As we reflect on another year of meaningful progress in cancer care, I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude and hope. One reflection of that progress is the 2025 ACCC Impact Report, which chronicles not only the innovations and initiatives shaping the future of oncology but also the compassion and resilience that define our community. At its core, this report is a tribute to the people behind the data: the multidisciplinary teams, patients, caregivers, and advocates whose work transforms lives every day.
As spring approaches, with its gentle prompt toward reflection and renewal, it feels especially fitting to pause and recognize the strides we have taken together. Across the country, cancer programs and care teams are not merely navigating complexity; they are reimagining what comprehensive, patient-centered care means in practice. From workforce empowerment to capacity building at scale, from technology that amplifies human connection to service models designed for equitable access, this report captures the heartbeat of innovation grounded in humanity.
One area that continues to resonate deeply with me—and I know with so many of you—is the evolution of collaborative care and psycho-oncology. In a system that has traditionally prioritized biomedical interventions, the intentional integration of emotional, psychological, and social support represents a profound shift in how we understand healing. Whether it’s through remote monitoring that keeps patients connected to care between visits, multidisciplinary pathways that honor the whole person, or the growing recognition of behavioral health as an essential component of cancer care, we see a field that is steadily widening its embrace to meet patients where they are.
Navigation also emerges as a thread weaving these stories together. The Impact Report highlights how navigation programs, supported by new billing structures and educational frameworks, are helping patients traverse the often overwhelming terrain of diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. From social determinants of health to multidisciplinary coordination and advocacy for reimbursement that reflects the true value of this work, these efforts are reshaping how care is delivered and experienced.
But perhaps what inspires me most are the personal stories. The nurse who adapts a national tool to fit her community’s needs. The cancer center that uses innovative technology to extend the reach of a small navigation team. The teams that unearth new ways to measure and respond to what matters most to patients. These narratives remind us that innovation in oncology care is not just about new techniques or technologies; it is about people, and about care providers who listen, respond, and evolve.
As we move forward, I invite you to immerse yourself in this report not as a record of what has been done, but as an invitation to imagine what is possible—in your own practice, your own community, and the wider world of cancer care. May this season of renewal also be a time of recommitment to compassionate, collaborative, whole-person care.
At the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting, the Louisiana Oncology Society received the ASCO Jeffrey C Ward Affiliate Advocacy Award for advancing critical advocacy priorities that have translated into meaningful legislative victories. The Iowa Oncology Society and Washington State Medical Oncology Society were also recognized for their advocacy efforts in 2025 at the meeting, receiving second place awards.
