Mission Statement
Improving
cancer care and prevention;
Advancing
the education of physicians and other professionals in the care of patients with cancer and supporting the development of clinical cancer researchers;
Fostering
communication among cancer-related medical subspecialties and the exchange of a wide range of ideas related to cancer, including its biology, prevention, diagnosis, staging, treatment, and psychosocial impact;
Advocating
public policy that ensures patient access to high-quality cancer care and that supports increased clinical cancer research; and
Assisting
oncologists in addressing the challenges of the modern-day practice of oncology.
Letter from the 1999-2000 President
The beginning of the new millennium carried forward many accomplishments as well as a new set of challenges for our Society. We are now more than 15,000 strong and have among our membership the world's best minds in cancer research and treatment. This year, ASCO harnessed the tremendous talent and dedication of its volunteers to make significant strides in the six goals outlined in the 1999 Strategic Plan: advancing quality cancer care, promoting clinical research, shaping cancer policy in the U.S., maintaining positive public image and recognition, expanding leadership development, and developing a fiscally sound organization.
This year's presidential initiative was stimulated by the Institute of Medicine's National Cancer Policy Board report issued in April of 1999. Published just before I assumed the ASCO presidency, this report raised serious questions about the quality of cancer care across the U.S. The report also made clear that there are significant gaps in our knowledge about the nature and extent of this problem and included strong recommendations for additional studies on this critically important issue. As the leading professional society for cancer physicians and researchers, ASCO responded to this call and began the work necessary to answer questions raised by this report. While this project was launched during my presidency, I fully expect ASCO's effort-formally called the National Initiative on Cancer Care Quality (NICCQ)-to extend beyond this year. With the help of ASCO's expert task force and nationally recognized researchers from Harvard University and RAND, this project will represent a groundbreaking effort that could eventually have a significant impact on how cancer care is delivered across the country. I have been particularly gratified over the past year that we have had tremendous collaboration and input from both our colleagues in other professional oncology societies and patient advocates. The project was made possible by generous contributions from a number of funding sources, most notably Nancy Brinker of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The Komen Foundation was the founding sponsor of the NICCQ and an important contributor to its development. This study is the first step in a long process of helping to quantify possible variations in practice that affect the quality of cancer care. I am pleased that our membership, led by ASCO's Board of Directors, saw the importance of this effort and pledged its full support. Under the leadership of ASCO President, Larry Einhorn, MD, the Society will examine a new aspect of quality-the growing administrative burden imposed by government and health plans and its impact on physician time in education, clinical research, and patient care. By collecting hard data on potential erosion in quality, we will be in a strong position to advocate change.
Of course, ASCO's Annual Meeting remains the premier educational forum for clinical oncology and the centerpiece of our commitment to quality. Attendance in New Orleans exceeded 23,000-a testament to the excellence in scientific presentations that now attract attendees from more than 100 countries. The combination of onsite attendance and participation in the second annual Virtual Meeting reached unprecedented numbers of professionals engaged in cancer care and research. Educational offerings throughout the year, such as the Fall Education Conference, ASCO Educational Symposia, the ASCO Curriculum Series, self-education programs, and an increased number of online continuing medical education projects, also provided important opportunities to advance knowledge and provide our patients with the best possible care.
Another educational event co-developed by ASCO is the ASCO/AACR Joint Workshop: Methods in Clinical Cancer Research. Now in its third year, this workshop has been instrumental in developing strong investigators to carry out well designed clinical trials. ASCO has promoted clinical trials as a hallmark of quality cancer care for the past decade. Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers and patient advocates across the country-and support of friends in Congress-insurance coverage for participation in cancer clinical trials moved closer to realization than ever before. Clinical trials coverage was included in both House and Senate versions of managed care reform legislation and, by all reports, has a real chance of success, if not in the 106th Congress, certainly next year.
ASCO's support for clinical research as well as its advocacy for long-held positions on tobacco, care at the end of life, and other issues was strengthened this year by collaborating with patient advocates and reinvigorating the Society's State/Regional Affiliates Program. Joint presentations and visits to Capitol Hill with other professional societies, patient representatives, and volunteers from across the country brought a richness-and diversity-of perspective that caught the attention of policy makers important to cancer issues. ASCO was asked on numerous occasions to provide insight to members of Congress, government representatives-and to the White House-on cancer research, treatment, and education. For the first time ever, ASCO was invited to testify before the National Cancer Advisory Board about the National Cancer Institute's strategic planning process and how it might better reflect insight and opinion from the larger cancer community.
With ASCO's growing reputation as a leader in the oncology community has come increased recognition of the Society as the leading authority on clinical oncology by the news media, patient community, and general public. Because of ASCO's commitment to communicating the latest advances in treatment and research, it is now recognized and routinely sought by the news media as a reliable, credible source of cancer information. ASCO used a variety of new approaches this year to communicate the vast resources, products, and services it has available. We produced multimedia materials to put cancer science into context, supported patient advocacy groups to increase awareness of important cancer topics, and embarked on assertive campaigns related to key health policy and clinical trials issues. Managing ASCO's credibility as a high-profile organization will certainly remain one of the challenges the Society faces as it continues to grow.
Another ASCO goal is to develop strong leaders to guide the Society in the coming years. ASCO's Board of Directors made a commitment to continuing involvement of ASCO Past Presidents and other Society leaders, using their experience and talent to strengthen the influence and reach of ASCO's programs. This year, Dr. Allen Lichter (1998-1999 ASCO President) agreed to lead a special task force intended to increase involvement of oncology fellows in ASCO's Committees and programs. The feedback on the Fellows Task Force has been extremely positive, and ASCO has benefited greatly from the infusion of new ideas. In March, the Society welcomed its new Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Charles Balch. A well-respected cancer surgeon and researcher in his own right, Dr. Balch has tackled his new job with great energy and vision. We welcome him and look forward to working with him in the coming years.
Several decades of cancer research have brought us better treatments, and more targeted therapies that may radically alter the way we treat and view cancer. As we saw this year, integration of new therapies into an increasingly constrained health-care system presents unique challenges in access and coverage. But as professionals who care about the future of cancer research and who wish to see continued progress in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, we need to monitor the progress of these various developments to ensure that research incentives are not undermined. Friends of cancer research must stay vigilant if all the promise of our biomedical science is to be realized. We can take pride in the strides we have made this year on behalf of our members, the oncology community, and most importantly-patients with cancer.
To all of you-my international colleagues, my fellow community oncologists, my colleagues in academia, and the patient advocates who work so closely with us-thank you for your support during this past year. My very best wishes to Larry Einhorn as he leads ASCO's efforts on all the issues that bring us together in the oncology community.
Joseph S. Bailes, MD
1999-2000 ASCO President
Letter from the Executive Vice President
It has been my privilege this past year to be-come the second Executive Vice President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Adding to this privilege is the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Dr. John R. Durant, who retired from this position in March 2000. John and I have been friends and colleagues for many years, stemming from John's early days at the University of Alabama through his tenure at Fox Chase Cancer Center to his establishment of the first ASCO Headquarters Office in Alexandria, VA. John's leadership in moving the Society into self-management and the resultant growth in ASCO programs and services has positioned the Society to retain and enhance its leadership role in clinical oncology and related subdisciplines. For the Office of the Executive Vice President, this past year has been one of transition; thank you and farewell to John as full-time Executive Vice President, who continues to serve the Society as an active member and volunteer.
Another privilege this past year has been working with Presidents Joseph Bailes and Larry Einhorn, with the ASCO Board of Directors, and with the many, many individuals who serve on Committees, on Task Forces, as Editors, and as contributors to the Society. It is truly an honor for me to be part of this organization, the core purpose of which is to improve cancer care and prevention. As President Bailes states in his letter, this past year has focused on advancing the goals of the 1999 Strategic Plan in support of the ongoing mission of the Society. As you will see in the following pages, the range of activities across the Society in pursuit of accomplishing the Strategic Plan goals has been broad and comprehensive and, I believe, highly effective. Four paths that emerge as a platform for the ongoing delivery of the ASCO mission include the promotion of ASCO as a multidisciplinary organization, increasing and diversifying the Society's income stream, enhancing our educational impact, and fostering and refining relationships with other organizations. In the pages that follow, the particular strategies and accomplishments actualized and delivered from this platform are presented in simple detail.
A new organization that has also been a pleasure for me to work with as ASCO's Executive Vice President has been the ASCO Foundation, which was founded by ASCO during the period of this Annual Report. A vital element of the Foundation's mission is the support of the education of the future leaders in clinical oncology through funding new Fellowship Grants for physicians in oncology training programs or in their first years as junior faculty.
The Annual Meeting Benefit Concert was the initial fund-raiser for the ASCO Foundation, and in the future, other events will be planned periodically to provide additional and ongoing support. In mid-2000, ASCO members started to support the Foundation by utilizing a check box on membership renewal forms to contribute to the first Annual Fund. The Annual Fund will be continued as part of a comprehensive fund development program for the Foundation that will provide opportunities for planned giving and individual gifts and bequests. The fund development program will also guide the formation of sponsorship relationships with other nonprofit foundations.
The opportunity to work with the ASCO Foundation has been one of the many pleasures in my role as the Society's Executive Vice President, and I look forward to presenting information about this new organization to ASCO members in the years to come.
As the pages that follow demonstrate, ASCO continues to grow in the size and scope of our Society's programs, membership, and staff. The Thirty-Sixth Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, was the largest ever, with more than 1,500 scientific and educational presentations. Attendance also was at an all-time high, with approximately 23,000 participants throughout the four-day course of the Meeting. The expanding Meeting program and the increasing participation reflect the value that the oncology community worldwide has placed on ASCO's Annual Meeting.
