Direct From ASCO
18 Researchers and Mentors Selected for ASCO’s Inaugural International Clinical Research Scholars Program in Latin America
ASCO has announced the participants and mentors selected for its new International Clinical Research Scholars (ICR) program. Eighteen scholars were selected by the ASCO Latin America Regional Council to take part in this 1-year program that pairs clinical research training with mentorship opportunit...
Physician Wellness and Professional Burnout
According to an ASCO-sponsored study of burnout and career satisfaction among U.S. oncologists, 44.7% of surveyed oncologists reported feeling symptoms of burnout. ASCO offers information, practical advice, and member perspectives on how to prevent and manage burnout and prioritize wellness in your ...
AMA House of Delegates Adopts ASCO-Sponsored Resolutions on Interpretation of Stark Law and Prior Authorization Costs
On September 23, 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act of 2024 (H.R. 5526), which would make permanent a waiver put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic that allowed Medicare patients to receive medications dispensed by in-office pharmacies b...
Cancer Clinical Trials Continue to Be Out of Reach for Many Patients
Millions of Americans with cancer likely struggle to access some of the most advanced, state-of-the-art treatments being tested in clinical trials for their disease, according to a recent analysis from ASCO. The 2023 State of Cancer Care in America Snapshot and corresponding manuscript found 70% of...
Cancer Provider Groups Across the Country Urge Congress to Pass Prior Authorization Reform
The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), along with 46 state oncology societies, sent a letter to U.S. House and Senate leadership urging Congress to pass the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 8702/S. 4532), which would streamline prior authorization practices within Medicare A...
ASCO Updates Stage III NSCLC Guideline to Include Osimertinib in Wake of LAURA Trial Data
Dave Levitan
ASCO has issued a rapid update to its guideline on the management of stage III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), based on the results of the phase III LAURA trial, which was presented at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting and published simultaneously in The New England Journal of Medicine.1,2 The guidel...
ASCO Presents Ethan Basch, MD, MSc, FASCO, With the Joseph Simone Quality Care Award
ASCO will recognize Ethan Basch, MD, MSc, FASCO, a medical oncologist and Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina, with the Joseph Simone Quality Care Award and Lecture at the 2024 ASCO Quality Care Symposium. This year’s meeting will be held in San Francisco and online on Sept...
ASCO Issues First Guideline Specific to Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer
Leah Lawrence
ASCO has released its first clinical practice guideline focused specifically on the management of locally advanced rectal cancer.1 “Rectal cancer, and especially locally advanced rectal cancer, is a complex disease that requires individualized approaches using multimodality therapies to have the b...
New Collaborative Guideline Highlights the Importance of Multidisciplinary Care for Patients With Osteoradionecrosis
Emily A. Kuhl, PhD
A joint guideline from the International Society of Oral Oncology–Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer and ASCO seeks to fill a gap in the clinical guidance for patients with head and neck cancers who develop osteoradionecrosis following their head and neck radiation therapy.1 Des...
ASCO Guideline Update Highlights the Importance of Early Integration of Palliative Care for Patients With Cancer
Jennifer Cable, PhD
Growing awareness of the benefits of palliative care in patients with cancer has prompted ASCO to update its recommendations for clinicians, patients, caregivers, and health-care organizations on integrating palliative care in oncology.1 The updated guideline reinforces prior recommendations in the ...
SCOTUS Ruling Upends Country’s Regulatory Framework, Threatens to Complicate and Delay Health-Care Delivery
The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has serious concerns about the impact of the Supreme Court’s rulings in Loper Bright Enterprises v Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v Department of Commerce on cancer care. These decisions overturned the “Chevron deference” or “Chevron doctrine,” a legal pri...
Updated ASCO Guidance on Cancer-Related Fatigue Expands Patient Options for Interventions
A new update to the ASCO guideline on managing cancer-related fatigue recommends that health care providers urge their patients to exercise, as well as use cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based programs to help prevent and treat this prevalent symptom.1 It is estimated that between 30% ...
