45 episodes

The ASCO in Action Podcast provides analysis and commentary on cancer policy and practice issues. The podcast is hosted by Dr. Clifford Hudis, CEO of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. ASCO in Action, the society’s internal wire-service, provides the latest news and analysis related to cancer policy. These updates provide snapshots of ASCO’s ongoing advocacy efforts, as well as opportunities for ASCO members and guests to take action on critical issues affecting the cancer community. Music provided by gmz, via ccmixter.org.

ASCO in Action Podcast American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)

    • Health & Fitness

The ASCO in Action Podcast provides analysis and commentary on cancer policy and practice issues. The podcast is hosted by Dr. Clifford Hudis, CEO of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. ASCO in Action, the society’s internal wire-service, provides the latest news and analysis related to cancer policy. These updates provide snapshots of ASCO’s ongoing advocacy efforts, as well as opportunities for ASCO members and guests to take action on critical issues affecting the cancer community. Music provided by gmz, via ccmixter.org.

    ASCO CEO Meets ASCO CMO: Retiring ASCO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Richard L. Schilsky Gives Far-Reaching Interview on this AiA Podcast

    ASCO CEO Meets ASCO CMO: Retiring ASCO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Richard L. Schilsky Gives Far-Reaching Interview on this AiA Podcast

    Retiring ASCO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Richard L Schilsky gives a far-reaching interview with ASCO in Action podcast host ASCO CEO Dr. Clifford A. Hudis, who examines Dr. Schilsky’s trailblazing medical career, his leadership in ASCO and indelible mark on its research enterprise, and what he sees for the future of oncology. ASCO’s first-ever Chief Medical Officer even offers some friendly advice for Dr Julie Gralow, who starts as ASCO’s next CMO on February 15, 2021. In a touching tribute, Dr. Hudis also shares what Dr. Schilsky’s friendship and mentorship has meant to him personally, and suggests that Rich will still be supporting ASCO on critical priorities moving forward. Don’t miss this exchange with one of oncology’s greats!
    Transcript
    DISCLAIMER: The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement.

    CLIFFORD HUDIS: Welcome to this ASCO in Action podcast brought to you by the ASCO Podcast Network, a collection of nine programs covering a range of educational and scientific content and offering enriching insights into the world of cancer care. You can find all of the shows, including this one, at podcast.asco.org.

    The ASCO in Action podcast is a series where we explore the policy and practice issues that impact oncologists, the entire cancer care delivery team, and the individuals we care for-- people with cancer. My name is Dr. Clifford Hudis. And I'm the CEO of ASCO and the host of the ASCO in Action podcast series.

    For today's podcast, I am especially pleased to have as my guest my friend, colleague, and mentor Dr. Richard Schilsky, ASCO's chief medical officer. Now, I am sure that many of our listeners have already heard that Dr. Schilsky will be leaving ASCO in February of 2021, retiring.

    However, I want to reassure everybody that even in retirement, he will continue to make contributions and provide leadership to all of us. And his illustrious and path-blazing career in oncology spanning more than four decades is not quite over thankfully.

    Rich is ASCO's first chief medical officer. And as such, he has made a truly indelible mark on all of us. He started with a proverbial blank piece of paper. The position had no precedent. It had no budget. It had no staff.

    But now after just eight years in the role, he has helped make the CMO a critically important position at the society. And I have to say that success is more than anything due to Rich's vision and his leadership. And that's some of what we'll be talking about today.

    So Rich, thank you very much for joining me today for what I hope is going to be a great casual but informative conversation about your amazing career, your unique role at ASCO, and maybe most importantly in the end what you see for the future of oncology not just in the United States, but around the world. Thanks for coming on, Rich.

    RICHARD SCHILSKY: Thanks, Cliff. It's great to be here today.

    CLIFFORD HUDIS: So with that, let's just dive right in and start at the very beginning. Rich, tell everybody why you decided to become an oncologist and maybe share a little bit about what those early days looked like for you and, in that context, what it was like to have cancer at the beginning of your career.