ASCO membership also continues to increase, with the total membership now over 15,000. This increase in members is, in part, a direct result of ASCO's commitment to enhanced member services and to the ongoing outreach to oncology professionals worldwide through the ASCO mission. A particular focus in member recruitment this past year has been among oncologists in training via the ASCO Fellows Program. Dr. Allen Lichter has led a vibrant Fellows Task Force that has actively developed a Fellows Program designed to touch on the myriad activities of the organization.
The leadership of ASCO from the Board of Directors was also enhanced during my early tenure as the Society's Executive Vice President. In early 2000, Alan S. Coates, MD, of Australia, was elected to fill the newly designated non-U.S. seat on the ASCO Board of Directors. Although there have been others elected to the Board from outside the country, this non-U.S. designated seat was added to the Board last year to ensure an international prospective at the table. Professor Coates is Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Cancer Society and is in clinical practice at the Sydney Melanoma Unit and the Department of Medical Oncology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. He is active in clinical research in breast cancer, serving as Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Australian New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group and Co-Chair of the International Breast Cancer Study Group Scientific Committee. I look forward to working with him as well as the other members of the Board of Directors as we move forward with the business of the Society.
I am pleased to provide our members and colleagues in the oncology community with this report, which offers an overview of the Society's activities of 1999-2000. Following the articulation of our mission and presentation of the new ASCO logo, accomplishments from each of the Society's areas of activities are described, beginning with education, the core mission of the Society.
My sincere appreciation is extended to Ron Beller, PhD, for his leadership as ASCO's Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Ron has been pivotal to many of the Society's achievements in the past year, including the selection and integration of staff in support of our many ongoing programs, the Headquarters move to the new office in Alexandria, and the ongoing fiscal and executive leadership of the Society's activities. Ron's contributions are key to the accomplishments and achievements of the Office of the Executive Vice President in support of the membership.
On behalf of the Society, I thank Dr. Bailes for his contributions during his Presidency. ASCO is also appreciative of the support provided to the Society by our industry sponsors and generous benefactors, support that enables further dissemination of the ASCO mission through enhanced programs and services. President Lawrence H. Einhorn, ASCO volunteers, and staff are continuing the work of 1999-2000 and moving the Society into the new millennium as our membership continues to strive to improve cancer care and prevention.
Charles M. Balch, MD
Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
ASCO Logo
The development of a new graphical identity was one of several strategies employed to pursue ASCO's goal of increasing public recognition of the Society and its mission. The search for an instantly recognizable symbol that represents the whole of the Society was challenging. Guiding the several ASCO Committees and the ASCO Board of Directors that were involved in the process was the thought that the ASCO logo should better reflect the expanding international membership base and the broad mission of ASCO. The simpler design of the new logo, with its focus on the acronym "ASCO," will present a broadly recognized signature of the Society that will carry well into the new millennium.
ASCO's original logo, developed when the Society was established more than 35 years ago, was viewed by many to be too complex, with individual elements that either went unnoticed or were unrecognizable.
The unveiling of the new logo coincided with the move of the Society's headquarters to its new offices in Alexandria, Virginia. The new logo, reproduced on this page, is now seen on each issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology and all of ASCO's print and online materials.
Public Policy and Practice
Health issues continued to dominate the national policy agenda this year as new technology introduced both brighter prospects-and rising cost-to an already strained system of care. ASCO was active on Capitol Hill, educating members of Congress and their staffs about cancer research and treatment and ensuring that patients with cancer have continued access to high-quality care.
ASCO continues to work with Harvard University and RAND on the National Initiative on Cancer Care Quality (NICCQ) and began a new initiative addressing the impact of administrative burdens on the practice of oncology. There was special emphasis this year on strengthening grassroots support, from local oncologists and from the many active patient advocates across the U.S. This emphasis included the formation of partnerships to address issues of particular importance to patients and individual oncology specialties and to improve communication with government agencies effecting cancer policy.
State/Regional Affiliates Program
In July 2000, the Board of Directors approved a business plan that will enhance services offered through ASCO's State/Regional Affiliates Program. The plan is based on a comprehensive assessment conducted in 1999 that contained feedback from ASCO volunteers, state society representatives, and leadership from other professional medical societies. New initiatives include assistance in membership recruitment and retention, obtaining continuing medical education credit for educational activities, planning and arranging meetings, advocacy efforts at the state and federal level, workshops on billing and coding, and expanded communication efforts on the Internet and through ASCO OnLine (www.asco.org). ASCO is committed to strengthening its relationship with the State/Regional Affiliates and continues to honor that pledge by providing assistance when necessary, sending ASCO representatives to Affiliate meetings, and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships to achieve common goals.
Grassroots Prgram
ASCO continues to develop its grassroots network of oncology advocates, which consists of ASCO members, State/Regional Affiliate representatives, nurses, office managers, cancer survivors, and people with cancer. This past year saw significant activity on a variety of issues, including the Patients' Bill of Rights, Medicare reform, the Pain Relief Promotion Act, and National Institutes of Health (NIH) appropriations, to name just a few.
Legislative and regulatory updates continue to be posted on the Grassroots Action Center on ASCO OnLine (www.asco.org), where members can read about the latest activities and send letters or e-mail directly to their legislators.
Second Annual Meeting of Hematology/Oncology Carrier Advisory Committee Representatives
The American Society of Hematology and the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists joined ASCO in sponsoring the second annual meeting of hematology and oncology representatives to Medicare Carrier Advisory Committees (CACs). CAC representatives from across the U.S. met to develop ideas for better communication with Carrier Medical Directors, as well as to share experiences and discuss strategies in addressing practice issues. The meeting commenced with a keynote speech by John Whyte, MD, the Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA's) Medical Officer in the Coverage and Analysis Group. It continued the next day with a series of panels that provided participants with specific examples of how to handle practice regulations and policy issues occurring at the state and regional level. ASCO staff also described plans for a CAC website that will provide information on each state's Medicare carrier and CAC representatives, as well as a searchable database of oncology-related and hematology-related Local Medical Review Policies (LMRPs). The website should be fully operational by June 2001.
American Federation of Clinical Oncologic Societies (AFCOS)
AFCOS was established in 1996 to bring together clinically oriented professional organizations to consider ways of improving patient access to quality cancer care. The coalition places primary emphasis on educating patients, their families, health-care providers, payers, legislators, regulators, and the general public about what constitutes quality care. AFCOS also advocates for access to and coverage of such care, including clinical trials, and supporting and promoting patient-oriented research. ASCO has held the role of coordinator for AFCOS since its establishment.
In November 1999, AFCOS held a briefing on Capitol Hill to educate federal employees about how to identify quality cancer care when choosing a health plan. The AFCOS consensus document was translated into a "checklist" for congressional staff members to use during "open enrollment" as they chose their own health coverage. AFCOS will continue its efforts to educate the general public about issues important to the cancer community not only through Hill briefings but also through newspaper articles and radio advertisements.
ASCO/ASPHO Collaboration
In February 2000, representatives from ASCO and the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPHO) met to explore opportunities for collaboration on areas of common interest and ways in which ASCO might better serve the pediatric oncology community. Potential areas of focus include special advocacy on childhood cancer issues and pediatric oncology tracks at ASCO meetings. In addition to these focused efforts, ASCO and leaders in the pediatric oncology community discussed the possibility of establishing an informal coalition that would serve as a unified voice for issues relating to childhood cancer. Such an alliance would bring together pediatric oncologists and patient advocates. ASCO began development of a draft charter for the coalition as well as general guidelines for structure and governance. A 10-member Implementation Task Force will organize the various options and present them at the first coalition meeting.
Public Issues
The Public Issues Committee participated in a formal training in message delivery. This training was similar to that provided for volunteers who act as spokespersons to the media on behalf of ASCO. Committee members came away with several helpful techniques for strengthening presentations to members of Congress, government regulators, and the media. The Public Issues Committee continued regular visits to Capitol Hill to gain support for sustained progress in cancer care and research. Key issues include coverage of routine patient care for all privately insured individuals participating in cancer clinical trials; increased appropriations for the National Cancer Institute; protecting privacy of medical information without impeding medical treatment, public health programs, or biomedical research; pain management and end-of-life care; and tobacco control.
Clinical Practice
In 1999-2000, the Clinical Practice Committee continued to play a leading role in addressing the interests of practicing oncologists through legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts. Committee membership includes 34 members appointed by the ASCO President, as well as representation from 44 State/Regional Affiliates. The Committee also has liaisons from other organizations, including the American Society of Hematology and the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. Under the leadership of James L. Wade III, MD, the Committee was active in several key issues over the past year.
º Following strong objection from ASCO and other cancer community advocates, HCFA modified its proposal for a hospital outpatient department prospective payment system for cancer-related services. The final regulations for Ambulatory Payment Classifications (APCs) will not affect chemotherapy drugs for a two to three-year period. HCFA will use this time to collect data for more accurate classification of cancer drugs.
º Oncology representatives were successful in obtaining increased time values for chemotherapy services to be included in the 2002 Medicare physician fee schedule. The Committee is also working with HCFA to implement the clinical staff time numbers approved by the Relative Value Update Committee. ASCO members hold seats on the American Medical Association's Relative Value Update and Practice Expense Advisory Committees, addressing the development of practice expense relative values for the Medicare physician fee schedule.
º Joseph S. Bailes, MD, made numerous visits to state oncology societies soliciting support from community oncologists for ASCO's National Initiative on Cancer Care Quality. The study, which has gained broad support within the Society and among other oncologic specialty societies, will rely heavily on the cooperation of community-based physicians.
Advocacy Efforts
The Society has continued its collaborations with patient advocates, primarily through ASCO's involvement in the Cancer Leadership Council, a coalition of leading national advocacy groups representing the concerns of patients with cancer. In addition, for the fifth year, ASCO sponsored a patient advocacy exhibit booth at the 2000 Annual Meeting, with representation of several patient groups.
