American Society of Clinical Oncology

The American Society of Clinical Oncology, commonly known as ASCO, is a professional medical organization focused on clinical oncology and the care of people with cancer. Founded in 1964 by Fred Ansfield, Harry Bisel, Herman Freckman, Arnoldus Goudsmit, Robert Talley, William Wilson, and Jane C. Wright, the society represents physicians across oncology subspecialties and has nearly 45,000 members worldwide. Its work spans professional education, scientific communication, clinical quality improvement, patient information, research support, and health-policy discussion. ASCO’s education role is built around scientific meetings, educational conferences, professional workshops, special symposia, curricula, and online learning resources for oncologists and other healthcare professionals. These activities help practitioners interpret emerging evidence, develop clinical skills, and keep pace with changes in cancer diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and multidisciplinary care. The society also provides information for patients and families through Cancer.Net, a patient-facing resource designed to explain cancer types, treatment options, side effects, clinical trials, coping, and survivorship in accessible language. Publishing is another major part of ASCO’s activities. Its journal portfolio includes the Journal of Clinical Oncology, JCO Oncology Practice, JCO Global Oncology, JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics, and JCO Precision Oncology. Together, these publications cover clinical research, delivery of oncology care, international practice, biomedical informatics, cancer data, genomics, precision medicine, and related professional commentary. ASCO also produces newsletters, books, multimedia resources, and professional communications, including ASCO Connection and The ASCO Post. The society has developed initiatives intended to connect clinical knowledge with quality measurement, data, and patient-centered decision-making. CancerLinQ is a data-platform initiative designed to collect and analyze information from oncology patient encounters, giving clinicians a means of monitoring and improving the quality of care. ASCO also introduced its Value Framework in 2015 and updated it in 2016. The framework was created to help physicians and patients consider the relative value of cancer treatments by weighing benefits, toxicities, and other factors in the context of rising anticancer-drug costs. ASCO’s charitable and research-support activities are associated with Conquer Cancer, the 501(c)(3) organization created by ASCO members and formerly known as the Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO. Its grants and awards program, established in 1984, supports cancer researchers and related professional development. The organization reports that the program has provided more than $215 million through nearly 10,500 grants and awards to researchers in 102 countries. In 2015, Conquer Cancer launched the Campaign to Conquer Cancer, a broad fundraising and awareness effort intended to raise $150 million for research, strategic priorities, and public engagement. ASCO is therefore not a conventional consumer brand or commercial healthcare company. Its institutional identity rests on professional authority, evidence-based oncology, education, research dissemination, quality improvement, and patient advocacy. Its publications, meetings, digital platforms, educational services, charitable programs, and patient-information channels extend its influence beyond its membership and into the wider cancer-care ecosystem. The supplied reference material does not identify a specific headquarters address, current executive roster, or commercial ownership structure.

ASCO was established in 1964 by a group of oncology physicians: Fred Ansfield, Harry Bisel, Herman Freckman, Arnoldus Goudsmit, Robert Talley, William Wilson, and Jane C. Wright. Its creation reflected the growing need for a professional organization dedicated specifically to physicians treating cancer across different oncology subspecialties. From its foundation, the society’s central role has been to connect clinical practice with research, professional education, and communication among cancer specialists. Over time, ASCO developed a broad education and publishing program. Scientific meetings, educational conferences, workshops, symposia, and specialized curricula became mechanisms for sharing clinical evidence and addressing the changing needs of cancer professionals. Its publishing activities expanded through journals and other media covering clinical research, oncology practice, global cancer care, clinical informatics, precision oncology, and genomics-driven treatment. The Journal of Clinical Oncology became a core publication within this professional information system, complemented by JCO Oncology Practice, JCO Global Oncology, JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics, and JCO Precision Oncology. ASCO also publishes professional newsletters and media, including ASCO Connection and The ASCO Post. Research support became an important part of the organization’s wider institutional mission through the charitable body created by ASCO members and known as Conquer Cancer, formerly the Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO. Its grants and awards program began in 1984. According to the supplied reference material, the program has subsequently distributed more than $215 million through nearly 10,500 grants and awards to researchers in 102 countries. This work extends ASCO’s influence from dissemination of established evidence to the support of investigators and future oncology leaders. ASCO also expanded its public-facing role through Cancer.Net, a patient-information website supported by Conquer Cancer. The site translates oncology knowledge into material intended for patients and families, complementing ASCO’s professional publications and educational services. This reflects the society’s broader emphasis on informed decision-making and communication between clinicians and the people receiving cancer care. The organization’s later initiatives increasingly addressed data, quality, treatment value, and the practical effects of rapid technological change in oncology. CancerLinQ was developed as a data-platform initiative to collect and analyze information from patient encounters, enabling oncologists to examine care patterns and monitor quality. In 2015, ASCO published its Value Framework to help clinicians and patients assess cancer treatments by considering outcomes, toxicities, and other dimensions of value. The framework was updated in 2016, in the context of increasing concern about the cost of anticancer drugs and the need for more transparent treatment comparisons. In 2015, Conquer Cancer launched the Campaign to Conquer Cancer, a comprehensive fundraising and awareness campaign with a stated goal of raising $150 million. The campaign was intended to fund cancer research, support the foundation’s priorities, and increase national awareness of its work. Through these developments, ASCO evolved from a physician association into a multifaceted oncology institution combining membership services, scientific publishing, education, patient communication, data systems, quality improvement, and philanthropy. The supplied sources do not provide enough information to describe a current leadership roster, headquarters location, or subsequent organizational changes with confidence.

