ASCOconnection.org is a forum for the exchange of views on topical issues in the field of oncology. The views expressed in the blogs, comments, and forums belong to the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Please read the Commenting Guidelines.
I just got back from ASCO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, my second home for the year. The occasion was the meeting of the Cancer Education Committee.
One of the pleasures of serving as your president is the opportunity to observe the wide array of activities our Society supports. Our Society is so broad in its interests that I frequently feel like a tourist who, coming around the corner, runs into something delightful and unexpected. Many of...
It is no secret that one of the “secrets of success” is having a good mentor, or more often, a team of mentors who help shepherd you into being better than you are. These are the people who give you advice, who open doors and provide opportunities, who caution against pitfalls, and who ultimately...
As oncologists we are justly proud of the real advances we have made towards a cure of the many cancers that afflict our patients. But we also know that caring for those afflicted too often involves life’s endings. Health professionals caring for dying cancer patients bear special responsibilities...
A couple of events this week reminded me of what I can best describe as "our calling." The first was the good-bye party for an administrative staff member in an outreach clinic I attend. She had spent most of her career working in a busy orthopedic practice and the last 6 months working with our...
Both ASCO and its global membership strive to advance cancer care for patients throughout the developing world. According to the World Cancer Report, published by the International Agency for Research on...
My thanks to Tony Tolcher of San Antonio for pointing me in the direction of a wonderful new book, The Invisible Gorilla, by Christopher Chabris and Dan Simons. The “Invisible Gorilla...
In the last 48 hours, CMS released the final rules governing the first stage of MU and CCHIT launched its oncology workgroup. Things are heating up this July. The ARRA regulations for the incentive program for implementation of meaningful use of HIT were released as 3 documents. The one of greatest...
Big day in the health IT world today – CMS announced the final regulations for “meaningful use” of EHR’s, to allow providers and hospitals to receive Federal incentive dollars for adopting technology under the HITECH Act. ONC (Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT) also released the “...
This is a topic that has increasingly challenged me in the last decade with so many "promising new agents" that cost a fortune but fall short of delivering the home runs we all hoped for when imatinib seemed to lead the way. In my practice, which is ~90% prostate cancer care, the latest example is...
We all talk about it, read about it, even try to develop it . . . but what is “leadership”? What makes a great leader? Are we born with it? Do we learn it? Does it require age and experience, or is it an inherent ability to trail blaze in the absence of precedence?
As I highlighted in the May editor’s desk column -- a colleague noted that in traveling the country, she had found oncologists often voiced feelings of being victimized by the ‘system’. They were tired, overburdened by the moment, and struggling with market forces in their locales, whether...
Two studies recently presented at ASCO’s Annual Meeting have been an ongoing topic of discussion and debate for those of us who take care of women with ovarian cancer and those in the field of gynecologic oncology. The first research study of note is the phase III Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG...
I had been a practicing surgeon for several years before I returned to graduate school to study epidemiology. As one of the few Africans in my class, most people assumed that my area of study interest was HIV/AIDS given its high prevalence in Africa, controversy in the public health world about the...
Most scientists who are honest about their work realize that they are wrong the majority of their scientific careers. Wrong in that science in general (and medical science in particular) is full of blind alleys that lead nowhere but consume years of one’s time. Wrong in that we may measure that...
In my last blog post, I discussed some of the science at this year’s meeting. In this posting, I’ll spend a few words on policy issues.I had the opportunity to meet with ASCO members from around the globe and was once again impressed with the diversity of our society. I heard the concerns of...
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ASCOconnection.org is a forum for the exchange of views on topical issues in the field of oncology. The views expressed in the blogs, comments, and forums belong to the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Please read the Commenting Guidelines.
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