ASCO's advocacy efforts remain focused on ensuring access to quality cancer care. Access to clinical trials has been of particular interest, and great strides have been made toward congressional action, thanks to several members of Congress, including Senator Connie Mack, Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV, Representative Nancy Johnson, Rep. Benjamin Cardin, and Rep. Brian Bilbray. Because of their leadership and the work of the oncology community, the Patients' Bill of Rights legislation adopted by both the House and the Senate includes provisions to cover routine patient-care costs associated with participation in clinical trials. Although final passage is uncertain due to other major provisions in the legislation, coverage for clinical trials has gained broad bipartisan support in Congress.
Health Services Research
The 1999-2000 year yielded three new evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines, which were published in the Society's official journal, the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). In addition, two new patient guides (based on previously published Guidelines) were developed, as was an effort to evaluate the Guidelines program.
Clinical Practice Guidelines
The three Clinical Practice Guidelines published over the past year as Special Articles in the JCO were the following.
Recommendations for the Use of Antiemetics: Evidence-Based, Clinical Practice Guidelines [17(9): 2971-2994]
American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Use of Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy Protectants [17(10): 3333-3355]
American Society of Clinical Oncology Guideline on the Role of Bisphosphonates in Breast Cancer [18(5): 1378-1391]
These Guidelines join five others and one Technology Assessment developed since the program's inception in 1993. In addition to being published in the JCO, the Guidelines are available on ASCO OnLine (www.asco.org). A binder containing a complete set of Guidelines is available on request.
Deline Evaluation
Also completed this year was a three-part evaluation of ASCO's Guidelines to determine members' use of and attitudes toward the Guidelines, the quality of the Guidelines, and knowledge and use of the Guidelines by managed care organizations. The results of this evaluation were presented at the ASCO 2000 Annual Meeting. Data from the membership survey were still being collected at that time, but preliminary findings showed that the overwhelming majority of members agreed with the Guidelines and indicated that their most important features are the literature review, detailed text, and comprehensiveness. Similarly, the systematic assessment of the quality of the Guidelines demonstrated that their greatest strength is in the area of context and content. A manuscript summarizing the final results of the evaluation is being prepared for publication.
Publications
Leading the Society's list of published materials is its flagship and official journal, the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO), the foremost peer-reviewed biomedical journal focusing on clinical cancer research. ASCO also publishes additional high-quality scientific and educational materials, such as the Educational Books for the Annual Meeting and the Fall Conference, the Program/Proceedings, the ASCO Curriculum Series, ONCOSEP (a self-education program), and resources based on presentations at the Annual Meeting, among others. In addition to the print circulation, the Society's official website, ASCO OnLine (www.asco.org), delivers the majority of ASCO publications online as well as offers a wealth of original scientific and education information for professionals and patients.
Journal of Clinical Oncology
The 1999-2000 year marked significant changes for the JCO, as it began semimonthly publication in January 2000. Also commencing in 2000 was the publication of full-text articles on JCO online (ww.jco.org), with all of the articles from the 1999 and 2000 volumes available in this expanded online format. Subscription to the print and online versions of the JCO is provided as a benefit of membership.
With the continued growth and expanding breadth of the JCO, a new feature was introduced at the start of the year. "The Art of Oncology: When the Tumor Is Not the Target," is a new section designed to focus on the issues of patient communication, ethics and decision-making, and symptom control in the management of advanced cancer. The new monthly JCO section is yet another Society effort to enhance the quality of cancer care through its focus on these issues and end-of-life care.
This year also marks the planning of a change in the editorial leadership of the JCO. At the end of the transition currently underway, George P. Canellos, MD, who has served as Editor-in-Chief of the JCO since 1988, will pass the reins over to Daniel G. Haller, MD. Dr. Haller was selected after an extensive Editor Search, led by Joel E. Tepper, MD, Chair of the Publications Committee. The transition to Dr. Haller's editorship will be completed by May 2001, and he will serve a five-year term.
2000 Program/Proceedings
ASCO's Program/Proceedings has become the definitive guide to the Society's Annual Meeting and an enduring scientific resource regarding current cancer research. In addition to providing all of the necessary logistical information about the Meeting, the publication also contains the abstracts submitted to the Meeting-both those selected for presentation at the Meeting as well as those chosen for publication only. At nearly 800 pages, the 2000 Program/Proceedings was the largest volume to date, with inclusion of nearly 2,700 abstracts. Michael C. Perry, MD, has served as the Editor of the Program/Proceedings since 1991.
Fall Educational Book and Spring Educational Book
Dr. Perry also provides editorial leadership for both Educational Books, which have increased in size and quality over the past few years under his eye. The 1999 Fall Educational Book provided a broad range of topics, with at least one manuscript for nearly every Education Session held at the Fall Education Conference. These full-length manuscripts, prepared by the distinguished faculty of the Conference, have become valuable resources for practicing oncologists. Similarly, the 2000 Spring Educational Book, the largest edition to date, included manuscripts authored by Annual Meeting speakers at 34 Education Sessions and five Scientific Symposia. The books are a benefit of membership and are also provided to attendees of the Fall Conference and Annual Meeting.
Yearbook of Oncology
The ASCO 1999 Yearbook of Oncology combines all articles from the 1999 Spring Educational Book with those from the 1999 Fall Educational Book. Thus, this hardcover book includes some of the best educational material presented at both the Thirty-Fifth Annual Meeting and the 1999 Fall Education Conference.
Curriculu Series
In the first step toward building on the success of ASCO's curricula on pain management and cancer genetics, the Society appointed Jamie Von Roenn, MD, as the Editor of the Curriculum Series. In addition to establishing a curriculum development process plan, a vision was created for disseminating and highlighting curriculum content through the use of various educational formats, such as symposia, self-education enduring materials, and online continuing medical education. Revisions to original curricula are also planned, with each Curriculum Editor reviewing the content of the curriculum content every 18-24 months to determine if enough information has emerged since its publication to warrant a revision. ASCO Educational Symposia will be the primary forums to introduce newly published curricula as well as to renew interest in previously published curricula. The Society's series of self-education programs, ONCOSEPs, are secondary publications based on curricula content.
ONCOSEP: Genetics
Debuting at the 2000 Annual Meeting was ASCO's first self-education program, ONCOSEP: Genetics, which is based on material in the ASCO Curriculum: Cancer Genetics & Cancer Predisposition Testing. ONCOSEP: Genetics is a comprehensive self-education tool designed to aid physicians and other health-care professionals in developing competencies in genetic counseling, risk assessment, and genetic disease-specific areas. The program includes a text review, self-education questions, explanatory answers, and a CD-ROM. As stated previously, future self-education tools will be developed in conjunction with the goals of the ASCO's Curriculum Series.
ASCO 2000 Annual Meeting Summaries
Providing review and commentary on selected Oral Abstract Presentations from the Annual Meeting is the ASCO 2000 Annual Meeting Summaries. Mailed to all members in the fall, the publication covered six sessions-breast cancer I and II, non-small cell lung cancer, clinical pharmacology, colorectal cancer, and genitourinary (testicular, renal, and bladder) cancer. The publication was prepared with oversight by the Program Subcommittee Chairs and produced under the editorship of David H. Johnson, MD, Chair of the 1999-2000 Program Committee.
Annual Meeting Highlights
Another publication featuring scientific presentations from the Annual Meeting is ASCO's Annual Meeting Highlights. Under the guidance of Editor, Bruce D. Cheson, MD, this publication contained synopses of Oral Abstract Presentation Sessions on such topics as adult leukemia/lymphoma, gynecologic cancer, lung cancer, tumor biology/human genetics, and metastatic colorectal cancer. Also included were summaries of two Scientific Symposia on new agents and molecular targets.
Classic Papers and Current Comments
Once again this year, four issues of Classic Papers and Current Comments were scheduled. This publication includes groundbreaking studies previously published in the JCO. Each issue is devoted to a specific topic and includes approximately 30 classic articles as well as updated commentary by the original authors or invited editors, to add new perspectives and enhance understanding. This year's topics included pediatrics, neurologic malignancies, bone marrow transplantation, and breast cancer. Now in its fifth year, Classic Papers and Current Comments continues under the editorship of Dr. Canellos.
Practical Tips for the Practicing Oncologist
Practical Tips for the Practicing Oncologist is a comprehensive reference book that provides information on all relevant coding, coverage, and general Medicare policies for oncology services. First issued by ASCO in 1997, this second edition was released in May 2000 during ASCO's Thirty-Sixth Annual Meeting. The revised edition includes updated policy information, how to communicate with policy makers, and useful resources for starting a practice.
ASCO News
For the second year in a row, the Society's quarterly newsletter, ASCO News, continued to expand its content and enhance its range of features. Beginning as a 32-page publication in April 1999, ASCO News now regularly offers 40 pages or more of news on Society programs, products, and services; features on ASCO leaders; and news from around the oncology community. New developments this year included a section designed specifically for fellows-related news, announcements of recent mailings to members, and an increased number of member-authored articles and feature stories. Dr. Cheson continues to provide editorial leadership for ASCO News, and enhancements are planned for the coming year.
ASCO OnLine (www.asco.org)
The Society continues to use ASCO OnLine as an Internet-based expression of most, if not all of ASCO's programs and services. This past year, ASCO restructured its website to improve access to the valuable content on ASCO OnLine, while simplifying and enhancing members' online experience.
With new easy-to-use drop-down menus, members and other oncology professionals are now a click away from taking advantage of such benefits as ASCO abstracts, legislative updates, Clinical Practice Guidelines, information on ASCO's meetings and publications, and the Virtual Meeting. Two new features on the site include Grand Rounds lectures and Weekly Feature Articles. ASCO Grand Rounds is a series of 20 to 45-minute audio/slide lectures presented by recognized experts from around the world. The Weekly Feature Articles target an audience of medical professionals, with links to relevant material on ASCO OnLine, where oncologists can obtain more specific information.
