Abstract Distribution Process FAQs
Important Information Regarding Abstract Distribution for the 2012 ASCO Annual Meeting
The abstract distribution process for the 2012 Annual Meeting has changed. All Plenary, Late-Breaking (LBA), and Clinical Review (CRA) Abstracts (also known as Annual Meeting Proceedings Part II), will be referred to as Newly Released Abstracts at the 2012 Annual Meeting.
Newly Released Abstracts will be posted online and will be distributed each day of the Meeting in ASCO Daily News, the official news source of the ASCO Annual Meeting, available in bins throughout the Convention Center.
What are Newly Released Abstracts?
Newly Released Abstracts consist of Plenary, Late-Breaking (LBA), and Clinical Review (CRA) abstracts that remain confidential until they are publicly released during the Annual Meeting. They are also known as Annual Meeting Proceedings Part II abstracts.
When will the Newly Released Abstracts become available?
Plenary, Late-Breaking, and Clinical Review Abstracts (or Newly Released Abstracts, as they will be referred to during the Meeting) will be released online on ASCO.org at 12:01 AM (EDT) on the day of their presentation. This is to ensure that the electronic release will occur no later than the print distribution of the ASCO Daily News and as close as possible to the time of presentation. Late-Breaking and Clinical Review Abstracts will be featured in Section D of ASCO Daily News Saturday through Monday; Plenary abstracts will be included in Sunday’s Section D as well. ASCO Daily News, the official news source of the ASCO Annual Meeting, is available in bins throughout the Convention Center and online. The Newly Released Abstracts in Section D of each day’s ASCO Daily News takes the place of the Annual Meeting Proceedings Part II booklet, which was available in the same location in prior years.
Will a hard copy book of Proceedings II abstracts still be available for all attendees on Saturday at the ASCO Annual Meeting?
No. Newly Released Abstracts will not be distributed as a booklet this year. Rather, they will be available Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning in Section D of ASCO Daily News. The Newly Released abstracts will be posted online on ASCO.org at 12:01 AM (EDT) on the day of their presentation.
Why did ASCO change the abstract distribution process and timing for this year’s meeting?
In past years, ASCO has distributed the Proceedings II abstract book featuring Plenary, Late-Breaking (LBA) and Clinical Review (CRA) abstracts to meeting attendees on Saturday morning. All Proceedings II abstract data was confidential until the time of presentation or the time of their press conference – whichever was earlier. However, the growing use of electronic and social media communications has led to information being shared prior to the public release. ASCO has implemented this new abstract distribution model to ensure that all of the information is made available to everyone simultaneously each day.
Will ASCO still post the majority of abstracts online in advance of the Annual Meeting?
Yes, at 6:00 PM ET on May 16, 2012, ASCO will post the vast majority of Annual Meeting abstracts online (also known as Annual Meeting Proceedings I). The new abstract distribution process only applies to abstracts that are distributed on-site at the Annual Meeting.