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HemOnc Today’s 10-year anniversary
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The Jan. 10, 2009, issue of HemOnc Today marks the beginning of the publication’s 10th year. The first issue, published in 2000, had headlines such as; “Studies verify link between cervical cancer and HPV,” “New clot busters coming (reviparin, melagatran, and H376/95),” and “Does stem cell therapy still have a role in treating breast cancer?”
A lot has changed in that time in both medicine and how physicians get their news. When HemOnc Today debuted, it was intended to provide hematologists and oncologists with a vehicle to stay current on clinical findings. Since then, HemOnc Today has increased its frequency to twice a month and now posts daily news articles on its redesigned website.
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After rereading my first editorial published in the newspaper, which I have included below, I am proud to say that, according to an independent rating service, HemOnc Today is a top-rated newspaper among oncologists and hematologists. I and our section editors hesitantly offer the infamous and gratuitous declaration: MISSION (possibly) ACCOMPLISHED.
Editorial in January 2000 issue of HemOnc Today
As the immediate past president of the American Society of Hematology, I have noted the remarkable benefit our annual meeting provides to members in both the clinical and research arms of our profession. Bench researchers have the opportunity to attend clinically oriented scientific sessions, as well as corporate-sponsored symposia, and thereby gain insights into the interests of clinicians. Conversely, clinicians, by attending basic-scientific sessions and the Plenary Session, which combines bench-science with clinical papers, can keep up with observations likely to impact their patients’ care in the near future. But, in the latter instance, there is a temporal gap to be filled: Clinicians do not have a timely and frequent vehicle with which to stay current on newly discovered and clinically important findings.
The same may be said for oncologists who can attend a superb ASCO meeting — but only once a year. Moreover, the peer-reviewed journals, which are rigorous and critical to communication within our subspecialties are, by their necessarily prolonged review times and sometimes their predominant research gestalt, less useful to clinicians.
When I was considering whether to take on the medical editorship of HemOnc Today, I attended (behind a one-way window, like in NYPD Blue) focus groups of hematologists/oncologists. They clearly liked the idea of a monthly newspaper that provided rapid, readable updates of material in the hematologic/oncologic arenas that could be immediately translated into patient care. They did not believe the peer-reviewed journals provided that kind of timeliness. I also learned that medicolegal issues — such as who gets sued and how to prevent it, what disorders are on the malpractice-lawyers current “hit list,” and how to deal with malpractice insurers — would be a great service to readers. Likewise, articles on HCFA reimbursement (toward grassroots lobbying for common sense and fairness) would be welcomed.
With this background and encouragement (and some individual clamor) from representative clinicians, I embark on this new endeavor.
Immediately the publication was blessed by the enthusiastic acceptance of Joseph Bertino, MD, our Associate Medical Editor. Joe, who was previously Oncology Division Head at Yale and now Head of Pharmacotherapeutics at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, has garnered a superb “who’s who” group of oncology subsection editors.
I have had similar good fortune in the hematology arena. Our section editors are deans, heads of medicine departments and/or hem/onc divisions, ex-presidents of the American Society of Hematology and/or members of its executive committee.
They, like me, have joined this endeavor because it fills a gap in the continuing education of our clinical colleagues.
HemOnc Today is an enjoyable, informative “must-read” publication for hematologists/oncologists and a valuable tool in the care of patients requiring their expert help.
Since 2000, I have retired as the head of the division of hematology at the University of Minnesota and Dr. Bertino is now a university professor of medicine and pharmacology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and is the interim director of the school’s Stem Cell Institute of New Jersey.
We and our section editors continue to work with HemOnc Today to bring hematologists and oncologists news and perspective about significant and relevant clinical findings within our field and information that is important to every practicing physician.