The scientific and educational material on ASCO OnLine continues to grow, with expanding information for fellows and an increased number of continuing medical education (CME) opportunities. More than 35 hours of CME credit are now available through projects on the site. ASCO OnLine also serves as a convenient method for members to carry out Society-related functions, such as registering for ASCO meetings, reserving housing accommodations, voting in the ASCO election, submitting Meeting abstracts, and updating the Membership Directory.
ASCO OnLine is a valuable resource for patients and their families as well. The People Living with Cancer area of the site provides information on clinical trials, web resources, and advocacy groups. New to this area is a Search by Diagnosis feature that allows patients and professionals alike to search for disease-specific information much more easily.
The redesign is the result of concerted efforts of the ASCO OnLine Committee to establish an Internet strategy that involves building a greater audience for the Society's website. Leading these efforts have been Douglas W. Blayney, MD, Chair of the Committee, along with L. Michael GlodT, MD, Editor-in-Chief of ASCO OnLine, and Diane Blum, MSW, Senior Associate Editor of Public Affairs, ASCO OnLine. The posting of approximately 500 new sites on the World Wide Web each day brings with it the challenge of choice for Internet users, creating keen competition for online visitors. The Committee is developing projects aimed at attracting new visitors and retaining the interest of current users, so as to achieve ASCO's goal of becoming the leading oncology information website for ASCO members, other oncology professionals, patients, families, media, and consumers.
Patient Guides
Developed this year were two new guides in ASCO's series of educational booklets for patients. A Patient's Guide: Preventing and Treating Nausea and Vomiting Caused by Cancer Treatment and A Patient's Guide: Follow-Up Care for Colorectal Cancer, as well as the two previously released guides, are available to members for distribution to their patients and are also posted in downloadable format on ASCO OnLine (www.asco.org). The bases of the guides are ASCO Clinical Practice Guidelines, which are developed by the Expert Panels overseen by the Society's Health Services Research Committee. ASCO's Educational Book articles will also begin to serve as a content source for this series of patient materials.
2000 Annual Meeting
ASCO's Thirty-Sixth Annual Meeting drew an unprecedented number of oncology professionals to New Orleans, Louisiana, for four days of educational sessions and scientific presentations. The record-breaking attendance-23,146 professionals from 108 countries-once again reflected ASCO's status as the provider of the world's premier oncology meeting. The Meeting offered more than 200 abstracts presented in oral sessions, nearly 1,500 additional abstracts displayed as poster presentations, and more than 70 Education Sessions and Meet the Professor Sessions in focused areas of clinical oncology. A number of sessions invited discussion on how to best identify and address variation in practice, on potential areas of research, and on recommended next steps for the cancer community. ASCO's National Initiative on Cancer Care Quality (NICCQ) was the focus of the Presidential Symposium.
In addition to the rich educational and scientific programs, the Meeting featured nearly 300 exhibits by industry, pharmaceutical companies, scientific publishers, and advocacy groups. ASCO addressed the needs of the growing number of international attendees with a newly centralized International Assistance desk, featuring foreign-language interpreters and information on currency exchange and local consulates.
This year's Annual Meeting offered two new features designed to enhance the learning experience for attendees. First, in response to attendee feedback, the Cancer Education Committee piloted three different formats for Meet the Professor Sessions. These formats allowed for a range of attendance capacities as well as a variety of methods for the professor to present material. Another new addition to the Meeting was the Categorical Course, a series of four sessions, one on each day of the Meeting, on the topic of cancer genetics. The course material was based on ASCO's first curriculum, Cancer Genetics & Cancer Predisposition Testing.
Presidential Symposium: Quality Cancer Care
The 2000 Presidential Symposium, led by Dr. Bailes, focused on the issue of quality cancer care. This ongoing ASCO theme embraces important work accomplished during past presidencies, including end-of-life care and improving the environment for cancer clinical trials. Named the National Initiative on Cancer Care Quality (NICCQ), ASCO's ongoing study involves a review of patient reports and medical records for hundreds of cases of breast and colorectal cancer, to assess delivered care. The findings from this review will be evaluated using outcome measures that include disease-free survival, toxicity, overall function, quality of life, insurance status, and cost.
The study is being conducted by researchers based at Harvard University and the RAND Corporation, who will randomly sample the records of patients treated for cancer at hospitals in three selected areas-regions surrounding Cleveland, Houston, and Los Angeles (including rural hospitals). Patients will be interviewed by telephone and asked for their consent for the medical records review, which will be kept confidential. Assessments of quality of care will include the structure of care (availability of facilities and technology), the process of care (including diagnosis and therapy), and the outcomes of treatment. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation has generously donated $1 million to support this study.
Fellows Program
Enhancing the education of the next generation of oncologists is an increasing priority for ASCO. Recognizing the need for more activities targeted to fellows and junior faculty, the Society again expanded its educational offerings and events for fellows at the Meeting. With 10 sessions led by oncology experts and ASCO leaders, the Annual Meeting Fellows Program provided guidance on career development with sessions on such topics as interviewing techniques, communication skills, preparing clinical papers, creating posters, and writing grants. In addition, two sessions offered interactive discussions on career paths-one focusing on private practice and the other, on academic oncology.
Another new opportunity at the Meeting, the Fellows Lounge, offered a way for fellows to network among their colleagues and ASCO leaders. The Fellows Lounge was open all day every day of the Meeting and provided a place where fellows could take a break from the Meeting, access the ASCO Virtual Meeting on ASCO OnLine (www.asco.org), or sit in small groups with mentors, training directors, and new contacts. Fellows were also asked to interact with ASCO leadership in the session, "What Can ASCO Do for You?" to generate discussion on how the Society can continue to meet the needs of oncologists in the beginning of their careers.
ASCO Educational Symposia
As in years past, the Annual Meeting was preceded by ASCO Educational Symposia targeting specific areas in the practice of oncology. One of this year's three new Symposia was "Meet the Consultant," which was devoted to advising oncologists and their staff on how to best work through specific issues confronted in everyday oncology practice. The Symposium, sponsored by the ASCO State/Regional Affiliates Program, featured a panel of nationally recognized experts who provided answers to frequently asked questions or common situations. "Medical Informatics and the Practice of Oncology," offered attendees the opportunity to hear experts present recent developments from the National Cancer Institute Informatics Infrastructure efforts as well as vendor representatives who demonstrated practice-useful Internet products geared toward oncologists. The third Symposium, "Optimizing Cancer Care-The Importance of Symptom Management," provided attendees with practical information about commonly encountered disease-related and treatment-related symptoms. The Symposium is based on the ASCO Curriculum: Optimizing Cancer Care-The Importance of Symptom Management, which is currently being developed and is scheduled to be available in 2001.
Expanded Technology
Through the use of expanded technology, ASCO broaden the reach of the Annual Meeting, bringing information from the Meeting to more professionals than ever before. Online enhancements also added convenience to members and other prospective attendees in planning for the Meeting.
Satellite Broadcast
For the first time, ASCO provided satellite broadcast of a Meeting session. The Special Session, "Enhancing Physician-Patient Communication" was delivered to approximately 1,000 health-care professionals in major medical facilities networked via satellite links at medical centers across the U.S. This effort is among several other distance-learning initiatives-including the Virtual Meeting (discussed on page TK)-that the Society has begun to implement to deliver its scientific and educational programs utilizing a variety of media. ASCO recognizes the need to provide educational forums for today's busy clinician and is committed to continuing the development of distance-learning educational opportunities both that are linked to the Annual Meeting and that serve as stand-alone events.
Virtual Meeting
For the second year in a row, ASCO's Virtual Meeting brought a representation of the Annual Meeting to the Internet and online users. Twenty-three science and education sessions and hundreds of poster presentations were posted on ASCO OnLine (www.asco.org) within 24 hours of the live event, making it easy for ASCO Meeting attendees to participate in sessions they missed or review ones they did attend. The 2000 Virtual Meeting had nearly twice as many visitors within the first month after the Annual Meeting compared with the 1999 inaugural online Meeting, and to date, there have been almost 69,000 user sessions in this particular area of ASCO OnLine.
The 45 hours of sessions captured for the Virtual Meeting included the Plenary Session, the Integrated Symposium, the Karnofsky Award Lecture, the American Cancer Society Award Lecture, and the International Symposium, as well as several Oral Abstract Presentations, Education Sessions, and Scientific Symposia. The Virtual Meeting sessions remain online throughout the year, making it a valuable educational resource. Enhancements to this year's Virtual Meeting included improved quality of digitized slides, more timely postings, organization of sessions by specialty, and links from sessions to their abstracts and to relevant information for patients. In addition, more than half of the Virtual Meeting sessions were developed as continuing medical education (CME) opportunities.
Online Enhancements
Again this year, many members took advantage of the convenience of ASCO OnLine to carry out Meeting-related functions. More than 80% of Meeting abstracts were submitted electronically, and close to 40% of Meeting attendees registered or made housing reservations online. The Meeting Planner, which was made available more than a month before the Annual Meeting, enabled prospective attendees to plan their Meeting days and then print out the schedule for easy reference.
Best of ASCO CD-ROM
Another electronic Meeting resource is the Best of ASCO CD-ROM, a reproduction of the 1999 Annual Meeting Plenary Session, complete with slides. All ASCO members and 1999 Annual Meeting attendees received a complimentary edition of this electronic resource. The 2000 edition is planned for distribution in spring 2001.
Benefit Concert
ASCO's Benefit Concert is a major fund-raising event for the ASCO Foundation. This year's concert featured the Three Irish Tenors, who gave an outstanding performance, raising significant funds for the Foundation. The Benefit Concert will continue to support the Foundation by featuring headline performers in an event held exclusively for Annual Meeting attendees each year.
