Illumination & Innovation Transforming Data into Learning: 2015 ASCO Annual Meeting Preview and Education Program Highlights

Mar 31, 2015

Join us May 29-June 2 at McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois

By Virginia Anderson, Publications Specialist

Each year, ASCO brings together oncology professionals from around the world to share, discuss, and debate the exciting and practice changing advances in the field. At the 2015 ASCO Annual Meeting, join the most innovative thinkers in oncology and reaffirm your dedication to the pursuit of new discoveries, lifelong learning, and high-quality care delivery.

This year’s theme embraces the active process of learning

“Illumination and Innovation:Transforming Data into Learning” was selected by 2014-2015 ASCO President Peter Paul Yu,MD, FACP, FASCO, as the theme of this year’s meeting. “The volume, variety, and velocity of data that oncologists now must absorb and make sense of is overwhelming. Our members are faced with an explosion of data from all directions, and we need to innovate how we transform this data and learn from it,” he explained.

The continuous, active process of learning is the crux of the theme, according to Dr. Yu. “I chose ‘learning’ deliberately,rather than ‘knowledge." Knowledge is a book that sits on a shelf in a library. Learning is how we harness our vastly increasing knowledge base and deliver value to our patients. We have to take our knowledge and apply it to the real world to help all patients with cancer, including the majority of patients who don’t meet the eligibility criteria specified in clinical trials,” he said.

Education Program

   
   May 13: Abstracts released online at   
   5:00 PM EDT on abstracts.asco.org
 

The Annual Meeting Education Program provides a robust overview of best practices and evidence-based care across disease sites and reflects the concerns and priorities that affect every oncology professional. Multidisciplinary sessions will emphasize collaborative care in the management of different cancers, address issues relevant to daily practice, delve into the complexities of global health, explore questions of value and quality, and elucidate current knowledge in molecular pathways and genomics.

The Annual Meeting theme will be reflected throughout the Education Program, with a particular emphasis on the aspect of learning. “Our knowledge base has to be translated into learning that changes how we practice. Attendees will see speakers bring their talks to a very practical level and highlight bottom linec onclusions,” said John V. Cox, DO, MBA, FACP, FASCO, 2014-2015 Cancer Education Committee Chair.

Some of this year’s most exciting sessions are highlighted in the following sections.Remember that Clinical Problems in Oncology and Meet the Professor Sessions are ticketed; to register for these sessions, visit am.asco.org/ticketed-sessions.

New in 2015! Global Oncology Symposium
ASCO and its members are deeply concerned by the global burden of cancer and committed to helping medical professionals deliver high-quality oncology care toevery patient around the world. ASCO is offering the inaugural Global Oncology Symposium in 2015 to facilitate cohesive, in-depth discussions of international issues in cancer care. This Symposium is essentially a meeting within the Annual Meeting, as it will include a mix of scientific abstracts and educational lectures. It will be held on Friday, May 29, from 1:00 PM–5:45 PM, and is open to all attendees.

One of the highlights of the Global Oncology Symposium will be a Clinical Science Symposium–style section focused on gastric cancer. Presentations will bechosen to create a comprehensive global picture of the disease and its treatment,from etiology to clinical decision-making to the latest genomic discoveries.

“This session is going to explore what it truly means to be a patient with gastriccancer in different parts of the world,” Dr. Yu said. “The issue of how we deliver care—how we take our knowledge and improve the lives of patients with the resources we have available—is a question we all have to answer, no matter where we practice.”

Presentations examining broader issues of health care policy, care delivery in settings with varying levels of resources, and access to pathology services will be included in the Global Oncology Symposium program, as well as a keynote address on global health.

Practice-Centered Sessions

   
   Visit am.asco.org to register,
   make a hotel reservation, view
   preliminary session information,
   and find the latest information on   
   the 2015 ASCO Annual Meeting.
 

Practice-Centered Sessions (previously “Core Sessions”) highlight the latest updates and standards of care in clinical practice. Busy practitioners can stream line their Annual Meeting experience and capture a broad overview of the latest advances in the field by looking for the Practice-Centered Session designation throughout the Meeting program.

