Packard/Stanford Physician to Lead American Society of Clinical Oncology

First pediatric oncologist ever elected to ASCO presidency

For Release: January 05, 2010

STANFORD, Calif. — Oncologist Michael Link, MD, who treats children with cancer at the Bass Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, has been elected president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

The 27,000-member society, an international organization of oncologists, radiotherapists, surgeons and other professionals who care for cancer patients, works to improve cancer prevention and treatment. "I'm truly honored to have been chosen by the Society membership," said Link, who is the first pediatric oncologist elected to the presidency in the organization's 45-year history. Link will take office as president-elect at ASCO's annual meeting in June 2010, and will lead the prestigious organization of oncology practitioners for a one-year term from June 2011 to June 2012.

As president, Link will lead the Society’s efforts to advance cancer research and improve health policy for oncology patients. Link will also continue his appointments at Packard Children's and the Stanford University School of Medicine, where he is  Lydia J. Lee Professor in Pediatric Cancer. Link has been a member of the faculty at Stanford since 1979. He conducts research on the biology and management of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and Hodgkin’s disease in children and the treatment of sarcomas of bone and soft tissue.

Read about the American Society of Clinical Oncology at http://www.asco.org.

Author

Robert Dicks
(650) 497-8364
rdicks@stanfordchildrens.org

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