Charles D. Blanke, MD, of the Oregon Health & Science University and Southwest Oncology Group, discusses the nearly 20 years’ experience with Oregon’s Death With Dignity (DWD) Act, a voter initiative that led to the first such law enacted in the United States (Abstract 44).
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Oreofe O. Odejide, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and colleagues surveyed hematologic oncologists to identify acceptable end-of-life-care quality measures and barriers to such care. Respondents considered unrealistic patient...
The new ASCO Answers Guide to Small Cell Lung Cancer can help people better understand their diagnosis and treatment options. Patients will find helpful, ASCO-approved information on treatment, follow-up care, and palliative care. The guide includes questions that patients can ask their...
As reported by Chandrakanth Are, MBBS, MBA, FRCS, FACS, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, and colleagues at the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) and European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO), the rising global burden of cancer and inequalities in surgical oncology education ...
Matti Aapro, MD, has been selected as the recipient of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer’s (MASCC) 2016 Distinguished Service Award. The Award recognizes meritorious achievement and outstanding contributions to the Society and its mission. Candidates are nominated by their ...
A team of researchers, using a novel approach, found that while many cancer centers offer palliative and supportive care services, patients may face challenges when trying to access them. The study showed that expanding awareness and education to patient-facing cancer center employees about such...
A new multistate survey showed that nearly one-quarter to one-third of family caregivers of patients with high-mortality cancers experience high levels of depression and anxiety symptoms. The study also found that family caregivers can spend over 8 hours per day providing care and that as this time ...
A randomized clinical trial found that introducing palliative care shortly after a diagnosis of certain metastatic cancers greatly increases a patient’s coping abilities, as well as overall quality of life. Researchers also found that early integration of palliative care results in an...
An analysis of data from more than 1,200 caregivers in the United States finds that cancer caregivers report a higher burden and spend significantly more hours per week caregiving, as opposed to individuals who care for people with other conditions. The analysis was based on survey data from the...
The Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO funds the brightest minds in clinical and translational cancer research through its Grants and Awards Program. Since its inception in 1984, the Grants and Awards program has awarded more than $100 million through more than 1,500 grants and awards to at least 65 ...
The Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO (CCF) presented more than $6.1 million in grants and awards to nearly 250 promising oncology researchers at the 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting. The Conquer Cancer Foundation and ASCO congratulate the recipients on their contributions to the field of oncology and...
AUGUST 16th World Congress on Cancers of the SkinAugust 31-September 3 • Vienna, AustriaFor more information: www.wccs2016.com 12th National Lymphedema Network International ConferenceAugust 31-September 4 • Dallas, TexasFor more information:https://cme.uchicago.edu/NLNIC16 SEPTEMBER ISOBM 2016...
Molly E. Collins, MD, has joined the Department of Hematology/Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center, providing additional physician support for the Fox Chase Cancer Center–Temple University Hospital Pain and Palliative Care Program. She assumed this position on August 1, 2016. “We’re very excited to ...
According to Susan M. O’Brien, MD, an expert in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), novel agents and new data on patient subsets have led to a new upfront treatment algorithm for this malignancy. Speaking at the 2016 Pan Pacific Lymphoma Conference in Koloa, Hawaii, Dr. O’Brien...
At the 2015 Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium in Boston, Vicki Jackson, MD, MPH, Chief in the Division of Palliative Care and Geriatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital, Co-Director of the Harvard Center for Palliative Care, and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School,...
AUGUST The 33rd World Congress of Internal Medicine (WCIM)August 22-25 • Bali, IndonesiaFor more information: www.wcimbali2016.org 16th World Congress on Cancers of the SkinAugust 31-September 3 • Vienna, Austria For more information: www.wccs2016.com 12th National Lymphedema Network International...
A new study indicates that delirium is relatively frequent and underdiagnosed by physicians in patients with advanced cancer visiting the emergency department. Delirium was similarly common among older and younger patients, which suggests that in the setting of advanced cancer, all patients should...
