Direct From ASCO
ASCO Collaborates With Ryght AI to Accelerate Site Selection for Metastatic Breast Cancer Trial
ASCO has announced a collaboration with Ryght AI aimed at accelerating the identification and activation of research sites for the CDK4/6 Inhibitor Dosing Knowledge (CDK) Study, a clinical trial evaluating different starting doses of CDK4/6 inhibitors in patients with metastatic breast cancer. The i...
Update to ASCO Guideline on Advanced NSCLC Without Driver Alterations Adds Retifanlimab to Treatment Options
ASCO has issued an update to its living guideline on systemic therapies for patients with stage IV NSCLC without driver alterations.1 The update, which includes a new recommendation regarding the PD-1 inhibitor retifanlimab-dlwr and chemotherapy, follows a recent full update to the guideline publish...
2026 ASCO Breakthrough Meeting to Highlight New Advances in Liquid Biopsy, Metabolic Risks, and Tailored Therapies for Asian Populations
The ASCO Breakthrough meeting being held in Singapore this month will bring together global oncology professionals in Asia to discuss the latest cancer research advances across multiple disease sites that are shaping the future of patient care. New studies featured in the official Press Program will...
ASCO Welcomes Proposal to Implement Electronic Prior Authorization Requirements for Covered Drugs in Federal Health Plans
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued the 2026 CMS Interoperability Standards and Prior Authorization for Drugs proposed rule. The proposal aims to shorten care delays and improve transparency within federal health insurance programs by establishing electronic prior autho...
ASCO Updates Policy Statement on 340B Drug Pricing Program
Early last month ASCO published an updated policy statement on the 340B Drug Pricing Program in JCO Oncology Practice.1 The update proposes a package of recommendations to expand practice eligibility, address potential abuses, and ensure the 340B program benefits the patients it was intended to ser...
Expanded Living Guidelines Program Ushers in a New Era for ASCO Guidelines
ASCO initiated its guideline program in 1993 and published the first guideline on colony stimulating factors in 1994.1 ASCO has evolved from publishing one or two guidelines annually to maintaining a robust library of over 118 guidelines with new guidelines added annually. Today, ASCO publishes appr...
ASCO Expands Landmark TAPUR™ Trial
ASCO has expanded its Targeted Agent and Profiling Utilization Registry (TAPUR™) Study with two new developments: The study added its first antibody-drug conjugate, fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd), to determine if a wider group of patients would benefit from this medicine. Separately, the ...
ASCO Congratulates 2026 Special Award Recipients
ASCO and Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, are proud to celebrate a distinguished group of individuals at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting. The Society will present its highest honors to researchers, educators, patient advocates, and global leaders for their career-defining excellence and tremendous ...
Gerald Hsu, MD, PhD, Named Editor-in-Chief of the ASCO Educational Book
ASCO is pleased to announce the appointment of Gerald Hsu, MD, PhD, as the new Editor-in-Chief of the ASCO Educational Book. Dr. Hsu is a Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where he has served in numerous educational leadership roles. Since 2018, h...
New ASCO Guideline Fills Gap in Guidance on Rapidly Evolving Treatment Options in Thyroid Cancer
ASCO has issued a new clinical practice guideline on the use of systemic therapy for treatment of different types of thyroid cancer, a field that has changed substantially in recent years.1 “Despite a rather rapidly evolving field of targeted and nontargeted systemic agents in the management of thy...
Update to Patient–Clinician Communication Guideline Provides Recommendations on Telehealth, Boundary-Setting
CARRIE PRINTZ
ASCO has updated its guideline on patient–clinician communication, providing recommendations on a range of best practices for explaining treatment options and goals of care, conversing with patients’ support networks, communicating among care team members, and setting boundaries.1 The update to the...
A Decade of Research Leads to New Guidance on Using Colony-Stimulating Factors in Anticancer Treatment
EMILY A. KUHL, PhD
ASCO has published an updated guideline describing the latest evidence on using hematopoietic colony-stimulating factor (CSF) to support anticancer treatment, namely chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation.1 “We wanted to update these guidelines both to include the newer evidence as well as cost...
