroit, Michigan

9:35-9:55 a.m.
Immunotherapy in the Management of Localized Gastric Cancer
Najeeb Al Hallak, M.D., MS

9:55-10:15 a.m.
Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy (PIPAC)
Richard Berri, M.D.

10:15-10:30 a.m.
Panel Discussion

10:30-10:50 a.m.
Break

10:50-11:10 a.m.
The New Era of Novel Therapeutics in Pancreatic Cancer
Philip A. Philip, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor
Director of Gastrointestinal Oncology
Henry Ford Cancer Institute
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Detroit, Michigan

11:10-11:30 a.m.
Next-Generation Approaches to Counter KRAS Therapy Resistance
Asfar Azmi, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Co-Leader, Tumor Biology and Microenvironment Research Program
Director Pancreas Cancer Research Initiative
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Detroit, Michigan

11:30-11:50 a.m.
NETs Management: When to Incorporate Cabozantinib?
Maria Diab, M.D., Ph.D.
Medical Oncology, Hematology
Henry Ford Cancer Institute
Detroit, Michigan

11:50 a.m.-12:05 p.m.
Panel Discussion

12:05-12:45 p.m.
Lunch Break

12:45-1:25 p.m.
Systemic Treatment for 1st line Locally Advanced/Metastatic HCC
Keynote Speaker: Bassel El-Rayes, M.D.
Albert F. LoBuglio Endowed Chair for Translational Cancer Research
Division Director, Hematology and Oncology
Deputy Director, O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center
Heersink School of Medicine, UAB
Birmingham, Alabama

1:25-1:45 p.m.
Immunotherapy in Metastatic Anal Cancer
Sreenivasa Chandana, M.D., Ph.D.
Hematology/Oncology
CHC at Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion

1:45-2:05 p.m.
Metastatic NETs Debulking Surgery: Debate
Eliza Beal, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Oncology and Surgery
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Detroit, MI

Miguel Tobon, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Detroit, MI

2:05-2:25 p.m.
How to Utilize Liver Radioembolization in Combination with Systemic Therapy
Jeffery Critchfield, M.D., FSIR
Interventional Oncology
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Detroit, MI

2:25-2:55 p.m.
Case Discussions (3 Cases)

3 p.m.
Closing Remarks
Najeeb Al Hallak, M.D., MS

More Information

For any additional questions, please contact Pamela Sydorchuk, symposium coordinator, at symposium@karmanos.org or call 313-576-8746.