• 2016

  Value Framework is updated

  [1]American Society of Clinical Oncologyen.wikipedia.org

  ASCO updates its treatment-value framework as discussion continues around treatment outcomes, toxicity, affordability, and rising anticancer-drug costs.

• 2015

  ASCO publishes its Value Framework

  [1]American Society of Clinical Oncologyen.wikipedia.org

  ASCO introduces a framework intended to help physicians and patients evaluate the value of cancer treatments, including benefits, toxicities, and treatment costs.

• 2015

  Campaign to Conquer Cancer launches

  [1]American Society of Clinical Oncologyen.wikipedia.org

  Conquer Cancer launches a comprehensive campaign with a stated $150 million fundraising goal to support research, organizational priorities, and public awareness.

• 1984

  Conquer Cancer grants and awards program begins

  [1]American Society of Clinical Oncologyen.wikipedia.org

  The research grants and awards program associated with ASCO’s charitable organization begins supporting cancer researchers and professional development.

• 1964

  ASCO is founded

  [1]American Society of Clinical Oncologyen.wikipedia.org

  Fred Ansfield, Harry Bisel, Herman Freckman, Arnoldus Goudsmit, Robert Talley, William Wilson, and Jane C. Wright establish the American Society of Clinical Oncology to represent physicians involved in the clinical care of people with cancer.

A leading professional and scientific association for clinical oncology, positioned around evidence-based cancer care, physician education, research communication, quality improvement, patient information, and support for oncology innovation.

• Medical journal

  Journal of Clinical Oncology

  ASCO’s principal clinical oncology journal, publishing research and professional material relevant to the diagnosis, treatment, and management of cancer. It serves as a major channel for communicating evidence to oncology specialists and the wider clinical research community.

• Medical journal

  JCO Oncology Practice

  A publication focused on the practical delivery of oncology care. Its subject area includes issues affecting clinical practice, healthcare systems, implementation, and the organization of cancer services.

• Medical journal

  JCO Global Oncology

  A journal addressing cancer research and care in an international context, supporting the exchange of oncology knowledge across countries and healthcare settings.

• Medical journal

  JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics

  A publication covering clinically relevant research that applies biomedical informatics methods and processes to cancer-related data, information, and images.

• Medical journal

  JCO Precision Oncology

  A journal dedicated to original research, reports, opinions, and reviews concerning precision oncology and genomics-driven approaches to cancer treatment.

• Patient information platform

  Cancer.Net

  ASCO’s patient-facing cancer information website, supported by Conquer Cancer. It provides accessible educational material intended to help patients and families understand cancer, treatment, side effects, and related care decisions.

• Clinical data and quality platform

  CancerLinQ

  An ASCO data-platform initiative designed to collect and analyze information from oncology patient encounters. Its purpose is to give oncologists tools for monitoring care patterns and improving clinical quality.

• Clinical decision-support framework · 2015

  ASCO Value Framework

  A framework developed to support discussion and comparison of cancer-treatment value. It considers treatment benefits and toxicities alongside the economic pressures associated with modern anticancer drugs.

• Professional oncology publication

  The ASCO Post

  A professional publication carrying oncology news, commentary, research discussion, and reviews for members and other readers interested in cancer medicine.

• 2015Campaign to Conquer Cancer

  United States · International research community

  Conquer Cancer launched a comprehensive fundraising and public-awareness campaign intended to raise $150 million. The stated purposes were to fund cancer research, support the foundation’s highest priorities, and increase awareness of its role in the cancer community.

  Source

• 2016

  Update to the ASCO Value FrameworkOther

  Background

  ASCO continued refining its approach to treatment-value assessment in response to debates over outcomes, adverse effects, affordability, and the cost of cancer medicines.

  Action taken

  The society updated the Value Framework introduced the previous year.

  Source

• 2015

  Introduction of the ASCO Value FrameworkOther

  Background

  The framework was developed amid concern about rapidly increasing anticancer-drug costs and the need for physicians and patients to compare treatment options using more than clinical benefit alone.

  Action taken

  ASCO published a structured tool for considering treatment benefits, toxicities, and value in discussions about cancer care.

  Aftermath

  The framework was updated in 2016, indicating an ongoing effort to refine how treatment value is assessed and communicated.

  Source

• 2015

  Launch of the Campaign to Conquer CancerStrategy

  Background

  ASCO’s charitable organization sought to expand research funding and public awareness of its cancer mission.

  Action taken

  Conquer Cancer launched a comprehensive campaign with a stated goal of raising $150 million.

  Fundraising goal. $150 million target (2015 campaign launch)

  Source

1. 1American Society of Clinical Oncologyen.wikipedia.org