Congratulations goes to Madhan Srinivasan Kumar, Vera Kazakova, Maria de Fatima Reyes, and Prarthna Bhardwaj!  We are proud to support the growth of oncology professionals through this initiative. Wishing our recipients a rewarding and insightful experience at #ASCO24!

The Massachusetts Society of Clinical Oncologists (MSCO) stands as a beacon of grassroots activism in our state, driven by a passion for oncology advocacy and community engagement. As the president of MSCO, it was an honor to champion our organization's values at the ACS CAN advocacy day held on March 14th at the state house. Our focus centered on advocating for crucial biomarker legislation, highlighting the importance of advancements in shaping public policy. Through our grassroots efforts, we strive to bridge the gap between science and society, ensuring that evidence-based decision-making remains at the forefront of legislative discussions. Representing MSCO in such pivotal moments reinforces our commitment to empowering our state through science and underscores the vital role grassroots organizations play in driving meaningful change. 

Kind regards 

Michael Constantine, MD

Dear MSCO Members,

I hope this message finds you well. I am delighted to share some wonderful news with our esteemed membership. This past weekend, at the 2024 Ellie Fund Red Carpet Gala, our very own Dr. Beverly Moy was honored with the prestigious Rose Award.

Dr. Moy's dedication, expertise, and compassionate care have not only touched the lives of her patients but have also garnered recognition from the broader community. We are immensely proud to have such a distinguished member within our ranks, and her achievements continue to inspire us all.

As many of you know, MSCO has been a longstanding supporter of the Ellie Fund, and this year, we were honored to serve as an event sponsor. It was truly heartwarming to witness Dr. Moy's contributions being celebrated on such a grand stage, and it reaffirms the importance of our commitment to supporting causes that make a tangible difference in the lives of those affected by cancer.

On behalf of the entire MSCO membership, I extend our heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Moy for this well-deserved honor.

Warm regards,

Michael Constantine, MD

President of MSCO

As we bid farewell to 2023 and turn the page into 2024, I reflect upon our remarkable accomplishments and wonder how time can go so quickly and the pace of change as well. I have been given the privilege of helping to lead and guide this prestigious organization and I am constantly impressed by our achievements and unwavering determination to fulfill our mission.

As a grass roots organization, I have the honor to work with a Board of Directors that has the energy and focus of a steaming locomotive moving fast and furious to its destination.  Throughout the past year, we have accomplished so much, and I am excited to share some of those achievements with all of you. 

We kicked off 2023 with our semi-annual corporate round table that identified legislative priorities for the beginning of a 2-year legislative session. Among these priorities are the Prior Authorization Reform bills (House and Senate), Biomarker Access bill(s) (House and Senate), Co-Pay Accumulator bill(s), Fertility Preservation bill (also with ASCO), and the non-medical switching bill (along with ASCO), just to mention a few. We have diligently monitored the progress of these bills throughout the year and have taken proactive measures by sending multiple letters to the Senate and House leaders to express our unwavering support of these bills. We were thrilled to be asked to participate in an information session with ACS at the state house to provide valuable information on the biomarker bill(s) and show our support by sending letters advocating for these bills.

We are diligently staying updated on State Notice and Disclosure Law, Telehealth, and the funding and implementation of the Step Therapy Bill that we strongly advocated for and was successfully passed. We had a productive meeting with BCBS of Massachusetts, where we worked together to identify gaps in coverage for cancer patients and we continue to review their policies and provide them with guidance and clarification. Additionally, we are exploring their telehealth coverage to ensure it meets the members’ needs. We also eagerly backed national legislative bills, such as the telehealth bill and the Find Act Bill, in collaboration with ASCO.

In terms of advocacy, we have been providing annual grants to support fellows and local young investigators in Massachusetts. We have successfully identified multiple local advocacy groups and shared their information with our community. This greatly assists patients with accessing transportation and other essential resources. Some of our Board members attended the NCCN meeting in Orlando, during which I had the opportunity to participate in the state presidential forum. This has been instrumental in advancing our common interests both at a state and national level.

Throughout this past year, we have successfully built and integrated board committees that will now, moving forward, play a crucial role in advancing our mission. These committees will enable us to engage a broader spectrum of our constituents and build bridges to all the areas of our Commonwealth.

