Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center using ASCO’s CancerLinQ® to Improve Quality of Care

Electronic Health Records are now Part of Growing CancerLinQ® Database to Help Physicians Uncover Patterns and Trends and Receive Real-Time Quality Feedback

The Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center announced that it is live on CancerLinQ®, a data initiative developed and led by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) to help improve the overall quality of care for people with cancer.

The Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center is one of more than 75 practices that have signed agreements with CancerLinQ LLC, a wholly owned nonprofit of ASCO dedicated to the development and operation of the CancerLinQ® system.

In the United States, approximately 1.7 million people are diagnosed each year with cancer, but only 3% enroll in clinical trials. Many important cancer treatment insights come from a small subset of clinical trial patients. The CancerLinQ program connects and analyzes real-world cancer data from almost any medical record source, and provides real-time quality feedback, allowing physicians to compare their treatment plans against guidelines and care of their peers.

“At our Cancer Center,” said Laurence Heifetz, MD, FACP, Medical Director at the Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center, “we are always open to new technologies that help us improve patient care, and the CancerLinQ database is a good fit for us.”

CancerLinQ® allows cancer care providers to analyze millions of confidential cancer patient medical records, in order to analyze patterns and trends, and measure treatments against peers and recommended guidelines. The CancerLinQ® platform is the only effort of its kind driven by a non-profit, physician organization. It leverages the combined expertise of more than 40,000 of the world’s leading oncologists who comprise ASCO’s membership.

“We are thrilled that the Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center is contributing to CancerLinQ® and to our mission to improve the care of millions of people living with cancer,” said CancerLinQ LLC Chief Executive Officer Kevin Fitzpatrick. “Each practice that provides data to CancerLinQ® adds to our collective experience and knowledge of cancer care and better equips oncologists to provide tailored care for patients, no matter where they live.”

CancerLinQ® is supported in part through the Conquer Cancer Foundation, whose generous donors have helped make the system possible. CancerLinQ® is a project of CancerLinQ LLC. For more information, please visit CancerLinQ.org.

About Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center
A service of Tahoe Forest Health System, located in Truckee, California, the Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center’s mission is to provide the highest quality cancer treatment and care. An affiliate of UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Commission of Cancer accredited, the Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center strives to offer the most appropriate and current cancer diagnostic and therapeutic modalities in an honest, supportive, respectful and compassionate manner. For more information, visit tahoecancercenter.com.

About ASCO
Founded in 1964, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (ASCO®) is committed to making a world of difference in cancer care. As the world’s leading organization of its kind, ASCO represents more than 40,000 oncology professionals who care for people living with cancer. Through research, education, and promotion of the highest-quality patient care, ASCO works to conquer cancer and create a world where cancer is prevented or cured, and every survivor is healthy. ASCO is supported by its affiliate organization, the Conquer Cancer Foundation. Learn more at www.ASCO.org, explore patient education resources at www.Cancer.Net, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

About CancerLinQ LLC
CancerLinQ LLC is a subsidiary of American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. established for the development and operation of the CancerLinQ® initiative. CancerLinQ® is a health information technology platform aimed at enhancing and improving the understanding and treatment of cancer. To learn more, visit www.cancerlinq.org.