ASCO in Action

ASCO in Action provides the latest news and analysis related to critical policy issues affecting the cancer community, updates on the Association for Clinical Oncology’s ongoing advocacy efforts, and opportunities for members and others in the cancer care community to take action.

To sign up for advocacy alerts, log in to ASCO.org with your member or guest account, and visit the subscription center available under your account profile.

September 26, 2023

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In honor of that observance, the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) joined with 25 stakeholders for a series of advocacy activities in Washington, D.C., during the week of September 18.

During meetings with lawmakers on September 20, ASCO and the Alliance for Childhood Cancer urged Congress to:

September 26, 2023

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is seeking input about the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) process. If you are an ASCO member and board certified in medical oncology or hematology, please check your inbox for an email from us with a link to our MOC Experience Questionnaire.

September 14, 2023

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing today on several bills aimed at addressing the ongoing U.S. drug shortage crisis. Many of the bills contain provisions the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) supports as effective means to mitigate and prevent drug shortages and promote a more resilient supply chain in the future. 

September 12, 2023

The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is continuing to work advocating for solutions to the cancer drug shortage crisis. ASCO responded to a Request for Information from House Energy & Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo, and subsequently provided feedback on a discussion draft of potential legislation addressing drug shortages. The Association’s comments noted the meaningful progress toward addressing the root causes of drug shortages and offered specific feedback on proposals.

September 12, 2023

In letters to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Association for Clinical Oncology commented on provisions that impact cancer care for Medicare beneficiaries in the 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program proposed rule, as well as in the 2024 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System proposal.

September 12, 2023

After a fast-paced first half of the year, most state legislatures across the 50 states and Washington, D.C. have adjourned for the year. The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and State Affiliates successfully collaborated to advance many shared 2023 state advocacy priorities, including those highlighted here. 

September 12, 2023

ASCO President Lynn M. Schuchter, MD, and CEO Clifford A. Hudis, MD participated in the President's Cancer Panel on September 7, 2023.

September 11, 2023

Now that Congress is back in session, the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is urging lawmakers to continue their bipartisan support for federal cancer research in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. This funding is vital for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other agencies in their work to advance science.

September 11, 2023

At the recently concluded Korean Society of Medical Oncology Annual Meeting, which took place September 7-8 in Seoul, ASCO signed a memorandum of understanding with the Society, its first with an organization in Korea.

September 5, 2023

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) will join the President’s Cancer Panel on Sept. 7 to highlight the numerous ways ASCO is working to advance the National Cancer Plan and achieve the president’s Cancer Moonshot goal of “ending cancer as we know it.”

August 15, 2023

On August 14, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved HEPZATO KIT (melphalan for Injection/Hepatic Delivery System) containing melphalan (HEPZATO, Delcath Systems, Inc.) as a liver-directed treatment for adult patients with uveal melanoma with unresectable hepatic metastases affecting less than 50% of the liver and no extrahepatic disease, or extrahepatic disease limited to the bone, lymph nodes, subcutaneous tissues, or lung that is amenable to resection or radiation.

August 15, 2023

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) released a detailed analysis of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule for 2024. ASCO's analysis looks at how specialty, location, and other factors would impact physician reimbursement under the proposal. 

August 14, 2023

On August 14, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to elranatamab-bcmm (Elrexfio, Pfizer, Inc.), a bispecific B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed CD3 T-cell engager, for adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least four prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory agent, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody. 

August 14, 2023

On August 11, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved the fixed dose combination of niraparib and abiraterone acetate (Akeega, Janssen Biotech, Inc.), with prednisone, for adult patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious BRCA-mutated castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), as determined by an FDA-approved test. 

August 10, 2023

On August 9, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to talquetamab-tgvs (Talvey, Janssen Biotech, Inc.) adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least four prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory agent, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody.

Pages