Commentary

Michael Paul Link, MD (Read all)

05 Apr 2012 03:13 PM

Our Hope for the "Top Five" List in Oncology

As oncologists, we are often expected to “do everything possible” to prolong our patients’ lives and ensure their peace of mind. This expectation arises... Read more

23 Mar 2012 05:54 PM

Looking Forward to the ASCO Annual Meeting

The ASCO Annual Meeting is one of the highlights of the exchange of new information for oncologists in North America and the world. I chose the theme... Read more
Clement Adebamowo, MD, ScD (Read all)

20 Dec 2010 09:11 AM

Ecologic Fallacy and Cancer in Africa

This is not about global warming—- ;-) ! But how many times have you thought about ecologic fallacy? Not many of us think about it and would wonder what... Read more

30 Sep 2010 04:48 PM

Let's Talk about Talking about Cancer

In this post, I would like to share the misunderstandings and anxieties that result when critical information is withheld from patients with cancer and... Read more
Jonathan Berek, MD, MMS (Read all)

25 Apr 2012 10:55 AM

May 2012: From the Editor

Dear Colleagues: I am pleased to share with you the second installment in our preview of ASCO’s 2012 Annual Meeting, which includes an introduction to... Read more

16 Sep 2011 10:46 AM

Letter from the Editor: October 2011

One of the over-riding concerns in oncology and for the Society is setting the stage for the very best research and then moving advances into everyday... Read more
Douglas Blayney, MD (Read all)

20 Apr 2011 08:46 AM

Personalized Medicine in Silicon Valley

In early February, my new patient was a middle-aged woman from here in Silicon Valley with a self-discovered 2 cm right breast mass. Her internist was... Read more

18 Oct 2010 12:50 PM

Leaving My Laptop at Home

Traveling with my iPad and DropBox Leaving home without my laptop I'm traveling on business for the first time in almost twenty years without a... Read more
Anees Chagpar, MD (Read all)

22 Apr 2012 02:36 PM

Quality and Value

I applaud ASCO and the ABIM on the “Top Five" list—and President Link’s comments in this month’s ASCO Connection magazine (page 38) are right... Read more

17 Mar 2012 08:59 PM

Diversity, Disparities and Health Equity

I was recently appointed the Assistant Director of the Yale Cancer Center with the portfolio of Diversity/Disparities. While I’m not sure I’m the most... Read more
John Cox, DO, MBA, FACP (Read all)

28 Jul 2011 09:27 AM

Practice Transformation – EHRs

You just received your July issue of JOP. This is the Journal's first thematic issue addressing electronic health records (EHRs). It is long overdue.... Read more

06 Apr 2011 05:56 PM

Off Label

What is old, is new again. Off-label use of oncology drugs is common; and has long been the focus of controversy. Payers are often confused... Read more
Don S. Dizon, MD, FACP (Read all)

12 May 2012 08:32 AM

Moving Forward

I was recently asked to speak at Hematology-Oncology Grand Rounds at Rhode Island Hospital. Instead of my usual topics on gynecologic cancers or sexual... Read more

01 May 2012 02:32 PM

Get Busy Living...

One of the hardest jobs in oncology is to deliver bad news—like telling someone that their disease is metastatic and no longer curable. In such a... Read more
Michael Fisch, MD, MPH (Read all)

15 May 2012 11:15 AM

From Ice Hockey to Oncology: Remaining Buoyant in the Face of Change

I became an ice hockey fan when a new franchise was started in the Washington, DC, area when I was 10 years old. There were low expectations for this... Read more

31 Jan 2012 12:17 PM

Academic Habits: knowing when to use them and when to make adjustments

I’ve been thinking about bad habits lately. Not because of my teenage children (although they are quick to remind me of such things), but because of... Read more
L. Michael Glodé, MD (Read all)

16 Feb 2011 06:05 PM

To Blog or Not to Blog...

Finding myself with an extra day prior to the start of ASCO GU, (no offense meant to SUO and ASTRO - just what I have been calling the meeting for many... Read more

19 Dec 2010 11:58 PM

The ACGME and Medicine's Future

Many physicians now practicing remember their housestaff days with mixed feelings. There was the comradery of working up interesting cases and discussing... Read more
David L. Graham, MD (Read all)

06 May 2012 12:20 AM

The Real World Implications of Screening Policies

Note—All the information below has been publicly reported by the principals involved and this comment involves no HIPAA violations. An 81-year-old... Read more

29 Mar 2012 09:49 AM

So...What Now?

