We know that oncology care costs and physician reimbursement issues continue to be a central concern for the oncology community. As the nation gears up for an active fall lobbying season, there is no doubt that health care reform, Medicare, and Medicaid will continue to be prime targets in federal and state budget debates. In this excellent primer on the topic, we take a close look at how we got into this dilemma, the key issues, potential solutions, and how we can collectively get involved to ensure that we can continue administering the high-quality, high-value care our patients expect and deserve.
Further demonstrating that joining forces and working together is our best bet for staying on top of the myriad issues affecting oncology is Dr. David Graham’s editorial on the growing need for multidisciplinary treatment in advanced genitourinary cancer. As Dr. Graham and co-author Dr. Erik Castle note, the timeline for cancer care has grown increasingly complex for many cancers, a situation that calls for more multidisciplinary approaches. Unfortunately, in the case of invasive bladder cancer, this multidisciplinary approach is not happening often enough. The authors argue that urologists should be referring patients with this disease to medical oncologists preoperatively and offer solutions to begin moving in that direction.
This month we also feature the debut column of ASCO’s new President—Clifford A. Hudis, MD—who discusses his theme, “Science and Society,” in which he cites concerns that the public’s general disinterest in scientific knowledge is a threat to good decision making and urges the membership to become engaged “in the joyful task of showing the world the good that science does for each of us, and what good science looks like.”
It is clear that leaders in the oncology community recognize the need to join forces on all levels to address increasingly complex and costly cancer care issues, a position eloquently outlined in Immediate Past President Dr. Sandra Swain’s 2013 Annual Meeting Presidential Address. We are pleased to feature an excerpt from her lecture, “Building Bridges to Conquer Cancer: Connect to Empower," in our print issue and offer the complete transcript and video online.
As always, thank you for reading.
Reprinted from the July 2013 ASCO Connection ‘From the Editor’ column.
Further demonstrating that joining forces and working together is our best bet for staying on top of the myriad issues affecting oncology is Dr. David Graham’s editorial on the growing need for multidisciplinary treatment in advanced genitourinary cancer. As Dr. Graham and co-author Dr. Erik Castle note, the timeline for cancer care has grown increasingly complex for many cancers, a situation that calls for more multidisciplinary approaches. Unfortunately, in the case of invasive bladder cancer, this multidisciplinary approach is not happening often enough. The authors argue that urologists should be referring patients with this disease to medical oncologists preoperatively and offer solutions to begin moving in that direction.
This month we also feature the debut column of ASCO’s new President—Clifford A. Hudis, MD—who discusses his theme, “Science and Society,” in which he cites concerns that the public’s general disinterest in scientific knowledge is a threat to good decision making and urges the membership to become engaged “in the joyful task of showing the world the good that science does for each of us, and what good science looks like.”
It is clear that leaders in the oncology community recognize the need to join forces on all levels to address increasingly complex and costly cancer care issues, a position eloquently outlined in Immediate Past President Dr. Sandra Swain’s 2013 Annual Meeting Presidential Address. We are pleased to feature an excerpt from her lecture, “Building Bridges to Conquer Cancer: Connect to Empower," in our print issue and offer the complete transcript and video online.
As always, thank you for reading.
Reprinted from the July 2013 ASCO Connection ‘From the Editor’ column.
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