Communication, Quality of Life Issues, and Defining Value at 2015 ASCO Annual Meeting

The annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting is often followed by a flurry of announcements and news as developers of cancer drugs present results about their recent clinical trials. While news of new tools to help increase cancer survival rates is always welcome, many patient advocates attend the annual meeting with a focus on care. For cancer patients, new cures are not the only issue that matters. Quality of life issues drive many treatment decisions being made today, and patients and physicians must be able to communicate about these issues. Additionally, with the evolving healthcare landscape and increasing concerns with financial toxicity in cancer care, I was glad to hear more discourse surrounding the definition of value in oncology. Here are some of my favorite tweets from this year’s event:

30 billion Google searches on healthcare each yr! Created new word–cyberchondria–hyperchondria from web info. #patientspartners, #ASCO15

— Tim Turnham (@timturnham) May 29, 2015

As #ASCO15 convenes, we should not forget that quality of life is important as saving lives, sez @DrLen http://t.co/vLL0UnIpzi

— David Sampson (@djsampson) May 29, 2015

Temel at #ASCO15: Challenge in stopping chemo near EOL: some newer therapies are feasible even when the patient is frail, #hpm

— Michael Fisch MD MPH (@fischmd) May 30, 2015

Kaldjian: treatment choices should be based on goals of care. #hpm #ASCO15 pic.twitter.com/PmQ016rZ4M

— Shelley Fuld Nasso (@sfuldnasso) May 30, 2015

#ASCO15 Porter: Just because we can bill for it doesn't mean we should do it!!

— Richard Schilsky (@rschilsky) May 30, 2015

Cancer diagnosis associated with 2.65x greater risk of declaring personal bankruptcy http://t.co/PpijJnJquS #ASCO15 pic.twitter.com/G5KbIZgaJt

— Yousuf Zafar, MD MHS (@yzafar) May 31, 2015

It's time to intervene on #financialtoxicity. Key step: improve patients' cost-related health literacy http://t.co/vKFEX3cInx #ASCO15

— Yousuf Zafar, MD MHS (@yzafar) May 31, 2015

"We are here together, we will go through this together." Example of empathetic statement from @tomleblancMD #ASCO15 http://t.co/MfB3oD1OnP

— Ryan Nipp, MD, MPH (@RyanNipp) May 30, 2015

 

Key is: full care cycle (as well as full care team). https://t.co/ep5R8lmhMO

— William Dale, MD, PhD (@WilliamDale_MD) May 30, 2015

In ASCO's value initiative it would be an omission not to incorporate patient-reported outcomes. #ASCO15 http://t.co/ALZSDt4mFx

— Ethan Basch (@EthanBasch1) May 31, 2015

This is why we need better communication: 19% of pts haven't mentioned side effects to oncologist b/c they don't want to stop tx #ASCO15

— Yousuf Zafar, MD MHS (@yzafar) May 31, 2015