New First-Line Targeted Therapy Recommendations Among Updated ASCO Guidance on Gastroesophageal Cancer Management
Leah Lawrence
ASCO has released a guideline update addressing advances in the use of immunotherapy and targeted therapy for the treatment of advanced gastroesophageal cancer.1 The guideline, last updated in 2023 to include first-line therapy recommendations for patients with biomarkers such as PD-L1 and HER2, now...
ASCO’s First Living Guideline in GU Cancers Reflects Recent Practice-Changing Trials on Systemic Treatment of mCRPC
EMILY A. KUHL, PhD
ASCO has published an updated guideline on systemic therapy for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), representing ASCO’s first Living Guideline in the area of prostate cancer and the first in any genitourinary (GU) cancer.1 “Guidelines will become less useful if th...
Guideline Rapid Update Provides New Direction on the Care of Patients With Residual Disease in Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer
Emily A. Kuhl, PhD
An ASCO guideline rapid update is revising recommendations for the management of locally advanced esophageal carcinoma to include provision of nivolumab following adjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery. The new guidance addresses treatment of patients with residual disease following resection and ch...
ASCO Releases Recommendations for Management of Salivary Gland Malignancies
Given the rarity of salivary gland malignancies—neoplasms that account for less than 1% to 5% of all head and neck cancers—limited evidence exists to support informed treatment guidance. The overall variability in the biologic behaviors of these neoplasms has further complicated clinical management....
ASCO Endorses New ASTRO Guideline on the Use of Radiation Treatment of Metastatic Brain Cancer
Emily A. Kuhl, PhD
ASCO has endorsed the recommendations put forth in a new guideline, developed by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), on the use of radiation therapy for the management of brain metastases.1,2 Although ASTRO—in conjunction with ASCO and the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO)—recently s...
ASCO Publishes New Guideline on Immunotherapy, Biomarker Testing in Advanced Head and Neck Cancer
MINDY TANZOLA, PhD
A new ASCO guideline is available on the use of immunotherapy and biomarker testing for patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The guideline provides recommendations related to PD-L1 and tumor mutational burden (TMB) testing, selection of therapy in the first-li...
New ASCO Guideline Addresses Management of Cancer During Pregnancy, From Diagnosis Through Survivorship
MINDY TANZOLA, PhD
A new ASCO guideline provides recommendations on managing cancer during pregnancy, addressing a range of topics from the selection and timing of diagnostic testing and therapeutic interventions to delivery planning and ethical and legal considerations.1 The guideline aims to inform evidence-based c...
Evolving Treatment Landscape Spurs Living Guideline Update on Multiple Myeloma
Emily A. Kuhl, PhD
ASCO, in collaboration with Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), has published an update to their previous guideline on the treatment of multiple myeloma.1 This new guideline—which has been selected as an ASCO Living Guideline—reflects dramatic changes that have helped improve the management of mul...
ASCO and AI in Oncology: Rooted in Human-Centered Care
ASCO’s mission to conquer cancer through research, education, and promotion of the highest quality patient care requires curiosity, open-mindedness, and an evidence-based approach to emerging technologies. ASCO is committed to helping the oncology community understand, develop, apply, and monitor ar...
ASCO Statement: HHS Revision of Black Box Warning for Hormone Replacement Therapy and its Implications for Cancer Care
On November 10, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that the Food and Drug Administration will begin to remove the “black box” warning language related to increased risks of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and probable dementia from hormone replacement therapy (HRT) pr...
ASCO Election for Open Leadership Positions
The ASCO Nominating Committee has selected 13 distinguished members as candidates for open leadership positions within the Society. President-Elect: Deb Schrag, MD, MPH, FASCO, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Dr. Schrag is a gastrointestinal medical oncologist who currently serves as Chair ...
Significant Medicare Physician Reimbursement Methodology Changes Finalized for 2026
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule for 2026 on October 31, 2025.1 The rule finalizes physician reimbursement and policy reforms under the Physician Fee Schedule as well as changes to reporting requirements and policy updates...