    RICHARD SCHILSKY: Well, I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a doctor. And in fact, I had written a little essay when I was in sixth grade as a homework assignment called My Ambition. And my mother had tucked that away in a scrapbook. And I found it a number of years ago. And on rereading it, it was quite amazing to me to see what I was thinking about even then.

    Because I said not only did I want to be a docto

    • 44 min
    Sneak Preview: ASCO to Hold First-ever Virtual Congressional Advocacy Summit and Week of Action in 2020

    Sneak Preview: ASCO to Hold First-ever Virtual Congressional Advocacy Summit and Week of Action in 2020

    In the latest ASCO in Action podcast, ASCO CEO Dr. Clifford A. Hudis shares a quick preview of what's to come for the 2020 ASCO Advocacy Summit and Week of Action, which will take place September 14-18.
    Typically, ASCO volunteers from across the country gather in Washington, D.C. to advocate for policies that will improve access to high-quality, equitable care for people with cancer and ensure robust funding for cancer research through in-person meetings with their Members of Congress. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 ASCO Advocacy Summit will be a virtual event, but participants can expect the same important advocacy and education opportunities that the event provides every year. All ASCO members are encouraged to participate in the Congressional Week of Action by signing up with the ACT Network (through the Advocacy Center on ASCO.org).
    Subscribe to the ASCO in Action podcast through iTunes and Google Play.
     
    Transcript
    Disclaimer: The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement.
    Dr. Clifford Hudis: Welcome to the ASCO in Action Podcast, brought to you by the ASCO Podcast Network, a collection of 9 programs covering a range of educational and scientific content and offering enriching insight into the world of cancer care. You can find all of the shows, including this one, at “Podcast dot ASCO dot org” (podcast.asco.org)
    The ASCO in Action Podcast is ASCO’s podcast series that explores the policy and practice issues that impact oncologists, the entire cancer care delivery team, and the individuals we care for—people with cancer.
    I’m Dr. Clifford Hudis, CEO of ASCO and the host of the ASCO in Action podcast series. For this podcast, I wanted to share with listeners a preview of the 2020 ASCO Advocacy Summit and Week of Action taking place September 14-18.
    Typically, ASCO gathers volunteer advocates in Washington, D.C., in September for education sessions and in-person meetings with their Members of Congress.
    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic—like so many events scheduled to take place this year—the 2020 ASCO Advocacy Summit will be a virtual event, but that said, participants can expect the same advocacy and education opportunities that the event provides every year.
    ASCO volunteers will meet with Members of Congress and their staff by phone or video to advocate for policies that will improve access to high-quality, equitable care for people with cancer and ensure robust funding for cancer research.
    Advocacy Summit attendees will also attend webinars to receive education and training on lobbying Congress and the current political landscape.
    What is different this year is our online Week of Action, which will give all ASCO members an opportunity to advocate on critical issues of great importance to the cancer care delivery system in the United States.
    Participants in the Week of Action will amplify the Advocacy Summit’s messages through email and social media messages to Members of Congress using ASCO’s ACT Network. And, it’s easy to get involved and make your voice heard. You just need to click on the link to the ACT Network in the Advocacy Center on ASCO.org and sign up to receive ASCO ACT Network emails. Then, you’ll get all the information on the fastest and easiest ways to contact lawmakers delivered directly to your inbox. We hope you will participate as much as you can—the effort will take just minutes. Even one message a day by every ASCO member to your representatives in Congress will have a tremendous impact.
    During the virtual Advocacy Summit, which will be held in the middle of the Week of Action on September 16, ASCO volunteer ad

    • 10 min
    Get to Know Dr. Lori J. Pierce and Her Plans to Improve Equity in Cancer Care During Her ASCO Presidential Year

    Get to Know Dr. Lori J. Pierce and Her Plans to Improve Equity in Cancer Care During Her ASCO Presidential Year

    ASCO President Lori J. Pierce, MD, FASTRO, FASCO, joins ASCO CEO Dr. Clifford A. Hudis in the latest ASCO in Action podcast to discuss how her childhood inspired her to become an oncologist and how the theme of her presidential year, “Equity: Every Patient. Every Day. Everywhere.” is more important than ever as the country responds to a healthcare pandemic that is disproportionately impacting people of color.
    “Every patient, no matter who they are, deserves high-quality care and every patient has the right to equitable care,” says Dr. Pierce. “We have to get to the root causes to understand the barriers that patients face if we’re going to really make a difference, so it’s important to me that equity be front and center of everything that we do."
    Subscribe to the ASCO in Action podcast through iTunes and Google Play.
     
