May is always an extremely busy time for us at ASCO as we lead into the Annual Meeting in Chicago. This should be another exciting and stimulating gathering. We received a record number of abstracts, signaling the vitality of the research enterprise in oncology. We hope to see as many of you as possible.

Over the years, the Annual Meeting of ASCO has grown into the major international gathering of oncologists and oncology leaders. In fact, for the last few years a majority (54%) of the 26,000 professional attendees come from outside the United States. This parallels the country of origin of our abstracts and even of submission to the Journal of Clinical Oncology. By a number of measures, while it says “American” in our name, we have become the world’s clinical oncology society and we are proud to host this important international gathering.

To make things as easy as possible for international attendees, we have an International Assistance Desk in the main concourse of the convention center to handle any issues that may arise during your visit. For your convenience, staff at the desk speak French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish. We have an individual international travel package that includes airfare, hotel, breakfast, and airport transfers for those who want us to handle all you travel plans. Please consult the international resource page, which includes more details plus visa information, links to embassies and consulates, travel tips, and other information.

For those who cannot travel to the meeting, all the presentations are available in high-definition video on our Virtual Meeting site, which is also viewable on many tablet devices. In addition, please visit asco.org/boaintl to learn about the many official Best of ASCO meetings that are held throughout the world. 

Whether by attending the Annual Meeting itself, or by viewing the sessions online at your convenience throughout the year, or by attending a Best of ASCO meeting, we hope that you find the research presented at ASCO helpful to the care you provide your patients.

—Allen S. Lichter, MD, ASCO CEO