Transforming Scientific Advances into Patient Care

Transforming Scientific Advances into Patient Care

Jonathan S. Berek, MD, MMedSc, FASCO

Feb 26, 2015

Dear Colleagues:

This is an excitingtime of year forASCO as the organizationand manyof its members arepreparing in earnestfor the much-anticipated ASCOAnnual Meeting.

“Illumination and Innovation: TransformingData into Learning” is thetheme chosen by ASCO President Dr.Peter Yu, and it certainly is an apt one,capturing both the possibilities andchallenges of translating advances inresearch and technology into day-todaypatient care.

In this issue, we give you a preview of the Education Program portion of the Meeting, including a list of topicsin the Practice-Centered Sessions,which provide attendees with a broadoverview of advances in the field.There will also be more discussionson value and quality in terms of howboth relate to the new research beingpresented, and a new Global OncologySymposium—a meeting withinthe Meeting—to address internationalissues in cancer care.

Right in step with the innovation themeis ASCO’s announcement of a new partnership to move into the development phase of CancerLinQ™, ASCO’s rapid learning system. Eight oncologypractices have signed up to providepatient records, with seven more tojoin soon. Collectively, this means thatthe data from approximately 500,000patients will be represented in thefirst version of CancerLinQ. Insightsgathered from the initial sets of datawill lay the groundwork for developingthe full system, in which oncologypractices across the United States canparticipate.

The Society also released its popular2015 Clinical Cancer Advances report. New this year, the report’s EditorialBoard has named the “canceradvance of the year”—the transformationof chronic lymphocytic leukemia(CLL) treatment through the use ofimmunotherapy drugs.

In a nice stroke of serendipity, our Current Insights in Oncology column also happens to be on CLL treatments.In an editorial on the topic, CLL expertDr. Jeff Sharman asks and answersthe question: “In the Age of NovelTreatments for Chronic LymphocyticLeukemia, Does Traditional FCR ChemotherapyStill Have a Place?”

We are also pleased to feature in thisissue follow-up questions from the inaugural 2014 Palliative Care Symposium held last fall. In the article,symposium faculty answer selectattendee questions on a number oftopics, including skills for addressing the end of life and integrating palliativecare into the health system, as well asquestions on advance directives andadvance care planning.

Please visit ASCOconnection.org tocomment on these and other articles.

As always, thank you for reading.

Disclaimer: 

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