AMA House of Delegates Adopts Record Six ASCO-Led Resolutions
Delegates from the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) participated in the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates (HOD) on June 7 to 12 in Chicago. ASCO created and was the primary sponsor of six resolutions that the AMA HOD adopted as policy, an Associ...
ASCO Issues New Guidance on Vaccinations for Adults With Cancer
Daniel M. Keller, PhD
A new ASCO Clinical Practice Guideline recommends several vaccinations (eg, seasonal, herpes zoster, human papillomavirus [HPV], and others) for adults with solid or hematologic malignancies because of heightened infection risks from vaccine-preventable illnesses.1 The guideline covers the essential...
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...
ASCO Issues New Guidance on Cannabis and Cannabinoid Use in Adults With Cancer
Many Americans, including patients with cancer, use cannabis and cannabinoids. In response to this reality, ASCO has issued a guideline for clinicians, adults with cancer, caregivers, and researchers on their medical use.1 The recommendations cover all cancer types and address products ranging from ...
Guideline Update Seeks to Aid Clinicians in the Selection of Systemic Treatments for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Emily A. Kuhl, PhD
An ASCO guideline update offers new recommendations on systemic treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), based on promising findings from several recent randomized controlled trials as well as the approval of new first- and second-line immunotherapy combinations.1 “This guideline in...
ASCO Congratulates 2024 Special Awards Recipients
ASCO
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 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting. The 2024 Special Award Recipients are...
ASCO Issues Updated Guidelines for Stage IV NSCLC With and Without Driver Alterations
ASCO has issued new evidence-based updates to two living guidelines on the treatment of stage IV NSCLC with and without driver alterations.1,2 Updated Recommendations: Stage IV NSCLC With Driver Alterations The most “extensive work” in the updates occurred in the guideline on stage IV NSCLC with d...
New Policy Statement Addresses Social, Economic, and Environmental Factors Influencing Cancer Care, Outcomes
ASCO’s new policy statement highlights the need for formalized efforts to address health-related social needs and outlines ways to address social determinants of health (SDOH) in cancer care. Social determinants are defined as conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, which ma...
America’s Cancer Doctors Demand Action From Congress: Address Drug Shortages
Cancer doctors from across the United States are lending their voices to a new advocacy campaign to end drug shortages. Led by the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), nearly 500 oncology professionals have signed an open letter to Congress and the administration highlighting the severe impact ...
Pamela Kunz, MD, Named Editor-in-Chief of New JCO Oncology Advances
ASCO recently announced the upcoming launch of JCO Oncology Advances (JCO OA), a new open-access and interdisciplinary journal. Pamela Kunz, MD, will serve as the new Editor-in-Chief of this innovative journal, dedicated to accelerating progress in the global fight against cancer by providing a plat...
Rapid Guideline Update Supports Capivasertib for Hormone Receptor–Positive, HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer
Emily A. Kuhl, PhD
Patients with estrogen receptor–positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer now have a new medication option that extends survival, according to an ASCO rapid guideline update.1 The update was designed to orient clinicians to outcomes from the CAPItello-291 trial, which led to the U.S. Food and...
ASCO Releases Resource-Stratified Guideline for the Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer
Mindy Tanzola, PhD
ASCO has released a new guideline on the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer in resource-constrained settings, where maximal setting–recommended treatments are not available.1 The guideline, designed for clinicians, policymakers, and patients, provides stratified recommendations base...
ASCO Chief Medical Officer Testifies to Congress About Ongoing Cancer Drug Shortage Crisis
On February 6, 2024, Julie R. Gralow, MD, FACP, FASCO, Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), testified before the full House Committee on Ways and Means on the crisis of ongoing cancer drug shortages. More than 15 cancer drugs continue to...
