Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy Lisa Hughes with 2012 International Development and Education Awardee Dr. Mateus Kambale Sahani from the DRC.

The meeting included hundreds of sessions covering all areas of oncology–research, treatment, policy, screening and survivorship among many other topics. As part of the ASCO sponsored patient advocacy booth, the Foundation offered our resources to oncologists from around the globe, and to advocates, academics and corporate representatives who share our interest in prevention.  It was a pleasure for all of us to meet with so many individuals doing such incredible work and to learn about the many ways in which we all contribute to improving the field of oncology.

And while it is difficult to summarize all of the news that came out of the ASCO meeting, we wanted to share a link to the presidential address and video given by then ASCO President, Dr. Michael Link. His remarks summarize some of the progress that has been made in cancer care over the past year, his perspective on the state of care delivery in this country and beyond, and his observations over his year as ASCO President. His remarks can be viewed here.

While much of the meeting focused on new therapies and strategies in treatment – as you might expect when you get so many oncologists together in the same city- there was significant news in prevention as well, ranging from discussions of biomarkers and other novel approaches to prevention and risk reduction.  Probably the biggest news with respect to prevention was the success in clinical studies of a hormone-blocking drug for reduction of breast cancer risk.  This trial represents the first time that a drug within this category of aromatase inhibitors has been tested in healthy women for prevention of breast cancer as opposed to treatment.

Study leader Dr. Paul Goss of Massachusetts General Hospital, reported on results of the prevention study involving 4,560 women from the U.S., Canada, Spain and France. They had at least one risk factor — being 60 or older, a prior breast abnormality or pre-invasive cancer, or a high score on a scale that takes into account family history and other things.

Results showed a 65 percent reduction in risk for those on the drug vs. the placebo, offering Page 1 of 1millions of women at higher-than-usual risk of breast cancer a new option for preventing the disease, perhaps with less negative side effects than other breast cancer chemopreventive options.

And on the lighter side of the meeting, Prevent Cancer Foundation was pleased be the beneficiary of a concert at the House of Blues in Chicago, featuring the Oncotones, a band consisting of several professional musicians accompanied by members of the oncology community including Prevent Cancer Foundation board member Kathryn West.  The concert benefits our Breakaway from Cancer campaign, raising more than $8,000 for Prevent Cancer and our Breakaway from Cancer partners.

Additional news from the ASCO annual meeting can be found on the meeting website.