    Transcript 

    Disclaimer: The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. 

    Dr. Clifford Hudis: Welcome to this ASCO in Action podcast, brought to you by the ASCO Podcast Network. This is a collection of nine programs covering a range of educational and scientific content and offering enriching insights into the world of cancer care. You can find all of the shows, including this one, at podcast.asco.org. 

    The ASCO in Action Podcast is ASCO's series where we explore policy and practice issues that impact oncologists, the entire cancer care delivery team, and the individuals we care for--people with cancer. My name is Dr. Clifford Hudis. And I'm the CEO of ASCO, as well as the host of the ASCO in Action Podcast series. 

    Today I'm really pleased to be joined by Dr. Lori J. Pierce, ASCO's president for the 2020-2021 academic year. Dr. Pierce is a practicing radiation oncologist. She is a professor and vice provost for academic and faculty affairs at the University of Michigan. And she is the director of the Michigan Radiation Oncology Quality Consortium. 

    Dr. Pierce, thank you so much for joining me for this podcast. My hope today is that our conversation will give our listeners a better idea of who you are, what and who has had important impact and influence over your life, and what your professional career and path as a radiation oncologist has looked like. I also hope to highlight what you hope to accomplish during your presidential year. 

    Dr. Lori Pierce: Thank you, Dr. Hudis. I'm glad to join you today. Before we get started, I just want to note that I have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. 

    Dr. Clifford Hudis: Now before we start to discuss the details of your presidential theme and your current role at ASCO, I think our listeners will be really interested to learn how your childhood inspired you to become a radiation oncologist. And I hasten to add ASCO staff were really excited by the stories that you shared when you gave an all staff presentation a few weeks back. So, can you talk a little bit about your childhood summers in North Carolina, how they were informative for you, and how they inspired your career? 

    Dr. Lori Pierce: Sure. I'm happy to. So first of all, I'm originally from Washington D.C. But my father's family, which is quite large, is from a small town in North Carolina called Ahoskie. And that's in the north eastern part of the state, maybe about 30 minutes just beyond Virginia. And I have tons of relatives. I used to love to go visit them every summer because I would get spoiled. 

    But that was in the south in the '60s. And in retrospect there was significant segregation there. And I again would have a great time going to visit my family. But I noticed--and it was so

    • 22 min
    ASCO Special Report: Resuming Cancer Care Delivery During COVID-19 Pandemic

    ASCO Special Report: Resuming Cancer Care Delivery During COVID-19 Pandemic

    American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) CEO Dr. Clifford A. Hudis is joined by Dr. Piyush Srivastava, the past chair of ASCO’s Clinical Practice Committee, in the newest ASCO in Action Podcast to discuss the recently released ASCO Special Report: A Guide to Cancer Care Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Dr. Srivastava was instrumental in developing the report, which provides detailed guidance to oncology practices on the immediate and short-term steps that should be taken to protect the safety of patients and healthcare staff before resuming more routine care operations during the COVID-19 public health crisis.
    Subscribe to the ASCO in Action podcast through iTunes and Google Play.
     
    Transcript 

    Disclaimer: The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement.  

    Dr. Clifford Hudis: Welcome to this ASCO in Action podcast brought to you by the ASCO Podcast Network, a collection of nine programs covering a range of educational and scientific content and offering enriching insights into the world of cancer care. You can find all of the shows, including this one, at podcast.asco.org. 

