ASCO Breakthrough will bring together the global oncology community this August for three days of interactive sessions exploring cutting-edge advances in cancer care technology and innovations that can help transform care for people living with cancer. The meeting offers attendees numerous opportunities to interact with renowned speakers and thought leaders from around the world, including a half-day Manuscript Development Workshop taking place in person only on August 2 at PACIFICO Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan.

We sat down with Gilberto de Lima Lopes Jr., MD, MBA, FAMS, FASCO, chair of the Workshop Planning Group and editor-in-chief of JCO Global Oncology (JCO GO), to learn more about this exciting professional development opportunity being offered exclusively to presenting authors of accepted ASCO Breakthrough abstracts.  

What will the Manuscript Development Workshop offer attendees? How is the program designed?

GL: The program will include a combination of short talks, group discussions, and group activities that are designed to ultimately assist attendees with creating a manuscript and provide best practices for navigating that process. The half-day workshop will take place the day before ASCO Breakthrough starts and offer attendees ample opportunities to discuss their work with experts, receive advice, and explore collaborations with peers.

Who would benefit from this workshop?

GL: Young clinicians, researchers, and educators working with people living with cancer and in related fields will benefit from interacting with leaders in the field of global oncology and will have the opportunity to develop their abstract into a manuscript during the workshop.

Who are the experts that will mentor attendees of the workshop?

GL: Our planning group will also serve as mentors to workshop attendees and includes representatives of our incredible co-host societies, JSCO and JSMO, as well as our regional collaborating partners. This group, in addition to myself, includes Lillian Siu, MD, FASCO; Yuichiro Doki, MD, PhD; Takayuki Yoshino, MD, PhD; Elaine Lim, MBBCh, MD, PhD; and Herbert Loong, MBBS. The full list of workshop mentors will be announced later this spring.

Why should attendees sign up for the workshop?

GL: This workshop is designed to provide ASCO Breakthrough abstract presenters with expert guidance and tools to develop their 2023 ASCO Breakthrough Meeting abstract into a manuscript. The workshop provides:

• Group discussions and hands-on activities to provide guidance and critique in the manuscript development process.
• Advice from expert mentors in best practices for developing and submitting your manuscript.
• The opportunity to network and work collaboratively with fellow attendees.

As editor-in-chief of JCO GO, what expertise do you offer to attendees of the workshop?

GL: Given the global nature of cancer control, ASCO has prioritized efforts to enhance its engagement at a global level. Global oncology is a necessary academic field to train experts who can think critically about innovative solutions to global cancer care and control, with the tools and support to conduct research and implement change. Collaboration across all sectors of the global health and oncology communities will be required to realize the vision of equity and improved cancer outcomes worldwide. JCO GO has become the leading voice for this field. As its editor-in-chief I have had the opportunity to meet and interact with colleagues from around the world and I hope to share my personal experience and that of ASCO with colleagues and participants.

What is the added value of having an ASCO Breakthrough abstract published as a manuscript in a medical journal?

GL: Abstracts, by their nature, are limited in their scope and size. Following presentations, authors should take the opportunity to present all of the details of their research, facilitating information exchange and creating more opportunities to further their research and impact.

How can interested attendees sign up for the workshop?

GL: Attendance is limited to the first 75 abstract presenters to sign up and whose abstracts have been accepted to the meeting. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to submit your research to ASCO Breakthrough for the chance to reach unique audiences that can inspire new collaborations and solutions in clinical cancer care. The abstract submission deadline is quickly approaching—reserve your spot in the workshop now and plan to submit your abstract by 11:59 PM (ET) on April 11, 2023.

Mark your calendars and join us August 3-5, 2023, at the PACIFICO Yokohama Conference Center in Yokohama, Japan, or online.