June 3, 2021 - Narratives Special Issue (View All Issues)
A Love for Surgery Underpins a Career Devoted to Patients With Pancreatic Cancer
There are few, if any, more difficult clinical challenges than pancreatic cancer, a disease that continues to confound the oncology community’s quest for cure. Yet, incremental progress and unflagging optimism drive the way forward, thanks to the researchers and clinicians who have dedicated their...
A Doctor’s Daughter Becomes a Pioneer in Cancer Survivorship
Although quality of life has been an implicit medical outcome since the time of Hippocrates, integrating the explicit effort to assess the effects of cancer treatment on the patient’s quality—and not quantity—of life was spearheaded by dedicated pioneers. One such trailblazer is Patricia A. Ganz,...
A Junior High School Teacher Sparks a Love for Science
Peter Marks, MD, PhD, Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), was born in Brooklyn, New York, near Sheepshead Bay—an area named for the Sheepshead, a fish that can no longer be found in the waters that frame the neighborhood....
A Brooklyn Girl Bucks Her Old-Fashioned Upbringing to Become a Leader in Bone Marrow Transplantation
In the face of old school mores, self-motivation and perseverance were needed to build a career as a nationally regarded blood and bone marrow transplant expert. “I was born and reared in Brooklyn, New York, the oldest of seven children of Irish-Italian parents who did not espouse professional...
A Pioneer in Geriatric Oncology Leaves His Mark and Marches Forward
The field of geriatric oncology has developed steadily over the past several decades, thanks to the dedication of a close-knit community of oncologists who have devoted their careers to advancing multidisciplinary care for older patients with cancer. One such leader is Silvio Monfardini, MD, past...
Serendipity Plays a Role in a Journey to a Noted Career in Surgical Oncology
Over the past 2 decades, the oncologic mantra “early detection leads to cure” has taken on special meaning in lung cancer, persistently a leading cause of cancer death in the United States. “Over a 25-year period, we’ve seen a revolution in early detection, understanding of tumor biology, and...
A Career in Cardio-oncology Founded on Simple Principles Taught by Her Immigrant Parents
Cardio-oncology focuses on the detection, monitoring, and treatment of cardiovascular disease occurring secondary to cancer treatment, and the mechanistic and epidemiologic intersection between cardiovascular disease and cancer. With the advent of targeted agents and immunotherapies,...
A Pioneer in Head and Neck Cancer Surgery Whose Career Was Founded on Passion and Dedication
The term “head and neck surgery” had little meaning until the 1940s, when it was used by groundbreaking surgeon Hayes Martin, MD, in one of his publications. Dr. Martin was then Chief of Head and Neck Services at Memorial Hospital, later renamed Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), where...
After a Flirtation With Infectious Disease, Hematology Calls, Leading to a Notable Career
High-quality cancer care is a complex mixture of science and art, made even more challenging by the dizzying array of coding, billing, and data collection regulations that must be taken into account. Synthesizing all the parts into value-based, whole-patient care across the wide spectrum of the...
Working on the Night Shift, a Connection to a Patient With Cancer Inspires a Career
Jaap Verweij, MD, PhD, FASCO, was born in 1953 in Velsen, a municipality situated on both sides of the massive North Sea Canal in the Netherlands. His father was a sea captain, and other close family members also plied the oceans for a living in the fishing or transport industries. Dr. Verweij...
The Daughter of a Fighter Pilot Becomes a Leader in Compassionate Cancer Care
Jamie H. Von Roenn, MD, FASCO, grew up in the suburbs of Chicago as the middle child of three girls. She was, by her own account, extremely shy by nature. Her mother was a graduate of the University of Chicago, but her father’s college education was preempted by his service as a fighter pilot in...
Narratives in Oncology Through the Years
Beginning in 2012,The ASCO Post introduced Narratives in Oncology, a special commemorative issue profiling several of the many leaders in the oncology community.
Over the past years, many in the oncology community have been profiled in this commemorative issue. A complete list of individuals...
New FDA-Approved Oncology Drugs and Label Updates Between May 8, 2020, and May 8, 2021
Over the past year (May 2020–May 2021), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved and expanded indications for many drugs related to the treatment of different types of cancers and adverse events. The new approvals and accelerated approvals are listed below.
PEMBROLIZUMAB (KEYTRUDA) in...
Mourned and Missed
The respected members of the oncology community who are listed below passed away in 2020–2021. The ASCO Post remembers them, their lives, and their contributions to cancer research and treatment.
John Bartlett, MD
Dr. Bartlett, a visionary physician-scientist and pioneer in human...
Eric P. Winer, MD, FASCO, Elected ASCO President for 2022–2023 Term
ASCO has elected Eric P. Winer, MD, FASCO, to serve as its President for the term beginning in June 2022. He will take office as President-Elect during the ASCO Annual Meeting in June 2021.
“ASCO is as equally devoted to improving outcomes for patients as it is to supporting oncology...
ASCO Board of Directors and Nominating Committee
ASCO has elected five new members to the ASCO Board of Directors and the Nominating Committee for 4- and 3-year terms, respectively, starting in June 2021:
Gladys I. Rodriguez, MD, has been elected to a Designated Community Oncologist seat on the Board. Dr. Rodriguez is Vice President of ...