  • Controversies in the Management of Premenopausal Breast Cancer: The Role for Ovarian Suppression, Fertility Preservation, Bisphosphonates, and Local Therapy 
  • Genetic Testing in 2015: Who Owns the Data, How Do You Return Results, and Other Clinical Dilemmas 
  • Beyond the Concept: The Patient-Centered Medical Home in Oncology 
  • ASCO Practice Policy Forum 
  • Brain Metastases: From Clinical Trials to Clinical Practice 
  • Precision Medicine Through Molecular Profiling: Are We There Yet? 
  • The ABCs of Cancer Immunotherapy 
  • Adjuvant Therapy for Stage II and III Colon Cancer: Patient Selection, Optimal Agents, and Chemoprevention 
  • Nutritional Support in Gastrointestinal Malignancies 
  • Integrating New Approaches in Complicated Bladder Cancer 
  • Managing Ovarian Cancer in the Older Woman: How to Best Select and Sequence Surgery and Chemotherapy for Optimal Outcome 
  • Optimizing Treatment Modalities for Cancers of the Oral Cavity 
  • The Value Proposition in Oncology: Different Approaches to Understanding Value in Cancer Care 
  • Progress in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: Biology to Bedside 
  • Beyond Second-Line Treatment in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Small Cell Lung Cancer: What to Do When the Data End? Progress and Challenges in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia 
  • Targeted Molecular Therapy in Melanoma 
  • When More Is Not Better: How to Integrate Goals of Care in Conversations About Stopping Chemotherapy 
  • The Challenges of Pain Management Burnout in Oncology Health Care Providers: Identifying Silent Despair and Maintaining Purpose 
  • Adjuvant Treatment of Soft Tissue Sarcoma: What, When, and Why 
  • Understanding the Targets in Immunotherapy

Value-centered sessions
ASCO has long been a leader in discussions about the intersection of value and quality in health care. As this issue continues to evolve and grow in importance, attendees will have several opportunities to contributeto the conversation during value centered Educational Sessions at the 2015 Annual Meeting. The Scientific Program will continue to include Discussants who highlight the value-centered aspects of clinical research presented at the Meeting.

“The issue of cost of care is accelerating the discussion about defining value in oncology. Session leaders are charged with providing some grounding for value in their topics, and attendees will see this theme very transparently in every session,” Dr. Cox said. “If the talk is on a new technology or new therapy, there will be discussion to define that piece of learning in terms of the value for patients, both in an economic sense and in outcomes or insights to be gained.”

The following sessions will address value:

  • Opening Session Keynote Lecture:Value-Based Health Care Delivery 
  • Positive Trials in Lung Cancer: Statistical Versus Real Clinical Significance 
  • Universal Screening for BRCA1/2Mutations: Good Idea or Bad Idea? Early Detection of Cancer: Past, Present,and Future 
  • Quality Measurement in Health Care:Tools to Improve Care 
  • The Value Proposition in Oncology:Different Approaches to Understanding Value in Cancer Care 
  • Sequence, Duration, and Cost of Treating Metastatic Unresectable Colorectal Cancer 
  • When More Is Not Better: How to Integrate Goals of Care in Conversations about Stopping Chemotherapy 
  • Making Sense of Emerging Therapies in Pancreatic Cancer: Are We Finally on the Right Track? 
  • Value Concepts in the Management of Ovarian Cancer 
  • Adjuvant Therapy for Corpus-Confined Endometrial Cancer: Who Do We Treat? 
  • Personalized Therapy for Multiple Myelomain a Value-Oriented Environment 
  • Alternatives to ASP-Plus-Six: What Are the Options? Highlights of the Day Sessions

International sessions of interest

   
   Use the iPlanner to build your personalized
   Annual Meeting schedule. Search for
   sessions, speakers, and abstracts, and claim   
   Continuing Medical Education credit directly
   through the iPlanner app.
 

Annual Meeting attendees will find geographic diversity among speakers and international perspectives represented throughout the Education Program. Attendees with a particular interest in the global effect of cancer and the conduct of multinational clinical trials may enjoy the following sessions, which feature high-profile speakers from around the world and consider the topics in various resource settings:

  • Enrolling Patients in Early-Phase Clinical Trials: An Ethical Dilemma 
  • Precision Medicine through Molecular Profiling: Are We There Yet? 
  • Best of the Rest: Top Head and Neck Abstracts from 2014-2015 Oncology Meetings 
  • Optimizing Treatment Modalities for Cancers of the Oral Cavity 
  • Optimal Treatment Strategies of the Geriatric Patient with Head and Neck Cancer 
  • Biliary Tract Cancer: Understanding What We Know and What We Don’t Know

Clinical Problems in Oncology Sessions
Clinical Problems in Oncology (CPO) Sessions combine case-based panel discussion with attendee participation via interactive keypad technology.