Fellowship programs can (should) make a part of their training a discussion and explanation of the varying types of practices that a trainee can consider.... Read more
Heather M. Hylton, MS, PA-C (Read all)

22 Mar 2012 09:52 PM

The "Wow" Factor

I’m not sure when it started, but I have a favorite tradition of New Year’s Day bookstore browsing. And buying. Yes, I often buy enough books... Read more

17 Jan 2012 12:18 AM

What is the Cost of Cancer?

What is the cost of cancer? We are likely to agree that such a deep probing question is exquisitely difficult to answer; the murkiness of the water... Read more
Abdul-Rahman Jazieh, MD, MPH (Read all)

07 May 2012 08:32 AM

ASCO Annual Meeting Tips

ASCO is the most important oncology meeting in the world, with more than 30,000 attendees and hundreds of presentations. Recently, I have been asked by... Read more

14 Jan 2012 02:09 PM

World Cancer Day: Time to Declare a Revolutionary War on all Fronts

As much as we loathe wars, we should realize that we are in the midst of a global one that kills more people than all world wars, regional wars, or civil... Read more
Robert Miller, MD (Read all)

05 Apr 2012 11:33 PM

The Virtual Choir

In a previous life I used to be a church musician. I started piano in the 1st grade, and since I attended a pretty traditional parochial elementary... Read more

24 Sep 2011 11:59 PM

Perspectives on the 2011 Medicine 2.0 Conference

This past weekend, along with over 400 other health care providers, social scientists, technology entrepreneurs, and “e-patients,” I attended the... Read more
Beverly Moy, MD, MPH (Read all)

03 Apr 2012 10:02 AM

Optimal Treatment of the Obese Patient

Odds are that you have been faced with a similar dilemma. I have a new patient, not yet 40 years old, who was recently diagnosed with bilateral locally... Read more

14 Mar 2012 02:49 PM

Book Club: HeLa Cells and Research Ethics

Like many oncologists, I am picky about the books I read. I’m not ashamed to say that I favor funny, happy books that make me laugh. There’s enough drama... Read more
George W. Sledge, Jr., MD (Read all)

13 Feb 2012 11:15 AM

Shame and Anger

Reading the news about the current shortage of methotrexate filled me with shame and anger and sorrow. Sometime during the past few years my country,... Read more

09 Jan 2012 02:07 PM

You've Got Mail

Do you remember the 1998 movie You've Got Mail, starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks? I saw it on cable recently. Ryan's character runs a small bookstore in... Read more
Michael A. Thompson, MD, PhD (Read all)

03 May 2012 12:15 PM

Does Telemonitoring Have a Place in Oncology?

Does telemonitoring (remote monitoring of patient vitals or other biometric data) have a role in oncology? TelemedicineTelemonitoring is a specific form... Read more

09 Jan 2012 01:22 PM

Favorite Hematology / Oncology Apps

Please share your favorite iPhone (or other OS) hematology / oncology mobile applications (“Apps”). A few of mine: iPhone (iOs): ASH Guides Cancer.Net... Read more
Jamie H. Von Roenn, MD (Read all)

08 Nov 2010 09:18 AM

"I'm an Oncologist"

When I am at the check-out line in the grocery store, and someone asks me what I do for a living, it's always a bit of a challenge to listen to their... Read more

28 Sep 2010 10:28 AM

Overcoming Barriers to Early Palliative Care

I have been reflecting on language. Both ASCO and the World Health Organization say palliative care is applicable early in the course of disease in... Read more
Peter Yu, MD (Read all)

16 Apr 2012 12:15 AM

Silicon Valley

It seems that every nephew or niece of mine who has an engineering degree is busy creating the next killer app for a mobile device. Usually it starts... Read more

11 Mar 2012 07:50 PM

Is Health Information Technology a Driving Force for Change or Merely an Enabler of Change?

In health care, we often find ourselves reacting to events rather than dictating them. Being cast in this undesirable position is often unavoidable when... Read more

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