ASCO and ONS Issue First Collaborative Guideline on Extravasation
Amy Norton
ASCO and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) have released their first joint guideline on managing extravasation, an uncommon but potentially life-threatening complication of intravenous antineoplastic therapy.1 Extravasation occurs when an agent with tissue-damaging properties leaks from the intend...
Making Clinical Trials More Accessible: New Report Highlights Barriers and Solutions
Clinical trials remain out of reach for many Americans, with only 7% of patients with cancer participating in clinical trials, according to a new report from the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) State of Cancer Care in America series. Experts agree that access to trials is a key eleme...
ASCO and Google Cloud Announce AI-Powered Tool That Provides Faster, Interactive Access to ASCO’s Evidence-Based Clinical Guidelines
ASCO and Google Cloud have announced a collaboration to launch an artificial intelligence (AI)-based ASCO Guidelines Assistant. Developed with Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform and Gemini models, the tool is poised to transform how oncology professionals access and use critical clinical recommendati...
New Guideline Reflects the Latest Evidence in Support of Postmastectomy Radiation Therapy for Patients With Breast Cancer
EMILY A. KUHL, PhD
A joint task force composed of experts from the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), ASCO, and the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) has released new guidance for postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) for patients with breast cancer.1 This guideline—which is intended to replace the...
ASCO Thanks Richard L. Schilsky, MD, FACP, FSCT, FASCO, for His Vision and Leadership of TAPUR
ASCO extends its thanks and appreciation to Richard L. Schilsky, MD, FACP, FSCT, FASCO, for his decade of leadership and dedication as the inaugural Principal Investigator of the groundbreaking Targeted Agent and Profiling Utilization Registry (TAPUR) Study. The ASCO-sponsored TAPUR study is a firs...
ASCO Remembers Past President Harvey M. Golomb, MD, FASCO
ASCO is deeply saddened by the loss of past president Harvey M. Golomb, MD, FASCO, a pioneer in the study of interferon as cancer treatment. Dr. Golomb passed away on August 20, 2025; he was 82. From the beginning of his medical career, Dr. Golomb was a committed member of ASCO. He joined the Socie...
ASCO Approves First Guideline on Cancer-Specific Geriatric Assessment of Older Patients in Resource-Limited Settings
JASENKA PILJAC ZEGARAC, PhD
On April 22, 2025, an ASCO Expert Panel voted to approve ASCO’s global guideline on geriatric assessment of patients with cancer older than age 65 who are being treated in resource-limited settings or countries.1 Guideline recommendations were informed by the ADAPTE methodology and formal consensus ...
‘A Playbook for Best Practices’: ASCO and COA Release Updated Oncology Medical Home Standards
ASCO and the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) have released updated standards for its Oncology Medical Home (OMH) certification program, which were initially codified and published in 2021.1 The 2021 systematic literature review focused on the topics of OMH model of care, clinical pathways, and sur...
Update to ASCO Living Guideline for NSCLC Without Driver Alterations Includes First Comparison of Immunotherapy Options
DAVE LEVITAN
ASCO has issued a new update to its living guideline regarding therapy for stage IV non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without driver alterations, based on results of three studies published recently.1 The update (the first since a previous version in February 2025) includes discussion of immunother...
Medicare Advantage Audits Are Expanding
Continuing its efforts to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced plans to significantly enhance Risk Adjustment Data Validation (RADV) auditing in Medicare Advantage. Beginning immediately, CMS will audit all eligible Medicare...
New Report Supports Overhaul of Cancer Drug Dosing
A new study calls for a paradigm shift in how cancer drug dosages are determined, concluding that the long-standing practice of using the “maximum tolerated dose” (MTD) may be outdated, harmful to patients, and ill-suited for modern cancer therapies. “The Totality of the Evidence: Optimizing Dosage...
Studies on EGFR Mutations and NRG1 Fusions Included in ASCO NSCLC Living Guideline Update
DAVE LEVITAN
ASCO has issued a new update to its living guideline on treatment of stage IV non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with driver alterations based on two recent studies.1 The update, which amends the most recent version published in February 2025, includes a discussion of osimertinib therapy options in ...
