Through a new partnership, ASCO is working to provide its members with expanding technologic resources to help them deliver high-quality and personalized care. ASCO and CollabRx, an organization that leverages information technology to personalize cancer treatments, recently agreed to develop innovative, Web-based decision support tools that enable physicians and their patients to better understand emerging cancer therapies and the specific genetic profiles of patients’ tumors that these drugs target. This knowledge will empower oncologists to consider all possible options in the course of devising a patient’s targeted therapy plan.
The partnership initially focuses on melanoma in the context of CollabRx’s Targeted Therapy Finder – Melanoma, which is an online application or “app” that enables physicians and patients to identify diagnostic tests, treatments, and clinical trials associated with unique molecular profiles of patients’ tumors. By providing access to its extensive knowledge base, ASCO is helping users of the app receive the most up-to-date and comprehensive information pertaining to the clinical testing of novel cancer drugs. ASCO is providing CollabRx with access to all of its published melanoma content, including data presented in abstract format at the Annual Meeting as well as study results described in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. In addition, Cancer.Net Melanoma Associate Editor Lynn M. Schuchter, MD, will assist in providing content curation by identifying the most relevant tests, treatments, and clinical trials for each molecular subtype, based on the best current knowledge.
Overarching Goal
“One of ASCO’s overarching goals is to provide quality and timely information to our members to help them deliver the highest quality of care to their patients,” said Allen S. Lichter, MD, CEO of ASCO. “We’re pleased to partner with CollabRx to leverage the Internet and social media to improve cancer treatment planning in melanoma and beyond.”
“We are honored to be working with ASCO to make the Targeted Therapy Finder – Melanoma app the preeminent source of personalized information for melanoma patients and physicians,” said Jay M. (Marty) Tenenbaum, PhD, CEO of CollabRx. “We are looking forward to leveraging the unique insight of ASCO to help translate the latest scientific findings into actionable results.”
Oncology professionals can access the free Targeted Therapy Finder – Melanoma app via the Society’s website at www.asco.org/therapyfinder. This tool is also available to patients through Cancer.Net at www.cancer.net/targetedtherapyfinder. ■
