ASCO in Action

ASCO in Action provides the latest news and analysis related to critical policy issues affecting the cancer community, updates on the Association for Clinical Oncology’s ongoing advocacy efforts, and opportunities for members and others in the cancer care community to take action.

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March 18, 2024

President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, which included a +1.68% adjustment to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) conversion factor (CF) for the remainder of  calendar year (CY) 2024. This increase results in a 1.68% reduction to the 3.37% CF cut finalized in the 2024 MPFS final Rule. The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) advocated for Congress to address the full 3.37% Medicare physician reimbursement cut, and while ASCO appreciates congressional action, the Association is disappointed that Congress failed to eliminate the entire reimbursement cut.

March 18, 2024

The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and other health care organizations are recognizing the proposed Health Workforce Well-Being Day of Awareness and calling on Congress to reauthorize the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act.

March 18, 2024

Change Healthcare, a healthcare technology company that is a business unit of Optum and owned by UnitedHealth Group, fell victim to a cyberattack on February 21, 2024. Regular updates on the situation are available for impacted customers on Optum’s website. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is assessing the oncology-specific impact of the attack and will keep its members up to date.

March 14, 2024

A new ASCO policy statement is emphasizing the urgent need for global equity in clinical trials. The statement, which published March 14, 2024, in JCO Global Oncology, explains how global equity can be advanced by diversifying trial representation, increasing access to resources, and strengthening research capacity on a global scale.

March 12, 2024

President Biden unveiled his proposed Fiscal Year 2025 federal budget on March 11 that prioritizes cancer research and strengthens the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) ability to tackle potential disruptions and shortages of vital medicines, including those for cancer.

March 12, 2024

The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is closely following cases before the United States Supreme Court that have the potential to significantly impact the delivery of cancer care in the U.S. by reshaping the authority of the federal agencies that regulate health care in the country. The Court is expected to issue rulings in these cases before its current session ends in June 2024.

March 11, 2024

Congress passed a six-part spending bill on March 8, 2024, that funds several government agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), through Sept. 30, 2024—the end of the fiscal year.

March 11, 2024

In his last State of the Union address this term, President Joe Biden emphasized critical policy priorities that the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) continues to advocate for on behalf of oncologists, their teams, and the profession.

March 7, 2024

On March 7, 2024, the Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to zanubrutinib (Brukinsa, BeiGene USA, Inc.) with obinutuzumab for relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) after two or more lines of systemic therapy.

March 7, 2024

On March 6, 2024, the Food and Drug Administration approved nivolumab (Opdivo, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company) in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine for first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC).

March 7, 2024

The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is urging President Biden to keep cancer care and research among his top national priorities on the eve of his State of the Union Address.

March 6, 2024

On February 13, 2024, the Food and Drug Administration approved irinotecan liposome (Onivyde, Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.) with oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin, for the first-line treatment of metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

March 1, 2024

On March 1, 2024, the Food and Drug Administration approved amivantamab-vmjw (Rybrevant, Janssen Biotech, Inc.) with carboplatin and pemetrexed for the first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertion mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test. 

February 29, 2024

Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) on February 29, 2024, that extends FY 2023 federal funding levels until March 22 for several government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

February 28, 2024

The President's Cancer Panel published a report on February 28 on the National Cancer Plan that includes mention of seven American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) programs that are contributing to the plan.

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