Media Coverage
As the foremost international forum for communicating the leading advances in clinical cancer research, the ASCO Annual Meeting attracts over 300 reporters to cover its Press Program. ASCO's new conferences are carefully managed to achieve a balance of conveying progress without overpromising hope. In the months leading up to May, ASCO conducted intensive outreach to news media, visiting with nearly a dozen top national media outlets around the country. To further help put research into context and proper perspective for reporters, seven press conferences, three Meet the Expert sessions, and more than 75 individual interviews were held onsite in New Orleans.
The result of these efforts was exceptional coverage of the Annual Meeting, including more than 400 news broadcasts, articles in over 200 consumer newspapers, and more than 250 articles in the trade press. While the volume of coverage was impressive, the quality of coverage, which is of the utmost importance to the Society, was even more so, with accurate, responsible, and balanced reporting. Scientific news from the Annual Meeting appeared in every major newspaper and on every national television network across the country. This year, ASCO's audience reach was far greater than that in any previous year because so much of the print coverage appeared in national, large-circulation newspapers and magazines, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, Time magazine, and Business Week. In addition to the print coverage, the ASCO Annual Meeting once again received widespread television news coverage on all the major networks, including NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, and PBS.
Cancer Advances 2000: News for Patients from ASCO's Annual Meeting
In addition to communicating important findings from the Annual Meeting to the media, for the second year in a row, ASCO also produced consumer-friendly summaries of the research. Cancer Advances: News for Patients from ASCO 2000 was produced in a continuing effort to ensure that information about the latest treatment advances presented at the Annual Meeting was made available directly to patients. These summaries were distributed to more than 300 patient organizations and NCI-designated cancer centers. In addition, they were posted in the People Living with Cancer section of ASCO OnLine (www.asco.org) and links to them were provided in the Virtual Meeting.
ASCO Daily News
Providing coverage of the Meeting for attendees themselves was ASCO Daily News. The official newspaper of ASCO's Thirty-Sixth Annual Meeting, ASCO Daily News was written and produced onsite by ASCO staff, under the guidance of Editor Bruce D. Cheson, MD. In response to both the ever-increasing size of the Meeting as well as attendees' requests, ASCO produced an additional issue of ASCO Daily News this year on Tuesday, the last day of the Meeting. All four onsite issues were also posted daily on ASCO OnLine, and a Wrap Up issue was mailed to all members and Meeting attendees following the Meeting.
The breadth and depth of this third annual publication were enhanced to bring readers an increased number of articles on the research and news disseminated at the Meeting, as well as previews and highlights of Meeting features and ASCO-related events, profiles of award winners and leaders, and region-specific information. In keeping with ASCO's commitment to young oncologists, ASCO Daily News featured a section of news targeted to fellows.
Fellows Program
Through the Fellows Task Force, now in its second year, and the "What Can ASCO Do For You?" session at the Annual Meeting, ASCO remains committed to planning activities specifically designed for fellows to ensure that they have access to the highest quality support and resources regarding their profession. To meet this end, ASCO has established more opportunities for networking and mentoring, expanded its online resources, and developed a track of educational programs at the Annual Meeting specifically targeted to a fellows audience. ASCO also has continued its support of research conducted by fellows and junior faculty through the ASCO Fellowship Grants Program, as reported in the following.
Grants to Support Research
Since 1984, ASCO's Fellowship Grants Program has grown, with increased funding for the Young Investigator Awards (YIAs), Clinical Research Career Development Awards (CDAs), and Merit Awards, the latter of which help even more fellows attend the Meeting and be recognized for their research. The Fellowship Grants Program has been made possible through generous support from industry and foundations.
At the 2000 Annual Meeting, more fellows were recognized than ever before in a single year. Through the leadership of Grants Selection Committee Chair, Robert F. Todd, MD, PhD, 18 fellows were chosen as YIA recipients and six senior fellows and first-year faculty members were selected to receive CDAs. In addition to these 24 recipients, 57 fellows received Merit Awards of $1000 each and 20 fellows received Travel Awards of $500 each. The Merit and Travel Awards were given to eligible fellows who submitted the highest-ranking abstracts.
Networking and Mentoring
One of the main goals of the Fellows Task Force is to offer venues by which fellows can network with one another as well as the wide range of experts and leaders within ASCO. One way to help the fellows keep in touch with each other is through a new regular feature in ASCO News, ASCO's official quarterly newsletter. The Fellows News section in each issue includes announcements about fellows' activities as well as articles featuring fellows who are active in the Society or have made a notable contribution to clinical oncology. In addition to the newsletter features, two other initiatives fulfilled the goal of networking.
The first such initiative was carried out at the 2000 Annual Meeting. As already described, the Fellows Lounge provided unique educational and networking opportunities for young oncologists. The other initiative was the establishment of Task Force liaisons to ASCO Committees. Eight Committees invited a fellow liaison to attend their meetings and participate as appropriate in their programs. Through attendance at these Committee meetings, fellows are given the opportunity to interact with their peers and to provide a targeted perspective on a program that benefits the upcoming generation of oncologists.
Online Resource
To round out the primary goals of the Fellows Task Force, many online resources were implemented in the past year. The features of the Career Resource Center on ASCO OnLine (www.asco.org) were expanded to include a database of grant opportunities as well as a list of classic oncology references for fellows. The Classic Oncology References feature is a compilation of articles, organized according to disease, that are considered to be the standards-of-care in oncology. Each list of references is constructed by a leading expert, and articles are linked to their full text when possible.
Other expansions of Internet-based services targeted for fellows include a job posting area and online applications for YIAs and CDAs. In addition, the Fellows Center on ASCO OnLine is under development, offering further networking, mentoring, and educational opportunities for beginning oncologists.
Targeted Education
The 2000 Annual Meeting offered fellows more educational opportunities, in large part because of the efforts of ASCO's Fellows Task Force. Based on suggestions from fellows, the Task Force organized 10 Annual Meeting sessions targeted specifically to the educational needs of fellows. The response to these sessions was positive, and the Task Force plans to enhance the Fellows Program at the 2001 Annual Meeting. ASCO also plays an integral role in educating fellows in the design of clinical trials at the ASCO/AACR Joint Workshop: Methods in Clinical Cancer
Educational Programs
Educational programming is the primary means of delivering the ASCO mission, and the Annual Meeting is ASCO's central professional educational forum. The Society also provides additional educational opportunities throughout the year to meet the various needs of its members and other oncology professionals. These programs include workshops to develop well-trained clinical researchers, ASCO Educational Symposia, state and regional affiliate meetings, and focused educational events that are designed to enhance knowledge and skills in particular areas in oncology.
On a smaller scale, the Society has also provided educational information and resources to nonprofessional audiences who look to the organization for reliable information about cancer and its treatment. These opportunities include the Meet the Expert sessions for journalists, the ASCO Patient Guide series, and the People Living With Cancer area of ASCO OnLine, among others.
Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop
Methods in Clinical Cancer Research, the week-long course jointly planned by ASCO and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), was held for the third time in July 1999. The goal of the Workshop is to introduce fellows and new faculty members to the principles of good clinical trial design while exposing them to challenges in clinical research. The Workshop is one of the most important educational undertakings for the two societies and demonstrates the commitment to developing a cadre of well-trained, experienced researchers whose expertise will introduce improved agents for cancer therapy and prevention into medical practices and patient care. This past year, 100 fellows and junior faculty attended the annual Workshop in Vail, Colorado.
European Workshop on Methods in Clinical Cancer Research
The first European Workshop: Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop, jointly organized by the Federation of European Cancer Societies (FECS), the AACR, and ASCO, was held in Flims, Switzerland, in June 1999, with 33 faculty and 96 participants in attendance. The program was fashioned after the Workshop held in Vail for U.S. fellows. The goals for the Joint conference are similar to the Vail conference, namely, to introduce European clinical researchers to the principles of good clinical trial design, expose young clinical scientists to the full spectrum of challenges in clinical cancer research, and develop well-trained, experienced researchers. A second European Workshop was held in the summer of 2000.
1999 Fall Education Conference
The 1999 Fall Education Conference, held in San Francisco, California, drew more than 500 participants, most of whom were ASCO members. The primary goal of the Conference was to present sessions highlighting therapeutic concepts and research directions and their implications for the practicing oncologist. For this 10th annual event, the Cancer Education Committee developed a program with a variety of topics, targeting areas such as small-cell lung cancer, melanoma, breast cancer, and prostate cancer.
Fall Educational Symposia
As with the Annual Meeting, ASCO Educational Symposia were offered in conjunction with the Fall Conference. Both 1999 fall Symposia had been newly developed and were sponsored by the State/Regional Affiliates Program; their success led to their being offered again at the 2000 ASCO Annual Meeting. One Symposium, "Meet the Consultant," consisted of a series of small workshops on practice management at which participants were able to ask questions and advice of nationally recognized experts in Medicare coverage, private insurance, coding, reimbursement, and other practice management issues.
The second Symposium, "Enhancing Physician-Patient Communication," was an outgrowth of previously held sessions on breaking bad news to patients, as well as part of the Society's overall focus on quality cancer care. With its town hall meeting format, the Symposium sought to provide physicians with the skills and tools necessary for effective communication. Using video clips, keypad technology, and other tools, a facilitator worked to enhance interaction between physician attendees and the multidisciplinary panel. As part of ASCO's outreach program, representatives from 20 patient advocacy organizations were invited to participate in the Symposium, and the voices of patients, physicians, and other health-care professionals combined to create a valuable learning experience for all participants.
ASCO Conference Newsletter
For the first time, attendees of the Fall Education Conference were offered a daily newsletter to provide them with coverage of Conference events. The ASCO Conference Newsletter, which was written, produced, and distributed onsite by ASCO staff, was well received by Conference participants. Plans are under way to further enhance this publication for the fall 2000 educational event.
Panarab Lymphoma Conference
The ASCO International Affairs Committee endorsed the PanArab Lymphoma Conference in Cairo, held in November 1999, which included 12 scientific sessions, workshops on stem-cell transplantation, and a pathology update. The Conference attracted the largest number of participants ever recorded in the Middle East (682 physicians and three nurses from eight Arabic countries). Another endorsed Conference is planned for 2001 in New Delhi, India.