    This ASCO in Action podcast is ASCO's series where we explore the policy and practice issues that impact oncologists, the entire cancer care delivery team, and the individuals we care for, people with cancer. 

    I'm Dr. Clifford Hudis, CEO of ASCO. And I'm the host of the ASCO in Action podcast series. I'm really pleased to be joined today by Dr. Piyush Srivastava, the past chair of ASCO's Clinical Practice Committee. Dr. Srivastava is also a practicing gastrointestinal oncologist, the regional medical director of the End of Life Options program, and the director of Outpatient Palliative Care at Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center in California. 

    Today, we're going to talk about the recently released ASCO Special Report: A Guide to Cancer Care Delivery During The COVID-19 Pandemic. 

    Dr. Srivastava was instrumental in developing the report. And we'll speak today about the guidance that the report provides for oncology practices as they return to more routine care delivery. Piyush, thank you so much for joining me today. 

    Dr. Piyush Srivastava: Thank you, Dr. Hudis for taking the time to speak with me. Just before we start, I just want to say that I do not have any relationships to disclose. So, thank you. 

    Dr. Clifford Hudis: Thank you very much for joining us today. Now, just to provide some context, today as we speak, we're approaching month five of the COVID-19 public health crisis in the United States. We've had more than 2.15 million confirmed cases of the virus and well over 100,000 deaths. 

    In fact, as we record this today, several of the largest population states in the United States-- California, Texas, and Florida-- are just reporting their largest single-day increases in cases and the health care systems in some of their big cities are approaching the kind of near breaking point that we saw earlier in New York. So, the problem is still very much with us. 

    When the outbreak began, oncology practices nationwide immediately began making operational changes designed to protect the safety of patients and the safety of staff. This meant adjusting to resource shortages that were unfolding and complying with national and state restrictions on elective procedures, among many other things. 

    Today, communities across the country are in varying states of recovery. And as I just described, some of them actually are probably pausing their recovery right now. Either way, they are facing a real transition in terms of on

    • 24 min
    Listen Now: Ethical Considerations on Allocating Scarce Resources During a Pandemic

    Listen Now: Ethical Considerations on Allocating Scarce Resources During a Pandemic

    In the latest ASCO in Action Podcast, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) CEO Dr. Clifford A. Hudis is joined by Dr. Jonathan Marron, incoming Chair of ASCO’s Ethics Committee and a lead author of the new Ethics and Resource Scarcity: ASCO Recommendations for the Oncology Community During the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

    In this episode they discuss ASCO’s recommendations, why ASCO developed this guidance, and what patients, families, and the entire medical community need to know about allocating limited resources during the COVID-19 Pandemic.  

    Subscribe to the ASCO in Action podcast through iTunes and Google Play. 
     
    Transcript
    Disclaimer: The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement.
    Dr. Clifford Hudis: Welcome to this ASCO in Action podcast, brought to you by the ASCO Podcast Network, a collection of nine programs covering a range of educational and scientific content that offers enriching insights into the world of cancer care. You can find all of our shows, including this one, at podcast.asco.org. The ASCO in Action podcast is ASCO's podcast series, where we explore the policy and practice issues that impact oncologists, the entire cancer care delivery team, and the individuals we care for, people with cancer.
    My name is Dr. Clifford Hudis, and I'm the CEO of ASCO. And I'm proud to serve as the host of the ASCO in Action podcast series. Today, I'm very pleased to be joined by Dr. Jonathan Marron, incoming chair of ASCO's Ethics Committee and a lead author of ASCO's recent recommendations for the oncology community on ethically managing scarce resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Dr. Marron is also a bioethicist at Boston Children's Hospital, a pediatric oncologist at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and he is on the Center for Bioethics teaching faculty at Harvard Medical School. Today, we're going to talk about those recommendations. And I'll note that they were published just recently as a special article just in early April in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. We'll focus specifically on the reasons that ASCO took this step and what it is that oncologists, patients, families, and the entire cancer care community need to know about this issue. Dr. Marron, thank you so much for joining me today.
    Dr. Jonathan Marron: Thank you so much, Dr. Hudis. It's really a pleasure to be speaking with you, and an honor as well. Before we get started, I do want to just point out that I have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
    Dr. Clifford Hudis: Well, that's great. Now, just to provide some context as we start this discussion, it's the middle of May as we're recording this. In the United States, the COVID-19 public health crisis bubbled up to awareness a little bit in January, became seemingly near threat in February, and seemed in the public's eye, I think, to breach our shores at the beginning to middle of March. So, we're about four months, more or less, into this public health crisis.
    The US has had now about a million and a half-confirmed cases of the virus. And I think this week, we crossed the 90,000 number in terms of deaths from the virus. From the very early days, there was-- and we all remember this-- an extraordinarily emotional and widespread concern that medical resources, and especially ventilators, but also medications, as well as space, critical and intensive care beds-- those three things, that they would be stretched, that some communities would be especially hard hit, and that, as a consequence, access to those resources might be limited.
    And when that arose as a concern, what followed, especially for people who work in th