ASCO and SSO Publish New Guideline on Germline Testing in Breast Cancer
ASCO in partnership with the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) has released a new guideline addressing recommendations in germline testing in patients with breast cancer.1 The guideline provides oncologists with a framework for how to approach germline testing and recommendations for who should be ...
Rapid Guideline Update on Radiotracers for Determining Radioligand Treatment Eligibility in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Brandon May
ASCO has released a guideline rapid recommendation update addressing radiotracers used for prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron-emission tomography (PET) diagnostic imaging for selecting patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) to receive lutetium-177–label...
ASCO Welcomes New Rule Establishing Electronic Prior Authorization in Federal Health Plans
On January 17, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its rule requiring federal health plans—including Medicare Advantage plans, Medicaid plans, and Qualified Health Plans (QHP) on Federally Facilitated Exchanges (FFEs)—to establish an electronic prior authorization process t...
Eric J. Small, MD, FASCO, Elected ASCO President for 2025–2026 Term
The ASCO Post Staff
ASCO has elected Eric J. Small, MD, FASCO, to lead as its President beginning in June 2025. Dr. Small, a long-time ASCO member and volunteer, will take office as President-Elect immediately following the ASCO Annual Business Meeting in Chicago on June 3, 2025. An additional six ASCO members were ele...
2023 ASCO Advocacy Highlights
The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) had an immensely impactful year of advocacy work, which is possible only with guidance and passion from our members. In partnership with the ASCO’s Government Relations Committee, five advocacy priorities were identified for the year: Protecting patien...
ASCO and Ontario Health Publish New Recommendations for Systemic Therapy in SCLC
Brandon May
A newly published guideline update from ASCO and Ontario Health provides evidence-based recommendations on the use of systemic therapy for small cell lung cancer (SCLC).1 Recommendations cover where novel agents fit in the treatment landscape, the management of disease in older patients with limited...
New Guideline Offers Much-Needed Support in the Treatment of Neuroendocrine Tumors
Emily A. Kuhl, PhD
An ASCO guideline has been developed to inform the use of systemic treatments for metastatic, well-differentiated gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs).1 The guideline helps fill a knowledge gap among community oncologists in particular, who typically do not see many of these rare ...
The Progress of Delivering High-Quality Cancer Care Takes Center Stage at Workshop
ASCO and the National Cancer Policy Forum cohosted a workshop on October 5–6, 2023, to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) consensus report, Delivering High-Quality Cancer Care: Charting a New Course for a System in Crisis.1 The National Cancer Policy Forum is a convenin...
ASCO Rapid Recommendation Update Cautions Against Triplet Therapy for Metastatic Clear Cell RCC
Emily A. Kuhl, PhD
An ASCO Rapid Recommendation Update advises oncologists to avoid the use of triple combination therapy for the management of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC).1 The new guidance, which updates recommendations from the original 2022 guideline, reflects findings from a phase III, double...
Association Urges Congress to Prioritize Childhood Cancer Funding, Research
In honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) joined with 25 stakeholders for a series of advocacy activities in Washington, DC, during the week of September 18. During meetings with lawmakers on September 20, ASCO and the Alliance for Childhood Cancer u...
CMS, Congress Must Work Together to Support Access to Cancer Care and Physician Practice Health
In letters to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) commented on provisions that impact cancer care for Medicare beneficiaries in the 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) and Quality Payment Program (QPP) proposed rule, as well as...
ASCO Response to Drug Shortages Request for Information
The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) responded to a bicameral Request for Information (RFI) on the underlying factors driving drug shortages. The Association’s comments highlighted the impact of the shortages on patient care and pointed to economic failures and supply chain vulnerabilities t...
Guideline Update Reflects Recent Surge of New Data in Systemic Therapy for Melanoma
Emily A. Kuhl, PhD
A guideline update on systemic treatment for melanoma offers new guidance in several areas, including the selection of front-line therapy for patients with metastatic disease with and without BRAF mutations, treatment of patients with earlier-stage disease in the adjuvant setting, and emerging neoad...
