Guest blogger: Christoper Adams PhD an economist at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission shares some notes and his personal insight of his experience on Day 3 of the 2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.

It is my two year anniversary! Two years ago today I had my colon resection. My doctor said that next year I can have a small party. This year I decided to start my celebration by attending a session on liver resection for metastatic colon cancer. Note to self, don’t begin a day of celebration by attending a session on liver resection for metastatic colon cancer.

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What a way to celebrate National Colorectal Cancer Survivor’s Day – a huge meeting of researchers, cancer research advocates, healthcare professionals who take care of people with cancer at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.

Over 12 million people in the US have been diagnosed with cancer and are alive, over 1 million with colon or rectal cancer. Read the rest of this entry »

“Guest blogger: Christoper Adams” It is my second day at ASCO. I got up early, helped somewhat by the one-hour time difference. I found a friend at the breakfast who directed me to where we catch the buses for the conference center. More importantly she showed me how to find free coffee at the patient advocate lounge.

I was planning to attend an 8 am session on the costs of cancer care. I was a bit worried about finding a seat. Ironic as the room held an estimated 5,000 people (I estimated the number of seats while waiting for the session to start) and there were maybe 300 people in the session. It was a cavernous space and I thought the sound track of seagulls was cute until I realized it wasn’t a soundtrack.

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Continuing Avastin into second-line chemotherapy for advanced colorectal cancer when tumors begin to grow larger or new tumors appear (progression) improves both survival time and the time until further progression according to Phase III clinical trial results that will be reported this Sunday morning, June 3, at ASCO 2012 in Chicago

Study results were previewed in an ASCO Press Briefing yesterday.

Overall survival time increased by 19% with Avastin compared to a switch to a new chemotherapy alone. Time until cancer progressed fell 32%. Serious side effects remained similar. Read the rest of this entry »

Edith Peterson Mitchell, MD, FACP has been honored with the 2012 ASCO Humanitarian Award. The Award is given to an oncologist who goes beyond the call of duty to provide outstanding patient care both professionally and and as a volunteer.

Dr. Mitchell is a clinical professor in the department of Medical Oncology and a program leader of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. At the Kimmel Cancer Center she directs the KCC Center to Eliminate Cancer Disparities. Read the rest of this entry »