American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Along with Indegene to Drive Information on the Fourth Largest Killer Disease in India

Delhi, India, June 21, 2008 --(PR.com)-- American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), for the first time in India. It is an educational initiative of CMEUniverse (CME Initiative of Indegene) in conjunction with Indian Society of Medical and Pediatric Oncology (ISMPO) to provide wider access to the cutting-edge science from the world’s premier oncology event. It will be held on July 12 and 13, 2008, in New Delhi.

This event is supported by an educational grant from Dabur Pharma, in its continued efforts in building customer trust and further living up to its mission of “Making Cancer Therapy Available Globally To More People. Through this event, the organization will be able to facilitate a platform to update oncologists on the latest research and findings that are presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting.

ASCO is committed to improve cancer care and prevention and ensure that all patients with cancer receive care of the highest quality. More than 25,000 oncology practitioners are a part of ASCO, and they represent all oncology disciplines (medical, radiologic, and surgical oncology) and subspecialties.

As an official event of ASCO, 2008 Best of ASCO Meeting seeks to disseminate emerging evidence-based data to oncology specialists. A study done by the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI’s) Office of Education and Special Initiatives (OESI) in the spring of 2005 found that oncologists most frequently favored research findings as the basis of their clinical decision-making. Surveyed practitioners indicated that there is a gap between the care that cancer patients received and the care indicated by current evidence. Through this meeting, ASCO looks to narrow this pay gap by providing a forum of review and discussion for oncologists. Sixty-five percent (65%) of the ASCO members who took part in the survey indicated that they frequently rely on professional society meetings and conferences. In an effort to further support dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practices, ASCO holds the Best of ASCO Meetings. Efforts to have smaller, more focused meetings, which disseminate new treatments based on the potential to improve patient outcomes, were positively rated by 77% of respondents as a benefit to their practice implementation needs.

According to Dr Purvish M Parikh, Vice-President, ISMPO, approximately 1 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in India by 2008. Cancer accounts for 2 in 3 deaths in India, which means more than half a million Indians are expected to die of cancer by 2008. Over the last three decades, investment in clinical cancer research, screening, and prevention has reduced cancer incidence and death rates, increased survival rates, and significantly reduced the symptoms and side effects of cancer and its treatment.

The 2008 Best of ASCO Meeting is designed to educate and update oncologists on the latest research and findings that are presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting. There are now nearly 7.5 million cancer survivors in India, a figure that is expected to increase substantially as the population ages and progress against cancer continues. Attention needs to be focused on the supportive care of these survivors so that physicians can best provide for their future needs. The 2008 Best of ASCO Meeting incorporates supportive care because a new and unique challenge is confronted with the progress in cancer treatment, namely, to ensure the long-term health of the growing number of cancer survivors. This meeting encapsulates findings of key research on various cancer tracks, providing an exceptional educational opportunity for practicing oncologists and others involved in the care of patients with cancer.

According to Dr Saurabh Jain, Director of CME Solutions & Medical Relations, Indegene Lifesystems, CMEuniverse is a pioneering initiative by Indegene, which is committed to bring international continuing medical education to the Indian medical fraternity. Indegene has partnered with the best of Indian academic centers, medical associations, and universities to bring the latest medical education to doctors.

As a part of this initiative, CMEUniverse proudly presents 2008 Best of ASCO for the first time in history. This meeting will enable the oncologists to access the latest information available in the global oncology space from ASCO’s Conference in Chicago within a few weeks. The faculty at this meeting comprises international experts as well as Indian senior oncologists who have attended ASCO Conference. This is a wonderful opportunity for all the oncologists to be updated, especially those who would not be attending the ASCO meeting in Chicago.

The abstracts chosen for presentation and discussion at the 2008 Best of ASCO Meeting were selected according to specific criteria and reflect the foremost findings in research that are most relevant in oncology today. The research findings presented at this meeting will focus on those strategies that will impact patient care. The educational program features a variety of session formats that focus on the latest scientific findings in primary disease sites and practice-changing advances in cancer prevention and treatment.

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