Member and Meetings Services
ASCO welcomed more than 2,700 new members into the Society during 1999-2000. This growth represented a 21% increase, bringing the total membership to more than 15,000. The marked rise in membership is attributed to several steps ASCO has taken to broaden its membership base. The Society continues its efforts to draw in more oncologists by designing new membership categories, simplifying the application process, and promoting its services and products throughout the U.S. and abroad.
Enhanced Association Membership Catecory
To further encourage oncologists in training to become ASCO members, Associate Membership, the category of membership tailored for them, was enhanced. Associate membership is now free and optionally offers the Journal of Clinical Oncology at a significantly reduced rate. This no-cost membership has proved to be extremely popular among oncology fellows and has resulted in the enrollment of 812 new Associate Members this year. By encouraging young oncologists to join ASCO, the Society has the opportunity to develop a larger pool of members who are well prepared to guide the Society's future course.
Improved Application Processes
Another membership change this year was an abbreviated application process for members of 16 reciprocal societies, or ASCO's sister oncology organizations. The Reciprocal Membership Application is brief, and no additional documentation is necessary. The Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) was the first to be offered this application process, and ASCO received an overwhelming positive response-SSO members represented 22% of the 760 new Members inducted on April 1, 2000.
Recognizing the multiple demands on oncologists' time, ASCO established the convenience of an online membership application. Applicants can now save valuable time by completing the application on ASCO OnLine (www.asco.org) and then printing it out to submit. The online procedure was popular, with nearly 40% of new members submitting an application they had completed online.
Membership Identification Card
Beginning in 1999, personalized ASCO Member identification (ID) cards were sent with membership renewal statements and new Member packets. The Member ID card contains all the information needed to log onto ASCO OnLine and carry out many Society-related functions, such as reviewing or changing information in the ASCO Membership Directory, registering and obtaining housing for ASCO meetings, and activating online viewing rights to the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO).
The ASCO Booth
In 1999-2000, ASCO continued to use the ASCO Booth as a means to promote the Society's products, services, and membership. Over the course of the year, the ASCO Booth has represented the Society at both national and international meetings of importance and significance to the broad community of oncology professionals. Well over 3,000 applications were distributed at the ASCO Booth throughout its travels, resulting in the induction of many new ASCO members this year.
1999-2000 ASCO Committees
Following are descriptions of the various ASCO Committees. ASCO thanks the many volunteers who serve on Committees. Their time, dedication, and hard work support the Society's governance and the fulfillment of ASCO's mission.
ASCO OnLine
Chair, Douglas W. Blayney, MD
The ASCO OnLine Committee oversees the Society's activities on the Internet, including the development and production of ASCO OnLine, the Society's official website.
International Affairs
Chair, Raymond Liang, MD, FRCP
The International Affairs Committee serves the needs of ASCO's international members by working with various national and international oncologic societies to support worldwide research and continuing medical education in oncology, promote the international exchange of scientific information, and jointly sponsor educational sessions in various countries on focused topics of interest to oncologists.
Audit and Finance
Chair, Daniel G. Haller, MD
The Audit and Finance Committee formulates financial and administrative policies and procedures and recommends their adoption by the Board. The Committee also oversees the development and administration of the internal controls and processes by which the Society's assets are protected and enhanced.
Membership
Chair, Robert Dreicer, MD
The Membership Committee reviews and recommends action on applications for Active, Active-Junior, Affiliate, Associate, and Emeritus membership status in accordance with the Bylaws.
Bylaws
Chair, Dean Gesme, MD
The Bylaws Committee receives and develops proposed Bylaws changes. Proposed changes are circulated to the membership two months prior to the Annual Meeting.
Nominating
Chair, Robert L. Comis, MD
The Nominating Committee develops, in accordance with the Bylaws, a slate of candidates for the Society's elected offices: President-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, Board of Directors, and Nominating Committee.
Cancer Communications
Chair, Derek Raghavan, MD, PhD
The Cancer Communications Committee develops outreach
programs to increase ASCO's name recognition while building credibility; educates the public about complex cancer issues; strengthens relationships with key constituencies; enhances influence on Capitol Hill; and heightens awareness and prestige of ASCO products and services. Committee members also manage the Annual Meeting news programs and serve as Society spokespersons.
Oncology Training Programs
Chair, Joanne E. Mortimer, MD
The Oncology Training Programs Committee addresses issues relating to the training of fellows in medical oncology and oncology subspecialties; acts as a forum for interaction with training program directors, and coordinates the formulation of policy recommendations regarding oncology specialty training to the American Board of Internal Medicine and the Residency Review Committee.
Cancer Education
Chair, Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, MD
The Cancer Education Committee initiates, plans, and develops the Education Program of the Annual Meeting, the fall meeting, and other programs as directed by the Board of Directors.
Program
Chair, David H. Johnson, MD
The Program Committee reviews and selects abstracts for presentation at the Annual Meeting and publication in the Program/Proceedings. The Committee also initiates, plans, and develops the Scientific Program of the Annual Meeting.
Clinical Practice
Chair, James L. Wade III, MD
Through advocacy and direct assistance to members of ASCO and its State/Regional Affiliates Program, the Clinical Practice Committee addresses the interests of practicing oncologists, with particular emphasis on quality, reimbursement, and access to medical oncology services.
Public Issues
Chair, Lowell E. Schnipper, MD
The Public Issues Committee coordinates, develops, and advocates ASCO's public policy positions related to the delivery of optimal cancer care and the conduct of clinical research.
Continuing Medical Education
Chair, Ronald H. Blum, MD
The Continuing Medical Education Committee ensures the compliance of ASCO's programs with the standards established by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).
Publications
Chair, Joel E. Tepper, MD
The Publications Committee oversees the operations for ASCO publications, including the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO), Classic Papers and Current Comments, Educational Book, Program/Proceedings, ASCO News, and several others. The Committee ensures the commitment of the Society to education and advancement of research through the production of high-quality materials.
Grants Selection
Chair, Robert F. Todd III, MD, PhD
The Grants Selection Committee formulates policy related to the awards selection criteria, candidate applications, funding, and administration of the Young Investigator Awards and the Clinical Research Career Development Awards. The Committee also reviews and selects the recipients of these awards.
Special Awards Selection
Chair, Allen S. Lichter, MD
The Special Awards Selection Committee nominates and selects ASCO's Special Awards presented at the Annual Meeting. This includes, but is not limited to, the Karnofsky Award and Memorial Lecture and the American Cancer Society Award.
Health Services Research
Chair, David G. Pfister, MD
The Health Services Research Committee coordinates ASCO's program of health services activities, including the development of Clinical Practice Guidelines and the conduct of Technology Assessments. By its activities, the Committee hopes to improve the quality and appropriateness of patient care, enhance the physician-patient relationship, and provide credible information to assist third-party payers in determining reimbursement policies.