Our year culminated with our Annual Meeting where we honored and celebrated the achievements of Dr. Robert Meyer, MD, who was recognized as the (Arthur Skarin Award) oncologist of the year. We also presented the Young Investigator Award to Dr. Arielle Medford, MD, and had the pleasure of hearing about the remarkable work of Dr. Nancy Lin, MD, who received the Distinguished Researcher Award. Lastly, we were thrilled to present the Audesse Award to “Rays of Hope”, a nomination made by Dr. Prarthna Bhardwaj, MD.

And as this past year drew to a close, and as we try and shake off the winter blues, our work continues.  We will eagerly move forward to grow, work, thrive, engage, listen, learn and push to ensure that our providers have the tools they need to give the highest quality of care to there patients; that there patients have all of the resources to get this high quality of care, and that MSCO will continue to be there local, independent resource to help with any issues that do not allow this quality of care to occur. 

I am filled with excitement for this year, 2024, and I believe that we will continue to achieve great success in our mission.

Cheers,

Michael Constantine, MD, President

Read the latest winter issue of MSCO's Newsletter. This newsletter features the highlights from our annual meeting, legislative updates, recent approvals and more. 

Read Winter 2022 Newsletter

MSCO mourns the passing and honors the life of Arthur T. Skarin, MD, former president of the Massachusetts Society of Clinical Oncologists who passed away peacefully on September 4 at the Age of 87 after a long illness.

He was President of the Massachusetts Society of Clinical Oncology from 2007-2010 and was the Journal of Clinical Oncology Editor for the Diagnosis in Oncology section from 1997-2010. During his time at MSCO, Dr. Skarin was dedicated and devoted to the enriched of the oncology profession as well as advocacy for patients, patient care, and treatment accessibility within the state. He was also the recipient of the inaugural Massachusetts Oncologist of the Year Award in 2011.  

There are no words to express our sorrow, but we wish to share a moment of appreciation for a joyful life taken too soon.

“Dr. Skarin was a humble and soft-spoken gentleman who was all about helping his patients and his colleagues.  He was a teacher to many students, interns, residents, fellows, and oncology clinicians in Massachusetts.  He would go around to different community hospitals, hold tumor boards, and review thoracic cases with the local oncologists, giving his expert advice. He did so in a quiet, and gentle way.  He was President of MSCO over a contiguous 4-year period.  He touched the lives of many in our Commonwealth.  He will be missed, but never forgotten!!” said Dr. Michael Constantine, former MSCO president, in a statement. 

Dr. Skarin retired in June 2005 after a 40-year career in Medical Oncology.  He was Medical Director of Thoracic Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute from 1995   through 2008 where he pioneered multimodality treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.  In addition, he was heavily involved in the education, teaching, and training of over 400 fellows.  Other education programs included the conduction of tumor boards at several local and regional hospitals.  In addition to over 155 publications in medical journals, he is the editor of the only “Atlas of Diagnostic Oncology” a collection of more than 2,500 images and drawings along with a clinically focused text giving essential information on pathology, diagnostic studies, staging, and symptoms. Recently, the new fourth edition of the atlas was published. 

“Art was a mover and shaker of oncology in Massachusetts.  He once held the President position at MSCO and other key positions on the MSCO Board. Thoracic oncology was his clinical expertise, and he spent many decades caring for patients with lung cancer at DFCI.  Photography was his hobby and, therefore, it was not a surprise that he served as the section editor for Images in Oncology in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.  He even displayed his artwork at MSCO’s annual meeting.  Both Art and his “art” will be missed by everyone in MSCO and all oncologists in the state of Massachusetts.” stated Dr. Eric T. Wong, former MSCO president.

Other activities included a teaching program of bone marrow morphology for oncology fellows, section leader of the thoracic oncology section of “Up-To-Date”, and thoracic oncology consultation opinions for “Best Doctors” out of Boston.  

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Roslyn (Walter) Skarin; a son, Jon K. Skarin and his wife Kathleen Glunz Skarin, and son Matthew A. Skarin, all of Charlestown, Massachusetts. 

The summer issue of MSCO's Newsletter is now available. Featuring the most recent updates from MSCO including the President's Message provided by Dr. Kala Seetharaman.

Read Summer 2022 Newsletter

Read the latest spring issue of MSCO's Newsletter. This newsletter features the most recent updates from MSCO including the societies future plans, legislative updates, and recent approvals. 

Read Spring 2022 Newsletter

Click - MSCO Newsletter - September 2021 - to view a copy of the newsletter. 

Click - President's Message - to view.