Blogs

Blogs

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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Everyday, we talk to people who are newly diagnosed with cancer…. To them, their worlds have just been turned upside down. They listen in shock and disbelief…. Wondering what just happened, and what will happen next…. It’s as though cancer has an inextricable power to hold people hostage. Despite...
Maybe I should’ve noticed how she looked… “She” was a new patient, Louise*, and she had been diagnosed with stage IV cervical cancer. Only in her 40s, the diagnosis had hit her extremely hard. At her first meeting, she wanted the “truth,” and I had told her what I felt to be most relevant--that her...
For two years, I’ve participated in #bcsm, a rich breast cancer and social media community founded on Twitter. It has encouraged me to ask: why not design similar resources for people with other diseases?
I just returned from an interesting family weekend. This family was the American Medical Association House of Delegates (AMA-HOD). I, along with Drs. Chris Nunnick, Barb McAneny, and ASCO staff, have had the pleasure of attending these meetings as a representative of ASCO for the past few years. It...
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...
I looked ridiculous. Dressed in the black-and-white-striped soccer referee shirt, I looked like roadkill on a black asphalt road with the white sidewalk markings. It reminded me of how uncomfortable I looked in my interview suit and tie as a medical student interviewing at residency programs....
Everywhere you look, there are things we can be doing better....on a personal level, we can be better clinicians, researchers, educators and leaders; on a systems' level, we can be improving quality, cost, and access to health care; on a societal level, we can be solving the problems of the world...
Last month, my family experienced the loss of someone very dear- Uncle Peter. Peter was an ex-Marine, father of three men, and patriarch of my spouse’s family; not to mention, husband to my wonderful and artistic Aunt Helene. He had been admitted to an outside hospital with leg ischemia and was...
Why do patients agree to go on cancer treatment clinical trials? We know that they choose to enroll for a lot of complicated reasons. As a physician and clinical investigator, it makes logical sense to me that patients with cancer want to take advantage of the best and newest treatments, even when...
June 7 was no ordinary Friday; it was my daughter’s last day in high school. Remember that day in your life? Endings are important, aren’t they? As a sports fan, endings are part of some famous quotes such as Yogi Berra’s quip, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over,” or Dick Motta’s inspiring quote for the...
I was sitting in the Fellows and Junior Faculty Lounge at the ASCO 2013 Annual Meeting, talking to Simon—a young medical oncology fellow with interests in global health, who is committed to developing the next generation of oncologic agents to bring to market in an economically feasible way. . . ....
“The past is a study for reflection, not repetition”Mario de Andrade (1893-1945), Brazilian poet and novelist
“So what did you learn at the meeting? Is there something new for me?” Sometime during my first clinic session after the ASCO Annual Meeting, I inevitably get asked these questions by patients. It’s gotten so common that I expect the questions and prepare an answer. Usually, I’m asked these...
The American Society of Clinical Oncology will mark its 50th year as an organization in 2014, during my term as your President. As I have thought about this upcoming year, I have tried to honor this milestone without using it as a sole focus for our organization.
I never thought I would see the day when two abstracts about cervical cancer would be included as plenary presentations at the Annual Meeting. Cervical cancer, after all, is a rare disease in the U.S. and developed countries— we have access to cervical cancer screening programs and the HPV vaccine...
I admit to being an aficionado of quotes, and I am particularly fond of some quotes I have heard at the Annual Meeting regarding patient-centered care.
ASCO, the Association of Physician Assistants in Oncology, and the Oncology Nursing Society came together again this year to present the Clinical Care in Oncology for the Advanced Practice Provider pre-Annual Meeting Seminar.  The education sessions and faculty were truly outstanding, and...
I often am asked for opinions about hematology/oncology cases from colleagues around the country. Additionally, whenever a family friend or relative is diagnosed with cancer, I also often am asked for an opinion. How do you handle these unofficial second opinions?

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