Sponsor Acknowledgment
Agouron Pharmaceuticals
National Initiative on Cancer Care Quality
1999 Fall Education Conference, Unrestricted Educational Grant
2000 ASCO Foundation Benefit Concert
Industry-Supported Symposium, 2000 Annual Meeting
Second Annual Meeting of Hematology and Oncology Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee Representatives
Alza Pharmaceuticals
1999 Fall Education Conference, Unrestricted Educational Grant
2000 ASCO Annual Meeting Highlights
Second Annual Meeting of Hematology and Oncology Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee Representatives
Amgen
National Initiative on Cancer Care Quality
1999 Practice Expense Survey on Clinical Trials (Follow-up)
1999 ASCO Educational Symposium, "Enhancing Physician-Patient Communication,"Fall Education Conference
1999 Fall Education Conference, Unrestricted Educational Grant
1999 ASCO/AACR Joint Workshop: Methods in Clinical Cancer Research
2000 Clinical Research Career Development Award
2000 Young Investigator Award
2000 Merit Awards
2000 ASCO Foundation Benefit Concert
Second Annual Meeting of Hematology and Oncology Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee Representatives
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
2000 Clinical Research Career Development Award
2000 ASCO Virtual Meeting
2000 Annual Meeting Special Session, "Enhancing Physician-Patient Communication" (satellite broadcast)
Aventis Oncology
National Initiative on Cancer Care Quality
ASCO Fellows Task Force
1999 Fall Educational Book
1999 Fall Education Conference Internet Sessions
1999 ASCO Conference Newsletter
2000 Annual Meeting Final Program Announcement
2000 Best of ASCO CD-ROM
2000 Spring Educational Book
2000 Annual Meeting Internet Sessions
2000 Annual Meeting Fellows Program
2000 Clinical Research Career Development Award
2000 Young Investigator Award (2)
2000 Merit Awards
Practical Tips for the Practicing Oncologist, second edition
2000 ASCO Virtual Meeting
2000 ASCO Foundation Benefit Concert
Industry-Supported Symposium, 1999 Fall Education Conference
Second Annual Meeting of Hematology and Oncology Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee Representatives
Bayer, Diagnostic Division
2000 Annual Meeting, Unrestricted Educational Grant
Berlex Laboratories
1999 Fall Education Conference, Unrestricted Educational Grant
2000 ASCO Foundation Benefit Concert
Bristol-Myers Squibb Oncology
ASCO State-Regional Affiliates Program
National Initiative on Cancer Care Quality
1999 ASCO Educational Symposium, "Meet the Consultant," Fall Education Conference
1999 ASCO Educational Symposium, "Enhancing Physician-Patient Communication,"Fall Education Conference
1999 ASCO/AACR Joint Workshop: Methods in Clinical Cancer Research
2000 Program/Proceedings
2000 Annual Meeting ASCO Virtual Meeting Terminals
2000 Annual Meeting Special Session, "Enhancing Physician-Patient Communication" (satellite broadcast)
2000 ASCO Annual Meeting Highlights
2000 Clinical Research Career Development Award
2000 Young Investigator Award
2000 Merit Awards
2000 ASCO OnLine
2000 ASCO President's Reception
2000 ASCO Foundation Benefit Concert
ASCO Virtual Meeting
Second Annual Meeting of Hematology and Oncology Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee Representatives
Genentech
1999 Practice Expense Survey on Clinical Trials (Follow-up)
2000 Young Investigator Award
2000 ASCO Foundation Benefit Concert
Industry-Supported Symposium, 2000 Annual Meeting (with IDEC Pharmaceuticals)
Second Annual Meeting of Hematology and Oncology Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee Representatives
Glaxo Wellcome
1999 Fall Education Conference, Unrestricted Educational Grant
2000 Young Investigator Award
2000 ASCO Foundation Benefit Concert
Hoechst Marion Roussel
1999 ASCO/AACR Joint Workshop: Methods in Clinical Cancer Research
IDEC Pharmaceuticals
Industry-Supported Symposium, 2000 Annual Meeting (with Genentech)
ImClone Systems Incorporated
2000 Annual Meeting, Unrestricted Educational Grant
Immunex
National Initiative on Cancer Care Quality
2000 Young Investigator Award
2000 Merit Awards
Second Annual Meeting of Hematology and Oncology Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee Representatives
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research Foundation
National Initiative on Cancer Care Quality
2000 Young Investigator Award
Lilly Oncology
2000 Clinical Research Career Development Award
2000 Young Investigator Award
2000 Merit Awards
2000 ASCO Virtual Meeting
2000 ASCO Foundation Benefit Concert
Industry-Supported Symposium, 1999 Fall Education Conference
Industry-Supported Symposium, 2000 Annual Meeting
(with Sanofi-Lilly Oncology)
Second Annual Meeting of Hematology and Oncology Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee Representatives
Matrix Pharmaceuticals
2000 Annual Meeting, Unrestricted Educational Grant
2000 ASCO Foundation Benefit Concert
Merck and Company
1999 ASCO Educational Symposium, "Enhancing Physician-Patient Communication," Fall Education Conference
2000 ASCO Educational Symposium, "Medical Informatics and the Practice of Oncology," Annual Meeting
2000 ASCO Educational Symposium, "Optimizing Cancer Care-The Importance of Symptom Management," Annual Meeting
2000 Annual Meeting, Unrestricted Educational Grant
National Pharmaceutical Council
National Initiative on Cancer Care Quality
Ovartis Pharmaceuticals
2000 Young Investigator Award
2000 Merit Awards
2000 ASCO Foundation Benefit Concert
Second Annual Meeting of Hematology and Oncology Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee Representatives
Ortho Biotech Oncology
National Initiative on Cancer Care Quality
1999 ASCO Educational Symposium, "Enhancing Physician-Patient Communication," Fall Education Conference
1999 Fall Education Conference, Unrestricted Educational Grant
2000 Annual Meeting Pocket Program
2000 Annual Meeting Special Session, "Enhancing Physician-Patient Communication" (satellite broadcast)
2000 Clinical Research Career Development Award
2000 Young Investigator Award
2000 ASCO Foundation Benefit Concert
Career Resource and Fellowship Center, ASCO OnLine
Industry-Supported Symposium, 2000 Annual Meeting
Second Annual Meeting of Hematology and Oncology Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee Representatives
Ortho-Biotech-Janssen Research Foundation
2000 Annual Meeting, Unrestricted Educational Grant
2000 Young Investigator Award
Pfizer
Industry-Supported Symposium, 2000 Annual Meeting (with G. D. Searle)
Pharmacia Corporation
1999 ASCO Educational Symposium, "Enhancing Physician-Patient Communication,"Fall Education Conference
2000 Program/Proceedings CD-ROM
2000 Annual Meeting Special Session, "Enhancing Physician-Patient Communication" (satellite broadcast)
2000 ASCO Foundation Benefit Concert
Second Annual Meeting of Hematology and Oncology Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee Representatives
Rh(ne Poulenc Rorer
1999 ASCO/AACR Joint Workshop: Methods in Clinical Cancer Research
Roche Laboratories
2000 ASCO Foundation Benefit Concert
Second Annual Meeting of Hematology and Oncology Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee Representatives
Roxane Laboratories
ASCO Curriculum: Optimizing Cancer Care-The Importance of Symptom Management
Sanofi-Lilly Oncology
Industry-Supported Symposium, 2000 Annual Meeting (with Lilly Oncology)
Sanofi-Synthelabo
2000 Annual Meeting, Unrestricted Educational Grant
2000 ASCO Foundation Benefit Concert
G. D. Searle
1999 ASCO/AACR Joint Workshop: Methods in Clinical Cancer Research
2000 Young Investigator Award (2)
Industry-Supported Symposium, 2000 Annual Meeting (with Pfizer)
Don Shula Foundation
2000 Young Investigator Award (3)
SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals
2000 ASCO Foundation Benefit Concert
Second Annual Meeting of Hematology and Oncology Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee Representatives
Vitas Healthcare
1999 ASCO Educational Symposium, "Enhancing Physician-Patient Communication," Fall Education Conference
Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories
2000 Young Investigator Award
Vital Statistics
During 1999-2000, ASCO experienced growth in many areas including membership, Annual Meeting attendance, and JCO subscribers and submissions. Following are some of the key indicators of ASCO's continued expansion.
*Statistics for Membership and Meeting Abstract Submissions are given for the ASCO year (May to May) indicated; statistics regarding the JCO are given for the calendar year; and statistics for Meeting Attendance and ASCO OnLine represent the month of May only in each year.
Recipients of 1999-2000 Young Investigator Awards and Clinical Research Career Development Awards
Young Investigator Awards Awardees and the title of their research are given with the name of the sponsor.
Nizar Bahlis, MD
University of Miami
"Inducing Apoptosis in Chemorefractory Myeloma: Role for Arsenic Therapy"
Don Shula Foundation
Marcia S. Brose, MD, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
"Homozygous Deletion of BRCA1 in Human Cell Lines"
Glaxo Wellcome
May Chen, MD
Stanford University
"Role of the G2/M Checkpoint in Cellular Sensitivity to Taxol"
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
Bryan Clary, MD
Duke University Medical Center
"Can Vaccination with Total Tumor RNA-Pulsed Dendritic Cells Induce a Protective Antitumor Immune Response in Animals with Micrometastatic Colon Cancer?"
Lilly Oncology
Adil Daud, MD
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
"Regulation of TNFa mRNA Stability by Elongation Factor 1: Clinical Trial and RNA Binding Study"
Immunex
Konstantin Dragnev, MD
Dartmouth Medical School
"A Novel Retinoid Cancer Prevention Mechanism"
Aventis Oncology
Beverly Drucker, MD, PhD
Johns Hopkins University
"Phase I Study of Immunization against Melanoma using a Unique Prime-Boost Regimen"
Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Dean Felsher, MD, PhD
Stanford University School of Medicine
"Defining When MYC Inactivation Results in the Regression of Hepatoma"
G. D. Searle
Ajay Gopal, MD
University of Washington
"Optimizing Radioimmunotherapy for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma"
Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories
Shervin Karimpour, MD
Mallinkrodt Institute of Radiology
"The Role of p38 in the Cellular Response
to IR"
Genentech
Dan Laheru, MD
Johns Hopkins University
"A Phase II Clinical Trial of an Allogeneic Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine"
G. D. Searle
Richard Lee, MD
Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center
"Role of Pten in Insulin-like Growth Factor Signaling"
Don Shula Foundation
Geoffrey Liu, MD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
"Genetic and Clinical Factors in Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal Cancer"
Amgen
Jaume Mora, MD
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
"Genetic Alterations in Neuroblastic Tumors"
Ortho Biotech-Jannsen Research Foundation
Jack Su, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
"Molecular Pathogenesis of Medulloblastoma"
Don Shula Foundation
Cristina Truica, MD
Georgetown University
"Beta Catenin in Prostate Cancer"
Bristol-Myers Squibb Oncology
Donald Tsai, MD, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
"Presentation and Therapy for Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder"
Ortho Biotech Oncology
Lisa Wang, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
"The Molecular Basis of the Rothmund-Thomson Cancer Predisposition Syndrome"
Aventis Oncology
Clinical Research Career Development Awards
Awardees and the title of their research are given with the name of the sponsor.
W. Nicholas Haining, MD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
"Translational Therapeutic Strategies in ALL"
Aventis Oncology
Kathy Miller, MD
Indiana University Cancer Center
"Anti-Angiogenic Potential of Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer"
Bristol-Myers Squibb Oncology
Vassiliki Papadimitrakopoulou, MD
University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
"Alterations of Cell Cycle Regulators and their Signaling Partners as Predictors of Response to Chemoprevention and Cancer Risk in Upper Aerodigestive Tract Premalignancy"
Lilly Oncology
Antoni Ribas, MD
University of California, Los Angeles
"AFP-Based Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma"
Amgen
Andrew Sloan, MD
Karmanos Cancer Institute
"Active and Adoptive Immunotherapy for Primary Gliobastoma"
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
Alan Yuen, MD
Stanford University
"New Immunotherapy Treatments for T Cell Lymphoma"
Ortho Biotech Oncology
Executive Leadership and Department Directors
In addition to serving as liaisons for various Committees, ASCO's Executive Leadership and Department Directors are responsible for managing the day-to-day work in support of ASCO's ongoing programs and services.
Charles M. Balch, MD
Executive Vice President and
Chief Executive Officer
Ronald E. Beller, PhD
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Dee Chamberlin
Director, Fund Development
Shyuan Cho
Director, Information Services
Deborah Whippen
Senior Director, Department of Education, Science, and Publications
Jean Colvard
Director, Member and Meetings Services
Deborah Kamin, PhD
Senior Director, Public Policy and Practice
Kristin Ludwig
Director, Communications
Mark Somerfield, PhD
Director, Health Services Research
TBD
Director, Finance
New Initiatives
During the year, the Society is engaged in several new initiatives in addition to its ongoing programs. Brief descriptions of these initiatives are provided here.
