Welcome to the launch of ASCOconnection.org. I hope it will truly be a place for healthy member dialogue and debate.

This new site is the online companion to ASCO’s membership magazine, formerly known as ASCO News & Forum, which will relaunch this July with a new design and new name, ASCO Connection. (For the record, this is my second launch as Editor-in-Chief — I feel like an astronaut!)

The interconnected magazine and social networking site signal a new era of direct communication and networking for our membership. I have always been a great believer in the value of debate, which is why I instituted the regular feature Current Controversies in Oncology in 2006. (First topic in the series—Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Ovarian Cancer.) I’m happy to report that Current Controversies continues to be a reader favorite, and I encourage you to visit the Magazine section of this site to read more. But don’t stop there, jump in and join the discussion. After all, it’s the lively exchange of ideas that ultimately fuels discovery and innovation. 

Stay tuned as well for the upcoming Current Controversies in Oncology feature slated for the July issue. It’s an insightful physician-authored look at the headline-grabbing study on aspirin intake and breast cancer survival, a topic that elicited much excitement in the oncology community, as well as a number of questions. (And if you have ideas for an article in this series or would like to write one, contact the magazine staff.).

Other articles to look for in the July issue include a cover story on ASCO members who traveled to Haiti and other recent sites of natural disasters to help care for the sick and injured, interviews with ASCO President-Elect Michael P. Link, MD, and International Affairs Committee Chair-Elect Clement Adebamowo, MD, and of course, highlights from the Annual Meeting in Chicago.

There’s no shortage of topics to discuss—from the science that receives center stage in our journals and at meetings to the policy and practice issues that affect our daily lives, including the contentious topic of health care reform and the ever-present need to fight for more funds for clinical trials.

Let us know what’s on your agenda.