  • Treating Newly Diagnosed Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Role of Chemotherapy, Ablation, and Surgery 
  • Immunotherapy for Melanoma: Sequencing, Combinations, and Side Effects 
  • Optimal Treatment Strategies of the Geriatric Patient with Head and Neck Cancer 
  • Optimal Lung Cancer Therapy for the Patient with Central Nervous System Metastases and Leptomeningeal Disease 
  • Controversies in Management of High-Grade Glioma 
  • Using Molecular Profiling to Inform Decision-Making in Non-GIST Sarcomas: Case-Based Approaches 
  • Acute Myeloid Leukemia: State-of-the-Art Management in 2015

Meet the Professor Sessions
Meet the Professor (MTP) Sessions facilitate interactive discussion between attendees and recognized experts inan informal, small-group setting.

  • ASCO Community Research Forum: Bringing Community-Based Researchers Together to Advance Cancer Research 
  • Achieving Precision Medicine Through Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Pharmacogenomics 
  • Adjuvant Therapy for Corpus-Confined Endometrial Cancer: Who Do We Treat? 
  • Biliary Tract Cancer: Understanding What We Know and What We Don’t Know 
  • Controversial Topics in HPV-Related Head and Neck Cancer 
  • Enhancing Communication Skills: The Comskil Training Program 
  • Choosing the Best Initial Therapy for Advanced Lung Cancer 
  • Treatment of Multiple Myeloma in Elderly Patients 
  • Career Development in Pediatric Clinical Trials: Direction for Young Investigators from NCI and Cooperative Group Leadership 
  • Clinical and Translational Research in Older Patients with Cancer 
  • How to Create a Successful Survivorship Program 
  • Ductal Carcinoma in Situ in 2015 
  • Using Adaptive Therapy to Treat Cancer 
  • Multidisciplinary Approach to Low-Grade Glioma 
  • The Older Patient with Glioblastoma 
  • GIST: Imatinib and Beyond Understanding Inherited High-Risk Cancer Genes and When to Refer Families for Testing 
  • Managing the Toxicity of Androgen Deprivation Therapy in Prostate Cancer and Anti-VEGF/mTOR Therapy in Renal Cell Carcinoma 
  • Translating Melanoma Immunology into Practice

Joint Sessions
The ASCO President and Presidents of oncology focused organizations collaborate to present Joint Sessions on topics of interest to oncology professionals across disciplines and specialties.

  • ASCO/European Society for Medical Oncology(ESMO) Joint Session 
  • ASCO/American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Joint Session 
  • ASCO/Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Joint Session

All session information is up to date as of March 2015; sessions are subject to change. Visit am.asco.org for the latest program information.

Maintenance of Certification activities: Earn MOC points

 
 
   Visit the Attendee Resource Center
   (am.asco.org/arc) before, during,
   and after the 2015 Annual Meeting   
   for publications, resources, videos,
   and schedules at your fingertips.
 

The 2015 ASCO Annual Meeting will feature three activities to help attendees earn American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) points while onsite.

Annual Meeting Practice-Centered MOC Self-Assessment Activity
This activity is designed for attendees who want to refresh their knowledge, update their skills, or prepare for their board certification or MOC examination. Participants will take a 30-question online pre-test to identify their knowledge gaps, attend appropriate Practice-Centered Sessions to augment areas of weakness, and complete an online post-test. Data and scores can be sent directly to ABIM, and participants are eligible for 10 MOC points in Self-Assessment of Medial Knowledge upon successful completion of the post-test.

To take advantage of this opportunity, add the Maintenance of Certification Self-Assessment to your Meeting registration at am.asco.org. Participants will receive the online pre-test the week of May 13.

Maintenance of Certification and Lifelong Learning Workshops

In 2015, ASCO is offering two 3.5-hour interactive sessions that will use audience-response technology to review an ABIM medical oncology module. Each of the module’s 30 multiple-choice questions will be reviewed through detailed group discussion led by expert faculty. At the completion of each session, diplomates will be able to submit their answers to ABIM and receive 10 MOC points.

  • MOC and Lifelong Learning Workshop: ABIM Module 2014 Module Utilized:ABIM 2014 Update in Medical OncologyFriday, May 29: 1:00 PM–4:15 PM 
  • MOC and Lifelong Learning Workshop: ABIM Module 2013 Module Utilized:ABIM 2013 Update in Medical OncologySaturday, May 30: 1:00 PM–4:15 PM

Visit am.asco.org/maintenance-certification to learn more about these opportunities.

