• Bruce Johnson, MD, Chair-elect, ASCO Cancer Communications Committee and Director of the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute;
  
• Deborah Armstrong, MD, Asst. Prof. of Oncology, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine-discussing ovarian cancer;
  
• Leonard Saltz, MD, Associate Attending Physician, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center-discussing colorectal cancer;
  
• Denise Yardley, MD, Director of Breast Cancer Research, the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center-discussing breast cancer.

Immediately following the live broadcast, The Group Room will air a special feature, When the Doctor has Cancer, presenting a round-table discussion with two-time cancer survivor Schimmel and a panel of physicians who are also cancer survivors, including:

• David H. Johnson, MD, ASCO President-elect and Deputy Director and Chair, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center;
  
• Kenneth S. Hu, MD, Director of Radiation Oncology Programs, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary; Clinical Asst. Prof. of Radiation Oncology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center; Asst. Prof. of Radiation Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Attending, Department of Radiation Oncology, Beth Israel Medical Center;
• Robert Livingston, MD, Prof. of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine and Head of SWOG Breast Committee;
  
• Yehuda Patt, MD, Prof. of Medicine, Chief of Gastrointestinal Oncology Program and Chief, Greenebaum Cancer Center's Ambulatory Center, University of Maryland;
  
• Claude-Alain Planchon, MD, Specialist in Nuclear Medicine, American Hospital of Paris, graduate in medical oncology, and General-Secretary, Choix Vital, Vital Options International's French subsidiary;
  
• Andrew von Eschenbach, MD, Director, National Cancer Institute (who will be featured in a taped interview).
  

"The Group Room broadcast from ASCO is an important partnership and collaborative effort, allowing listeners to receive first hand, the latest cancer news and meaningful clinical information. It also provides a rare opportunity for callers to speak directly with many of the world's most prominent oncologists and researchers," said Schimmel, who is also the CEO and Founder of Vital Options International.

"We are pleased to be a partner in this joint effort," said Charles M. Balch, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of ASCO. "We believe that this public dialogue among doctors, patient advocates and people who call in to participate in the show is an excellent way to highlight the important role that patients and their advocates can play in the advancement of cancer treatment and care."

"Providing useful sources of oncology information and empowerment for people touched by cancer is a mutual goal for OncoLink, Vital Options and People Living With Cancer," said James Metz, MD, Editor-in-Chief of OncoLink, and Asst. Prof. of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center. "I believe that merging radio, video and Internet technology helps to reach broader audiences and facilitate greater dialogue between doctors and cancer patients."

OncoLink-founded in 1994 at the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center--is an award-winning cancer site on the web that provides information about specific types of cancer, research advances, cancer treatment updates, clinical trials and daily news reports.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is the world's leading professional society of multidisciplinary physicians who treat people with cancer. ASCO's more than 20,000 members from the U.S. and abroad set the standard for patient care worldwide and lead the fight for more effective cancer treatments, increased funding for clinical and translational research, and, ultimately, cures for the many different types of cancer that strike an estimated 10 million people worldwide each year. ASCO publishes the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO), the preeminent, peer-reviewed, medical journal on clinical cancer research, and produces People Living With Cancer (www.PLWC.org), an award-winning website providing oncologist-vetted cancer information to help patients and families make informed healthcare decisions.

Vital Options® is an international not-for-profit cancer communications, support and advocacy organization, headquarted in Southern California. It produces The Group Room in association with Premiere Radio Networks. The program airs live every Sunday in cities throughout the United States, reaching more than a half-million radio listeners a week, in addition to others who tune in via XM Satellite Radio Ask! Channel/XM165 or the Internet simulcast at www.vitaloptions.org where past shows are also archived. Callers enter on-air discussions toll-free by dialing 1-800-GRP-ROOM (1-800-477-7666) or sending their comments and questions by email to info@vitaloptions.org.

The show features Schimmel and The Group Room's regular on-air medical experts--medical oncologist Dr. Michael Van Scoy-Mosher, radiation oncologist Dr. Leslie Botnick and therapist Halina Irving, MFCC--who are joined each week by callers affected by cancer, as well as renowned cancer experts and advocates who provide updates on research, medical advances, and advocacy efforts. All phone calls are screened by a licensed oncology social worker. During the week, individuals can reach Vital Options for additional support services and information.

Founded in 1983, Vital Options was the first organization to address issues related to young adults with cancer before expanding to include patients of all ages and issues and information related to everyone touched by cancer. The Group Room regularly produces remote location broadcasts from the world's leading oncology meetings, such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and its European equivalents, ECCO/ESMO, and from preeminent cancer centers in the United States and Europe.

Vital Options and The Group Room are supported through educational grants from corporate sponsors, Ortho Biotech Products, L.P., and Pfizer Oncology, and associate sponsor, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. This remote broadcast from ASCO has been made possible through additional support from GlaxoSmithKline Oncology and Corixa, Lilly Oncology, and Vysis, an Abbott Laboratories Co.