    • 23 min
    Drug Repository Programs Address High Costs, Access and Waste Issues for Patients with Cancer

    Drug Repository Programs Address High Costs, Access and Waste Issues for Patients with Cancer

    In the latest ASCO in Action Podcast, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) CEO Dr. Clifford A. Hudis is joined by Dr. Ray Page, Past Chair of ASCO’s Clinical Practice Committee and President of the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, to discuss the benefit of drug repository programs solely for oral medications that are maintained within a closed system.
    These programs can play an important role in helping patients afford their treatment and can reduce the financial toll on the cancer care delivery system, provided that important guardrails are implemented to keep these programs safe.
    Subscribe to the ASCO in Action podcast through iTunes and Google Play.
     
    Transcript 

    Disclaimer: The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. 

    Dr. Clifford Hudis: Welcome to this ASCO in Action podcast, brought to you by the ASCO Podcast Network, a collection of nine programs covering a range of educational and scientific content, and offering enriching insights into the world of cancer care. You can find all of the shows, including this one, at podcast.asco.org. The ASCO in Action podcast is an ASCO series where we explore the policy and practice issues that impact oncologists, the entire cancer care delivery team, and the individuals we care for-- people with cancer. 

    My name is Clifford Hudis, and I'm the CEO of ASCO, as well as the host of the ASCO in Action podcast series. For today's podcast, I am really pleased to join once again Dr. Ray Page. Dr. Page is a past chair of the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Clinical Practice Committee, he is the President of the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders where he also serves as a medical oncologist and hematologist, and he's a great and good friend of ASCO's. 

    Earlier this year, ASCO released a position statement on state drug repository programs outlining the society's support for such programs solely for oral medications and provided that they are maintained within a closed system. ASCO's statement also makes recommendations to help ensure that these programs are implemented appropriately with sufficient patient protections in place. 

    Today, Dr. Page and I will discuss the important role that these programs can play in helping our patients afford their treatment while reducing the financial toll on the cancer care delivery system as a whole. We will discuss the important guardrails that are needed to keep these programs safe. And with that, I want to welcome you, Dr. Page, and thank you for joining me today. 

    Dr. Ray Page: Thank you very much, Cliff, for having me for this conversation today. And I just want to let you know that I have no disclosures for this conversation. 

    Dr. Clifford Hudis: Thanks again for joining us today, it's a real pleasure to talk with you once more. And I want to get to today's subject. First and foremost, what are state drug repository programs? How do they work and what's the purpose? 

    Dr. Ray Page: In its simplest definition, a drug repository program is basically a legal process that allows unused drugs that have been prescribed to patients to be able to be donated and reused rather than thrown away or set aside if it's no longer needed. Its purpose is to offer a practical way to increase access of prescription drugs for patients. And often, this process can offer more timely access to drugs with a negligible financial impact for the patients. And this was a program that has managed at the state level, and it's subject to individual state laws and State Department of Pharmacy rules and procedures. 

    And these kind of programs are

    • 21 min

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