ASCO and State Affiliates Wrap Up Successful State Sessions
After a fast-paced first half of the year, most state legislatures across the 50 states and Washington, DC, have adjourned for the year. The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and State Affiliates successfully collaborated to advance many shared 2023 state advocacy priorities, including those ...
SIO and ASCO Partner to Develop Integrative Oncology Care Recommendations for Anxiety and Depression in Patients With Cancer
Mindy Tanzola
The Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) and ASCO have partnered to develop a new guideline on integrative oncology care of symptoms of anxiety and depression in adults with cancer. The guideline reviews the evidence for a range of integrative approaches, including mindfulness-based interventions,...
ASCO Participates in President’s Cancer Panel
ASCO joined the President’s Cancer Panel on September 7, 2023, to highlight the numerous ways ASCO is working to advance the National Cancer Plan and achieve President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot goal of “ending cancer as we know it.” This all-day, virtual event was the first public meeting in support ...
ASCO Releases Rapid Recommendation Update on Use of Olanzapine to Treat Cancer-Related Cachexia
LEAH LAWRENCE
ASCO recently released a new rapid recommendation update that addresses the use of olanzapine to treat cancer-related cachexia, a topic originally addressed in its 2020 guideline on the management of cancer cachexia in adults with advanced cancer.1,2 At that time, there was insufficient evidence to ...
ASCO Updates Guideline on Assessment, Management of Vulnerabilities in Older Patients Receiving Systemic Cancer Therapy
Brandon May
ASCO has updated a guideline on the practical assessment and management of age-associated vulnerabilities in older patients receiving systemic cancer therapy.1 Among the updates, the guideline adds more detail to domains that should be evaluated in geriatric assessments (GAs) and expands patient pop...
ASCO Awarded $11 Million to Study Oral Drug Dosing Strategies in Older Adults With Metastatic Breast Cancer Receiving CDK4/6 Inhibitors
ASCO has been awarded $11 million in research funding by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study dosing strategies of oral CDK4/6 inhibitors in older adults living with metastatic breast cancer. The study aims to address a critical evidence gap in the treatment of this dise...
Rapid Guideline Update Offers Key Evidence-Based Recommendations for Stage III NSCLC Management
A new ASCO guideline rapid update provides updated recommendations for the management of stage III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These updated recommendations made by the ASCO expert panel cover treatment options for patients with resected disease and specific genetic mutations as well as ther...
Cancer Care Providers Applaud New Federal Rule Regulating Short-Term Limited Duration Plans
On July 7, 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Labor, and the Treasury Department issued a proposed rule regulating the availability of short-term limited duration insurance plans. The rule would restrict the availability of these plans to no more than 4 months. ...
ASCO Issues Statements on Recent U.S. Supreme Court Rulings on Affirmative Action, LGBTQ+ Rights
ASCO issued a statement regarding the U.S. Supreme Court decision on affirmative action on June 29. A statement from ASCO Chief Executive Officer, Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FASCO, FACP, follows: “[The] U.S. Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action threatens to reverse hard-won gains in diversity acr...
ASCO Blueprint Report Captures Steady Progress Toward Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has released its first-ever Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Blueprint Report, highlighting ASCO’s 2022 advancements in the EDI space. The report provides information on 22 initiatives that ASCO launched across the mission pillars of research, ...
Implementation of CLINICAL TREATMENT Act Advances, Increasing Access to Cancer Clinical Trials
After direct advocacy from the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and its members, in December 2019, Congress enacted the CLINICAL TREATMENT Act, which requires all states and territories to cover and reimburse routine costs of care for treating a Medicaid enrollee who is participating in a qu...
ASCO Updates Guideline on Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis and Treatment in Patients With Cancer
Mindy Tanzola, PhD
Results from a series of randomized, controlled trials have prompted an update to the ASCO guideline on venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis and treatment in patients with cancer. The revised guideline, which had last been updated in 2019, is available from the Journal of Clinical Oncology.1 Ch...