ASCO Updates Guidelines on Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Advanced Ovarian Cancer
Amy Norton
ASCO has updated its guidelines on the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients newly diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer, underscoring key considerations in selecting patients for treatment and where to go from there.1 Since ASCO’s previous guidelines were published in 2016, there has been...
New ASCO Guideline Addresses Germline and Somatic Genomic Testing in Metastatic Prostate Cancer
MAXINE LIPNER
Prostate carcinoma is the most common type of cancer among men in the United States, accounting for more than 299,000 estimated new cases and approximately 35,000 new deaths in 2024.1 A new ASCO guideline based on findings from a systematic review indicates that in metastatic cases of prostate cance...
Expanded Treatment Options for Metastatic CRPC: ASCO Guideline Addresses Somatic Genetic Testing, Radiopharmaceuticals
EMILY A. KUHL, PhD
The management of metastatic (CRPC) has rapidly accelerated in the past decade, giving oncologists a wider range of tools to work with and patients new opportunities for improving survival and maintaining quality of life. These significant advancements have prompted ASCO to release a guideline updat...
ASCO Guideline Update Calls for Omission of SLNB in Select Patients With Early-Stage Breast Cancer
ASCO has released a clinical practice guideline update on the role of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in early-stage breast cancer.1 The update includes recommendations based on findings from trials released after the published guideline in 2017, including data from nine randomized trials comparin...
ASCO and Medicaid: Advocacy In Action
The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is actively engaged in advocacy to protect Medicaid access for millions of Americans. Members can support ASCO’s Medicaid advocacy efforts through the ACT Network. In 2025, ASCO has partnered with other health-care organizations and engaged with lawmakers...
ASCO Congratulates 2025 Special Awards Recipients
ASCO and Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, will recognize researchers, patient advocates, philanthropists, teachers, and global oncology leaders who have reshaped cancer care around the world with the Society’s highest honors at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting. “The recipients of this year’s Spec...
ASCO Sets Six Guiding Principles for AI in Oncology
ASCO has released “Principles for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in Oncology,” to guide the Society’s consideration of all aspects of artificial intelligence (AI). With this manuscript, ASCO joins colleagues across medicine in offering principles that should be applied in development...
Joint Clinical Practice Guideline Addresses Opioid Conversion for Patients With Cancer
Several medical organizations recently released a joint Clinical Practice Guideline to provide recommendations on opioid conversion in adults with cancer.1 ASCO, together with the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC), American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Hos...
Executive Orders and Cancer Care
The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is working to understand the extent and scope of several recent executive actions. ASCO recognizes the concern and confusion many are currently experiencing and understands that if there are interruptions in care and research, there can be negative conseq...
ASCO Updates Guideline for Fertility Preservation in People With Cancer
Mindy Tanzola, PhD
ASCO has released an update to the guideline for fertility preservation in people with cancer. The update, recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology,1 provides recommendations regarding evaluation and counseling for fertility preservation; methods and timing of fertility preservation; a...
New Guideline Supports Transoral Robotic Surgery in the Multidisciplinary Management of Patients With Oropharyngeal Cancer
EMILY A. KUHL, PhD
Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) can offer patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) improved survival while minimizing or avoiding late toxicities associated with the standard of care of radiation with cisplatin chemotherapy, according to a recent ASCO guideline.1 “We show in a...
2.83% Medicare Physician Reimbursement Cut Finalized for 2025; Estimated 4% Cut for Medical Oncology
Late in 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the 2025 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rule adopting changes for Medicare payments under the PFS. CMS also released the 2025 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System final rule, which sets hospital outpatient reim...
Deciphering the Impact of the 2024 Election on Cancer Care
Two weeks after the 2024 election, the Presidency and 119th Congress are coming into focus, with nearly all races called. Republican Donald Trump was elected President, and Republicans regained control of the U.S. Senate (53–47) and maintained control in the House of Representatives (218–212 at pres...
Pediatric Cancer Clinical Trial Research Should Include Social Determinants of Health
ASCO is calling for pediatric clinical trials to prioritize health equity and social determinants of health (SDOH) data in future trials to improve cancer treatment and survivorship in patients. In a recent position statement, ASCO addresses the need to include SDOH data collection and intervention ...
