The American Medical Association House of
Delegates: My Experience and What is Being
Done to Support Cancer Patients
“There is nothing more important to me
as a physician than your cancer treatment.
I’ve been in practice for over two
decades and have had the privilege of
telling many patients that there is life
beyond cancer. As president of The Center
for Cancer and Blood Disorders, I want to
lead by example, practicing a firm belief
that all patients should receive the finest
medical care available, with the same
concern and compassion as a cherished
member of the family.”
Ray Page D.O., Ph.D., FACOI, FASCO
President and Medical Oncologist
The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders
Support services provided by:
The AMA-HOD is comprised of over 550 delegates reflecting the
fabric of U.S. health care from every flavor of specialty groups and
medical associations. The delegates deliberate and debate hundreds of
resolutions that will hopefully shape the direction of healthcare in a
way that will benefit all Americans.
The topics this year ranged from such things as debating the AMA
policy on “physician-assisted-suicide”, to defining vaccination
requirements, to debating “Medicare for All”, to curbing high drug
costs, to even mandating that all medical school and residency
programs add classes to explain climate change and its impact on
public health. This meeting is always an extremely rewarding experience
for me and expands my perspectives.
With regards to cancer related agenda items, our Cancer Caucus
diligently worked together with other groups such as the Pain & Palliative
Care Caucus, the Specialty Medicine Society, and Dermatology Society
to coordinate our efforts to benefit our patients.
As ASCO’s delegates, we introduced three resolutions that were
adopted by the HOD:
• Alcohol Consumption and Health: Alcohol is recognized as a modifiable
risk fact for several types of cancer, and even light alcohol consumption
is associated with a higher risk of certain cancers. ASCO calls on
AMA to update existing policy by recognizing both alcohol consumption
and alcohol abuse as modifiable risk factors for cancer.
• Clarification of Opioid Prescribing Guidelines: The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued a letter to stakeholders,
including ASCO, clarifying that clinical practice guidelines specific to
cancer treatment, palliative care and end of life care should be used
regarding the prescribing of opioids. ASCO urges AMA to continue
advocacy to encourage use of clinical practice guidelines specific
to cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care as per the
CDC’s clarifying recommendation.
• Re-establishment of National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC):
Since funding for the NGC ended abruptly in 2018, there has been
no updated resource for physicians who formerly relied on the NGC
website for information regarding relevant clinical guidelines. ASCO
encourages AMA to research possible and existing alternatives for the
functions of the NGC website.
We were very vocal in providing policy guidelines regarding the
research handling of de-identified patient data. We also strongly
supported policy changes related to utilization management such as
prior authorizations, clarifying rules of safe handling of hazardous
drugs, and relief of rural physician workforce disparities.
It is my honor, to represent the cancer patients, at this important
meeting twice a year.
To learn more about cancer care issues or to consult with a physician
about a cancer diagnosis, contact us at 817.596.0637.
Schedule appointments by calling
817-596-0637 or online at
www.thecentertx.com
The AMA House of Delegates (AMA-HOD) convened in Chicago
in mid June. I am one of the three physicians in the delegation
representing the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), a
society representing 45,000 cancer specialists worldwide.
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