The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the National Cancer Policy Forum ­co-hosted a workshop October 5-6, 2023 to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) consensus report, Delivering High-Quality Cancer Care: Charting a New Course for a System in Crisis.

The National Cancer Policy Forum ­is a convening body of National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. During this two-day workshop, attendees heard:

• An overview of the 2013 report and advancements in the last decade.
• The challenges the oncology community still faces.
• Policy opportunities that would advance progress in cancer care.

ASCO Chief Medical Officer Julie Gralow, MD, FASCO, FACP, and President Elect Robin Zon, MD, FASCO, FACP, were among the oncology leaders to present during the meeting.

During her first presentation, Dr. Gralow reviewed the influence of the IOM over the last 10 years, noting the changes the Medicare environment has undergone. She also presented on the extensive research advancements that have altered cancer care such as precision medicine, new drug and treatment approaches, and greater efforts in the equity, diversity, and inclusion space. She delved into how the field is constantly transforming to meet patient needs and new standards of care. With all these changes, the field is moving toward a patient-centered cancer care model, with support from organizations like ASCO.

“Cancer care and research are often not as patient-centered, accessible, coordinated, or evidence-based as they could be. And this meeting is about where we have come to meet those goals," Dr. Gralow noted during her presentation. She also gave a sneak peak of ASCO’s new quality of care program, ASCO Certified, which will launch later this month.

Dr. Zon provided further data on progress since the 2013 report, noting the increase in cancer research and the promising new treatment paradigms. She also reviewed challenges in the field, focusing on physician burnout, barriers to care in rural areas due to lack of providers, and cost of care and prior authorization.

“My colleagues are time bankrupt, and energy depleted, and yet they get up every morning and go to work because there’s a common adversary that is cancer, and we are there to share hope with our patients,” said Dr. Zon, explaining how providers keep going when systems are fighting them.

Watch all the presentations from the two-day workshop online now.