For years I mostly did the big one: the ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago. This year, Im doing both Big ASCO and Regional ASCO. I’ll be at Best of ASCO this coming weekend (August 23–24, 2025), hosted by AdventHealth Cancer Institute at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes. It’s a distilled, discussion‑friendly way to turn new data into Monday‑morning care. And yes—it’s Orlando: easy flights, family‑friendly, and a nice balance of learn‑by‑day, recharge‑by‑evening. Here’s 15 reasons to attend your regional conference!
***Educational content only; not medical advice. The views and opinions expressed are solely my own and do not represent, promote or reflect the positions of AdventHealth, AdventHealth Cancer Institute, or any other hospital/health system or employer***
Why Best of ASCO is a smart move (for physicians, APPs, nurses, pharmacists, navigators, research & admin)
- Depth through intimacy
Smaller rooms, tighter curation. You actually get to ask follow-ups and pressure-test how (or if) a result should change practice. - See your people—face to face
Reconnect with regional colleagues and disease-focused experts (thoracic, GI, GU, breast, heme). These are the relationships you’ll lean on for tough cases and second opinions. - Bring questions about your “interesting” cases
Discuss de-identified scenarios—borderline resectable, oligometastatic, ambiguous NGS—then carry home practical angles tailored to your setting. - Clinical-trial connections
Meet PIs and research coordinators, learn which slots are actually open, and map referral pathways. A hallway chat can unlock the next option for a specific patient. - Implementation pearls, not just p-values
Scheduling, pre-meds, infusion time, labs, toxicity monitoring, escalation plans, and ED/ICU triggers—the workflow details that keep patients safe. - Immune-related toxicity wisdom
irAE recognition and step-wise management from people who manage these daily. Especially valuable for APPs, infusion nurses, and ED partners. - Team education in one weekend
APPs, nurses, pharmacists, navigators, social work, genetics, rehab—everyone hears the same updates, which reduces drift and tightens pathways. - Cross-disciplinary exposure
Radiation, surgery, pathology, radiology, palliative—shared sessions speed decisions and align plans back home. - Pragmatic survivorship & supportive care
Fatigue, neuropathy, fertility, cardio-onc, financial toxicity, PROs—frameworks your team can apply immediately. - Know your experts
Build a quick-dial roster for rare tumors, edge cases, and biomarker eligibility checks. Local relationships = faster answers. - Better tumor boards
Return to your local tumor board with 5–10 plug-and-play practical clinical improvements: pivotal trials, hazard ratios that matter, biomarker caveats, and toxicity pearls. - CME/CNE/CPE with lower friction
Credit without cross-country disruption. Weekend schedule means less clinic impact and easier team participation. (Confirm details with the event.) - Cost- and time-efficient (and family-friendly)
Shorter travel, one venue, and an easy place for family to enjoy the weekend while you learn. You come back recharged—not depleted. - Professional collaboration with industry (MSLs & medical affairs)
Meet industry partners—MSLs, medical affairs, and field access/pharmacy representatives—to clarify evidence and evolving labeling; discuss toxicity management and real‑world safety data; understand access pathways (prior auth, REMS, patient assistance); and explore trial or investigator‑initiated study feasibility—education‑focused and compliant with institutional and CME policies.
Sample topics likely to spark discussion (examples): peri‑/post‑operative IO in resectable NSCLC; targeting KRAS/EGFR alterations in thoracic oncology; biomarker‑driven 1L mCRC sequencing (RAS/BRAF, sidedness); ctDNA in early‑stage colon; HER2‑low and ADC strategies in breast cancer; PARP combinations and PSMA‑based approaches in GU malignancies; supportive‑care updates for CIPN, fatigue, and fertility.
How I’ll work the weekend (steal this)
- Set 3 targets: one trial to explore, one toxicity algorithm to tighten, one pathway to update.
- Carry 2 de-identified cases and a single-sentence question for each with disease focused experts.
- Collect contacts, not just slides: PIs, research nurses, specialty pharmacists, navigators
- Debrief in 20 minutes next week: three changes, owner + timeline for each.
- Share the pearls with teammates who couldn’t attend.
If you’ve been on the fence, consider this your nudge. Best of ASCO delivers the right blend of evidence, practicality, and human connection—exactly what turns new clinical data into better care. Join your regional Best of ASCO—or I hope to see you in Orlando!
About the author
Dr. Sajeve Thomas is a distinguished medical professional and a compassionate guide in the field of oncology. With over a decade of dedicated experience as a board-certified medical oncologist/internal medicine specialist, Dr. Thomas has become a trusted expert in the treatment of melanoma, sarcoma, and gastrointestinal conditions. He brings a wealth of expertise to the complex and challenging world of oncology.
Disclosures:
Dr. Thomas serves as a speaker for Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), Merck, Ipsen, Natera, Immunocore, Pfizer, and SpringWorks. He also receives industry grants in support of numerous clinical trials.