Pre-Annual Meeting Seminars: Extended learning opportunities

 
   
   WHAT’S DR. COX ATTENDING?
   Look for Cancer Education Committee Chair Dr. John V. Cox
   at these sessions:
   - The Economics of Cancer Care (Pre-Annual Meeting Seminar):
     “Medical care is expensive for every health care system and
     pressures are being seen in every country. This seminar will
     look at how the health care system in the United States is
     responding with alternative payment models. There will be
     in-depth discussion about how you measure value and make
     judgments about the value of individual therapies.”
   
   - ASCO Practice Policy Forum (Special Session): “This town hall
     session will highlight the ‘buy and bill’ model. The discussion
     is going to focus on the future, possible alternative models,
     and what’s being discussed in policy circles. Any change in the
     model is going to be of interest to a broad array of attendees in    
     both private practice and academic institutions.”
 

ASCO will offer five Pre-Annual Meeting Seminars dedicated to in-depth exploration of topics of interest in the oncology community. Each seminar will be held onsite at McCormick Place from 12:30 PM on May 28 (lunch included) until 11:00 AM on May 29 (breakfast included). Visit am.asco.org/pre-annual-meeting-seminars for more information and to registerfor the following:

  • The Economics of Cancer Care (New in 2015!): Learn about trends in spending, use, and pricing of cancer treatment; the basics of reimbursement and coverage decision-making; lessons from innovative reimbursement, coverage, and treatment models; options for reimbursement reform; and current and innovative strategies for rewarding research and development in cancer therapeutics and diagnostics. 
  • Faculty Development for Medical Educators: Advancing My Career and Teaching Repertoire (New in 2015!): Learn about personal career development for educators, teaching in the National Academy of Science age, and leveraging technology for teaching. 
  • Hematology for the Oncologist (cosponsored by the AmericanSociety of Hematology): This seminar will focus on benign hematologic issues that medical oncologists commonly encounter in a consultative practice. Topics covered will include the etiology and treatment of disorders of red cells, platelets, myeloproliferative syndromes, bleeding and clotting disorders, and other problems in benign hematology. 
  • New Drugs in Oncology: Learn about theoretical and practical aspects of recently approved drugs and those on their way to approval. Topics covered will include mechanisms of action, administration, toxicity and side-effect management, and use in the clinic. 
  • Genetics and Genomics for the Practicing Clinician: This seminar will focus on cancer genomics and cancer genetics specifically for the clinician. It will cover both tumor and inherited genetic variation, as well as explain the variety of tests available to the clinician and when they should be administered.

These seminars have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

ASCO Educational Book

The 2015 ASCO Educational Book is a peer-reviewed, National Library of Medicine–indexed resource, containing articles written by Annual Meeting faculty. Content highlights current standards of care and future therapeutic possibilities. This year’s edition will be available online on the Attendee Resource Center (am.asco.org/arc) in late April.

Abstract selection

 
 
  MARK YOUR CALENDAR
   April—
   Attendee Resource Center
   and iPlanner launch 
   
   April 22—
   Hotel reservation and early   
   registration deadline
   May 13—
   Abstracts released online
   May 28-29—
   Pre-Annual Meeting Seminars   
   May 29-June 2—
   2015 ASCO Annual Meeting
 

Abstract selection and session planning for the Scientific Program is currently underway; read more about the scientific sessions in the May 2015 issue of ASCO Connection. Abstracts selected for presentation will be released online on May 13 at 5:00 PM EDT on abstracts.asco.org.

Networking & Collaborating

One of the prime reasons attendees come to the ASCO Annual Meeting is to take advantage of the unparalleled opportunities for networking and collaboration. The following are just some of the tools and resources available.

Oncology Professionals Hall
In addition to hosting exhibits,general posters, and the food court,the Oncology Professionals Hall offersa venue for meeting with industryleaders. Highlights include:

  • Industry Expert Theater: Featuring one-hour presentations on drug development 
  • ASCO Central: ASCO staff will beon hand to share the latest on the Society’s program, products, and services, including demonstrations of ASCO’s rapid learning system CancerLinQ™ 
  • Pavilions: Including the Career Fair,Patient Advocate Pavilion, Practice Management and Technology Pavilion, and Publishers Pavilion

Find a Colleague: Meeting Message & Networking Center
This online tool enables professional attendees to search for and connect with colleagues who are also attending the Meeting. It will be available in April on the Attendee Resource Center (am.asco.org/arc). 

