At JSCO, we launched the Travel Grant Award this year to support young members in presenting at the ASCO Annual Meeting. Dr. Shuhei Suzuki from Yamagata Prefectural Shinjo Hospital, one of this year’s recipients, has provided the following report on his experience presenting at the ASCO Annual Meeting held in Chicago from May 30 to June 3, 2025:
Dr. Suzuki expressed his gratitude to JSCO for being selected for the ASCO Travel Grant for Presenters. He shared that this was his first experience traveling to the US, submitting an abstract to the ASCO AM, presenting at an international conference, and arranging overseas accommodations and flights—all of which were valuable learning experiences. He also mentioned being surprised that submitting an abstract to ASCO required a fee.
His presentation, titled "Communication skills training program for medical staff in cancer genomic testing: A mixed-methods assessment of an educational initiative", was delivered as a poster, allowing him to engage in direct discussions with international colleagues, which he found highly meaningful.
Dr. Suzuki also expressed a strong interest in LGBTQI+ support and participated in the LGBTQI+ Community of Practice, where he was able to engage in broad and enrich exchanges. He proposed that JSCO consider creating opportunities to discuss cancer care from the perspective of respecting sexual diversity and foster Ally networks.
He also noted some surprising aspects of the ASCO meeting, such as the presence of a paid buffet called ASCO BISTRO and the fact that smoking was permitted at the venue.