Few patients with advanced cancer and a short life expectancy have an accurate understanding of their illness, according to a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Andrew S. Epstein, MD, of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, and colleagues. The study involved 178...
AUGUST Palliative Medicine and Supportive Oncology 2016August 3-6 • Cleveland, OhioFor more information:www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/live/courses/pallmed/default.asp 17th Annual International Lung Cancer Congress®August 4-6 • Huntington Beach, CaliforniaFor more information:...
A therapeutic modality of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture has been extensively investigated in Western medical settings. Its clinical use is increasingly common for the management of pain and other conditions. In the oncology setting, research demonstrates that acupuncture can...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Davendra P.S. Sohal, MD, MPH, of Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues, ASCO has released a clinical practice guideline on the treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.1 Recommendations are based on an expert panel systematic review of...
As reported by Edward P. Balaban, DO, FASCO, of Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, ASCO has released a clinical practice guideline on the treatment of locally advanced, unresectable pancreatic cancer.1 The recommendations are based on expert...
The 5-year survival rate of those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer remains stubbornly fixed around 5%. Even in the 20% of cases in which surgical resection is undertaken for curative intent, the 5-year survival rate after surgery is 20% to 30%. As we make progress in other cancers with decreasing...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Odejide et al surveyed hematologic oncologists to identify acceptable end-of-life-care quality measures and asked the clinician to identify barriers to such care. Respondents considered unrealistic patient expectations the top barrier to...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Alok A. Khorana, MD, of Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues, ASCO has released a clinical practice guideline on the treatment of potentially curable pancreatic cancer.1 The recommendations are based on an expert panel systematic review of the...
ASCO recently collaborated with the Middle East Cancer Consortium (MECC) to provide a 3-day International Palliative Care Workshop in Kazakhstan for health-care professionals, advocates, and volunteers in the former capital of Almaty. Dilyara Kaidarova, MD, PhD, Director of the Almaty Oncology...
Despite increasing legalization of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide worldwide, the practices remain relatively rare and, when carried out, are primarily motivated by psychological factors such as loss of autonomy or enjoyment of life, rather than physical pain. A new comprehensive...
JULY Pan Pacific Lymphoma ConferenceJuly 18-22 • Koloa, Hawaii For more information: www.unmc.edu/cce/catalog/clinicmed/panpacificlymphoma/index.html UK Breast Cancer Research SymposiumJuly 22-23 London, United Kingdom For more information: http://breastcancerconference.org Mayo Clinic Oncology...
The new ASCO Answers Guide to non–small cell lung cancer replaces the previous guide to general lung cancer. It is designed just for patients newly diagnosed with non–small cell lung cancer to help them better understand the disease and their treatment options. It includes information on treatment, ...
JULY The 5th International Inflammatory Breast Cancer ConferenceJuly 9-10 • Boston, MassachusettsFor more information:www.hmscmeregistration.org/events/breast-cancer-new-horizons-current-controversies/custom-21-857304c388f143b7840614d1bb151442.aspx 24th Biennial Congress of the European Association ...
Fatigue and sleep disruption are common occurrences for most patients diagnosed with cancer. Simply having a serious physical illness like cancer along with its associated pain, hospitalization, and treatment, as well as the attendant psychological impact, all contribute to the onset of fatigue...
Nonprofit Global Oncology, Inc (GO) has announced that Donna Barry has been appointed to be its first Executive Director, effective immediately. U.S. and global investments in improving cancer outcomes are minimal—in 2011, only 1.2% of total development assistance for global health was focused on...
Although oncology has moved toward a personalized approach to care, medical decision-making within the context of multidisciplinary care has broad public health implications. To shed light on this and other relevant issues, The ASCO Post recently spoke with William Dale, MD, PhD, of the University ...
