STAT+: At the world’s largest cancer research meeting, data briefly took a backseat to grief

STAT PlusHealth At the world’s largest cancer research meeting, data briefly took a backseat to grief ASCO’s outgoing president explains why he wanted to focus on the subject of loss Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By Katherine MacPhailJune 1, 2026 Reporter, Live Journalism Katherine MacPhail[email protected]Katherine MacPhail is a reporter and editorial events programmer for STAT. CHICAGO — At every annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the congregation of oncologists scrutinizes data on survival and mortality, among other measures of the care they provide. But comparatively few conversations focus on the grief and loss that is inherent in the work of oncologists.

That changed a bit this year. In his opening address, the organization’s outgoing president, Eric Small, spoke about his partner, University of California, San Francisco, oncologist Amy Lin, who died in December. She had metastatic clear cell ovarian cancer, a rare disease with few treatment options.

Small also brought a different kind of specialist to ASCO’s main stage: David Kessler, an expert on grief and loss, who gave a talk about compassionate end-of-life care.Advertisement STAT sat down with Small to talk about the meeting, about Lin, and about how loss has changed his perspective on oncology. His “presidential theme” for the year was “The Science and Practice of Translation: Improving Cancer Outcomes Worldwide.” STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts.

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