ASCO Bistro
You can avoid the lunch crunch by reserving a table and dining at the ASCO Bistro in the Oncology Professionals Hall; purchase tickets in advance through the registration site at am.asco.org or ASCObistro.com.

Mentoring Sessions for Traineesand Junior Faculty

Interact with established ASCO members and receive invaluable career advice at the Trainees and Junior Faculty Member Lounge.

Womens’ Networking Center (New in 2015!)
The new Women’s Networking Centeris a place for ASCO members togather, discuss, and attend sessions addressing pertinent issues that affect women in oncology.

Networking Cafes
Sit, charge your devices, and connect with colleagues at four Networking Cafes located throughout McCormickPlace.

Connect on Twitter
Tweeting about the Annual Meeting? Use #ASCO15. Include your Twitter handle on your Annual Meeting badge during registration.


Chicago Events, May 29-June 2

In addition to its many fine restaurants museums, shopping locations, and sights, Chicago offers numerous options for entertainment. A sampling is outlined below.

Visit choosechicago.com/asco to find more events and city information as the Annual Meeting approaches. During the Meeting, visit the Chicago Informationand Restaurant Reservations desks in Concierge Services for assistance with your entertainment and dining plans.

Sports

Chicago Cubs vs. Kansas City Royals (baseball) at Wrigley Field
May 29 @ 3:05 PM, May 30 @ 6:15 PM
chicago.cubs.mlb.com

Chicago Fire vs. Montreal Impact (soccer) at Toyota Park
May 30 @ 7:30 PM
chicago-fire.com

Theater

Sense and Sensibility at Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Courtyard Theater
May 29 @ 7:30 PM, May 30 @ 8 PM, June 2 @ 7:30 PM
chicagoshakes.com

Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash at Mercury Theater
May 29 and May 30 @ 8 PM, May 31 @ 7 PM
theatreinchicago.com

Blue Man Group at Briar Street Theatre
May 29 and May 30 @ 7 PM and 10 PM, May 31 @ 7 PM
theatreinchicago.com

Panic on Cloud 9 at The Second City Resident Stage
May 29 and May 30 @ 8 PM and 11 PM, May 31 @ 7 PM
secondcity.com

The Little Foxes at Goodman Theatre
May 29 and May 30 @ 8 PM
goodmantheatre.org

stop. reset. at Goodman Theatre
May 29 and May 30 @ 8 PM, May 31 @ 7:30 PM
goodmantheatre.org

The Herd at Steppenwolf Theatre
May 29 and May 30 @ 7:30 PM
steppenwolf.org

Music

Clyne and Beethoven 3 at Chicago Symphony Center
May 30 @ 8 PM
cso.org

Civic Orchestra: Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances at Chicago Symphony Center
June 1 @ 8 PM
cso.org


Know Before You Go

Take Advantageof AdvanceAccess to MeetingMaterials with the AttendeeResource Center

Before the Annual Meeting, use the Attendee Resource Center (am.asco.org/arc) as your single point of access to program information and planning tools. The Attendee Resource Center will launch April 1.

The Attendee Resource Center (am.asco.org/arc) features: 

Virtual Meeting. From the Attendee Resource Center, link to Virtual Meeting presentation videos and podcasts; content available soon after each presentation is completed.

iPlanner. From the Attendee Resource Center, link to the iPlanner to plan yourschedule in advance, search or browse sessions, and create a customized itinerary. Website available in mid-April; app available in early May.

Find a Colleague: Meeting Message & Networking Center. From the Attendee Resource Center, link to this online tool to search for and connect with colleagues attending the Meeting; limited to professional attendees; available in April.

Abstracts and Educational Book articles. Link directly from the Attendee Resource Center to the 2015 Annual Meeting abstracts and Educational Book articles and download print-friendly PDFs of all Meeting materials. Abstracts release on abstracts.asco.org on May13, at 5:00 PM EDT; PDFs available for download via the Attendee Resource Center on May 14; Educational Book articles available in late April.

CME Credit, Certificate of Attendance, Evaluations, and More. Make the Attendee Resource Center your one stop bookmark to obtain all your needed credits and certificates.

View, print, or download ASCO’s entire suite of Meeting products, apps, and publications before the Meeting from the comfort of your home or office.

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