New Headquarters
Over the past two years, ASCO has continued to add staff to fulfill the ongoing expansion of programs, products, and services for members. This growth, combined with the desire to consolidate the staffs that have been housed in Boston, MA, and Alexandria, VA, offices, led to the move of the total staff to the Society's offices in Alexandria. With all staff members now under one roof, they can help volunteers move ASCO's educational and scientific programs and membership benefits forward more effectively and efficiently. ASCO is moving forward more efficiently with the development and enhancement of ASCO's wide range of programs and membership benefits.
Reorganization of Cancer Education Committee
Recognizing the Cancer Education Committee as the most appropriate body to provide overall leadership for the Society's expanding educational programs, the ASCO Board of Directors approved a revised structure of the Committee as well as a broadening of its responsibilities. The new structure includes the appointment of an Executive Committee and the development of several subcommittees and task forces. The first subcommittee, the Clinical Practice Forum Subcommittee, was charged with redesigning the 2000 ASCO fall educational event. The subcommittees and task forces will implement the comprehensive educational strategies defined by the Board and the full Committee. The task forces, which are specific in their areas of focus, presently include Cancer Genetics Education, Geriatric Oncology Education, Pain and Symptom Management, Education Technology, and Pediatric Tumors. These task forces, which will be added in the year to come, are composed of individuals with expertise in the areas of focus, will develop content for educational products and symposia and execute programs in content-specific areas as delegated by the Committee.
Curriculum Series
The second publication in ASCO's Curriculum Series, Optimizing Cancer Care-The Importance of Symptom Management, is scheduled for release next year. As Editor of the Curriculum, Thomas J. Smith, MD, FACP, has led the development of this educational resource aimed at a wide audience of professionals who manage symptoms related to cancer care. The oncology-focused, multifaceted program is inclusive of psychologic and physical symptoms related to both disease and treatment. ASCO has designed the Curriculum as an educational tool for academic as well as practicing oncologists. The third Curriculum in the Series is currently in development under the editorship of former ASCO President, B. J. Kennedy, MD. This Curriculum in the area of geriatric oncology is designed to educate oncologists-in-training as well as enhance the knowledge base of practicing oncologists, training program directors, oncology nurses, geriatricians, and other medical professionals in this growing area. Topics include site-specific issues, physiology of aging, aging and pharmacology, cancer therapy, and more. ASCO's Curriculum Series and its derivative educational programs are the Society's responses to the ever-changing information and advances in the oncology field and to the educational needs of its members.
Cancer Advances:News for Patients from the JCO
To help further establish ASCO as an informational resource for patients with cancer, the Society developed Cancer Advances: News for Patients from the Journal of Clinical Oncology. This program will provide summaries of selected studies published in the JCO, explaining, in lay terms, the significance of the published research and placing the new findings into perspective for patients. Cancer Advances: JCO will be issued on a regular basis in tandem with the semimonthly publication of the Journal. Each issue of Cancer Advances: JCO will be posted in the People Living with Cancer section of ASCO OnLine (www.asco.org) and will be distributed to individual patient groups by e-mail. In addition, quarterly compilation of issues of Cancer Advances: JCO is planned.
Clinical Practice Guidelines
In the coming year, the Health Services Research Committee is overseeing the development of several new Clinical Practice Guidelines, the updating of existing Guidelines and the Technology Assessment, and the creation of an additional Technology Assessment. Guidelines in development include Adjuvant Radiation Therapy after Mastectomy, Role of Bisphosphonates in Multiple Myeloma, Treatment of Metastatic Prostate Cancer, Use of Erythro-poietin (a joint effort with the American Society of Hema-tology), Preservation of the Larynx with Chemotherapy and Radiation versus Surgery, Adjuvant Therapy after Treatment of Local and Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer, and Establishing a Threshold for Platelet Transfusion.
Guidelines planned for updating include Recommendations for the Use of Hematopoietic Colony-Stimulating Factors, Recommendations for the Use of Tumor Markers in Breast and Colorectal Cancer, Recommendations for Colorectal Cancer Surveillance, and Recommendations for the Treatment of Unresectable Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. ASCO's first Technology Assessment, Breast Cancer Risk Reduction Strategies: Tamoxifen and Raloxifene, published in 1998, will also be updated, and a Technology Assessment on chemopredictive/resistant assays is in development.
ASCO Fellows Center
The ASCO Fellows Center is targeted to the Society's growing number of beginning oncologists. This new section on ASCO OnLine (www.asco.org) includes resources to meet the specific needs of oncology fellows, such as mentoring and networking opportunities, case study discussions, and posting of information on Board reviews and examinations. The ASCO Fellows Center expands on and enhances the information currently available in the online Career Resource Center, which features funding opportunities, classic oncology references, and details on fellowship programs.
Web Community
The ASCO Web Community is designed to enable each ASCO member to have an individual online presence to facilitate communication with patients and colleagues. Members are encouraged to visit ASCO OnLine for further information regarding this project and its implementation.
Public Policy
After several years as a top priority for the Public Issues Committee, Medicare coverage of clinical trials became a reality with President Clinton's issuance of an Executive Memorandum. Issued on June 7, 2000, the document requires Medicare coverage of routine patient-care costs for Medicare beneficiaries who elect to participate in clinical trials. This important issue will continue to be a focus of activity as part of the fulfillment of the ASCO mission to ensure patient access to high-quality cancer care.
In another first, the National Cancer Advisory Board invited formal testimony from ASCO on the development process of the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Bypass Budget as part of their summer 2000 meeting. On behalf of the Society, Public Issues Committee Chair Lowell Schnipper, MD, offered several recommendations for improving the process, including allowing researchers, clinicians, and patients to provide meaningful input on budget priorities. This budget planning document, submitted annually by the NCI to the President and Congress, sets forth the strategic plan for furthering cancer research and treatment.
Grassroots Program
The issue that rallied unprecedented support during the summer of 2000 was the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) proposal to reduce Medicare drug reimbursement. This change would have seriously jeopardized oncologists' ability to provide office-based chemotherapy. The efforts of ASCO to force a rethinking of this change included visits with members of Congress and their staff, letter-writing campaigns, patient-awareness strategies, and targeted grassroots campaigns in several states.
As a result of these efforts, combined with other concerned voices from the oncology community and the public, HCFA decided against implementing changes in reimbursement for drugs used to treat cancer and hemophilia. Instead, HCFA will examine the range of resources needed to deliver high-quality cancer care to develop sound policies that appropriately cover these services. This issue is expected to be a continuing ASCO policy focus during 2000-2001.
Public Issues
Recently, the Public Issues Committee has dedicated significant attention to the oversight of human research, a topic that received much public attention because of recent reports of lapses in informed consent procedures in gene therapy trials. The Task Force on Oversight of Clinical Research was formed under the auspices of the Public Issues Committee to evaluate problems in the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval process, IRB regulations, and other issues related to human subject research. The Task
Force will develop a paper describing ASCO's position on these issues in the forthcoming year.
Crisis Management and Communication
Shortly after the ASCO 2000 Annual Meeting, a crisis communications campaign was developed, aimed at fighting HCFA's proposed changes to Medicare drug reimbursement. The initial phase of the campaign required a variety of public relations strategies, including media relations, member communication and grassroots participation, and patient outreach.
ASCO recognizes that, as in any organization with a public mission, there is always the potential for a crisis situation. The Society firmly believes that the key to surviving a crisis situation is to effectively manage the situation before it becomes a crisis. To that end, ASCO is developing a Crisis Management and Communication Plan. Once completed and approved by the Board of Directors, this plan will serve as a blueprint for dealing with any crisis situation that may arise in the future.
Sponsorship Committee
Newly established is the Sponsorship Committee, which provides volunteer oversight to the sponsorship program of the Society, the primary goal of which is to expand the base of support for growing ASCO programs. A parallel goal of the sponsorship program is to diversify the sources of revenue in a manner that enhances the viability and credibility of ASCO.
Enhanced Member Services
In the upcoming year, ASCO will increase its efforts to obtain current information regarding the cohesive and sometimes varied needs of its members. Data will be obtained through questions on ASCO meeting registration forms, the Membership Directory Update Sheet, and in separate questionnaires. The response to these questions will provide invaluable data for planning programs, products, and services that target members' needs. To add convenience for applicants and members, the Society is developing a program for submission of membership applications and renewals through ASCO OnLine (www.asco.org).
Image and Public Recognition
In its 1999 Strategic Plan, the Society formally committed to increasing its public recognition as the authoritative resource for information about cancer. In pursuit of this goal, member volunteers led programs designed to build ASCO's public image and credibility, educate key audiences about complex cancer issues, enhance influence on Capitol Hill, and heighten the prestige of ASCO products and services. The totality of programs and products reported on in this report comprise the high-priority Society activities undertaken and accomplished in 1999-2000, all of which contribute to defining "what ASCO is" within the cancer community and in the public domain. ASCO's communications programs, led by the Cancer Communications Committee, are designed to broadly portray and appropriately position this information to the media and other key audiences.
As a result of these efforts, ASCO continues to be increasingly recognized as the leading authority on clinical oncology by the news media, the patient community, and the general public. This increased awareness of ASCO, as well as the Society's outstanding reputation in the field, reflects the Society's commitment to its mission and the enhanced communications outreach surrounding its programs and activities.
Media Relations
The 1999-2000 year marked several milestones in media relations and news coverage of ASCO. The media now routinely contact ASCO as a source for cancer news and expert commentary. To that end, market research confirms that over the past two years, the Society has surpassed a number of nationally recognized organizations to become one |