Although new gastrointestinal cancers are on the rise, advancements in their treatment, as well as the upcoming results of perioperative trials, could prove to be “clinical practice game-changers,” declared Thomas J. George, Jr, MD, FACP, at the 2016 Community Oncology Conference in Orlando,...
Oncologists in the United States may need to improve their efforts to reduce unnecessary care for younger patients with terminal cancer over the last 30 days of life, based on the findings of a study reported at the 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting.1 Contrary to recommendations, aggressive care is still...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Davendra P. Sohal, MD, MPH, of Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues, ASCO has released a clinical practice guideline on the treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Recommendations are based on expert panel systematic review of the...
As reported by Edward P. Balaban, DO, of Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, ASCO has released a clinical practice guideline on the treatment of locally advanced, unresectable pancreatic cancer. The recommendations are based on expert panel...
ASCO has released a clinical practice guideline on the treatment of potentially curable pancreatic cancer, as reported by Alok A. Khorana, MD, of Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues, in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The recommendations are based on expert panel systematic review of the literature...
Few patients with advanced cancer and a short life expectancy have an accurate understanding of their illness, according to a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Epstein et al. Study Details The study involved 178 patients from 9 U.S. cancer centers who had advanced cancers...
My experience with cancer, or more accurately, cancers, is complicated. In 2002, after returning from a medical mission to Honduras, I noticed a bean-sized lymph node above my left clavicle. As an oncology-certified nurse, I knew not to ignore any unusual nodules that pop up on the body and asked...
Guest Editor Physiatry in Oncology explores the benefits of cancer rehabilitation in oncology practice to screen survivors for physical and cognitive impairments along the care continuum to minimize survivors’ disability and maximize their quality of life. The column is guest edited by Sean Smith, ...
JUNE IARC: Global Cancer: Occurrence, Causes, and Avenues to PreventionJune 7-10 • Lyon, FranceFor more information: http://iarc-conference2016.com WCIO 2016June 9-12 • Boston, MassachusettsFor more information: www.wcioevents.org International Symposium on Pancreatic Cancer 2016June 9-12 •...
Ronald C. Chen, MD, MPH, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, discusses the substantial overuse of aggressive medical care for younger patients at the end of life, despite ASCO recommendations (Abstract LBA10033).
An analysis of health claims data from 2007–2014 on more than 28,000 patients under the age of 65 found that a large proportion of patients with advanced solid tumors received at least one form of aggressive care within the last 30 days of life. The study was presented by Chen et al at...
Eric Roeland, MD, of the University of California, San Diego, and Timothy E. Quill, MD, of the University of Rochester Medical Center, discuss the debate on whether physician-assisted death should be a legally available option at the end of life when neither palliative nor hospice care is...
Eric Roeland, MD, of the University of California, San Diego, and Jennifer S. Temel, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, discuss findings that showed the benefits of offering palliative care integrated with oncology care (Abstracts 10003 and 10131).
On May 25, ASCO issued its first clinical practice guideline on invasive cervical cancer. This resource-stratified guideline is the first of its kind from ASCO, offering treatment recommendations tailored to resource availability. Access to cervical cancer care varies between regions of the...
After serving as ASCO’s CEO for 10 years, Allen S. Lichter, MD, FASCO, is stepping down. Dr. Lichter, who has been an ASCO member since 1980, has served the Society in numerous capacities. Along with his distinguished career at ASCO, Dr. Lichter is a nationally recognized radiation oncologist,...
MAY Lymphoma: State-of-the-Art in Biology Therapy, and Patient CareMay 13-14 • New York, New YorkFor more information: msklymphoma2016.com NCI “Sandpit” on Individual and Contextual Factors of Population-Level Cancer ControlMay 16-18 • Montgomery County, MarylandFor more...
Carolyn Jean Presley, MD, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation clinical scholar in medical oncology at the Yale Cancer Center, was born in Duluth, Minnesota, which hugs the north shore of Lake Superior, making it one of the nation’s coldest cities during its long winters. She grew up the middle child...