Dizman Insights on Improving ASCO's Language of Respect in RCC

Nazli Dizman, MD, hematology/oncology fellow at MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the current accountability measures for enforcing the language of respect guidelines in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and what suggestions she has for improvements.

At the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Genitourinary Annual Meeting, Dizman and colleagues presented research on adherence to the ASCO language of respect guidelines among patients with RCC. These guidelines include: ​​

• Do not blame patient
• Respect the role of the patient
• Do not dehumanize patients

Here, Dizman also discusses how she envisions the continued promotion and implementation of respectful language in oncology research and communication.

Transcription:

0:09 | The guidelines are very well written, detailed with examples, and not available on the website of ASCO. I think as a guideline, they are sufficient, but I do think that we need to raise more awareness about their existence and how we should be cognizant about really prioritizing the patient-centered approach. I do believe that those are small steps that could easily be taken and be fixed by just paying attention to it. So, I am hoping that we could raise awareness for people to read through the guidelines and pay attention in the future.

0:53 | We could see more guidelines from other institutions or societies, highlighting the importance, so language of respect, perhaps journal submissions could also include a few sentences prioritizing this respect of language. Aside from just in written communications, I think on the podiums in conference presentations, ensuring the review of the material that is going to be presented from this standpoint would also be helpful.

REFERENCE:

Dizman N, Castro DV, Mercier BD, et al. From guidelines to accountability: Examining adherence to ASCO Language of Respect in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) abstracts. J Clin Oncol. 2024;42(suppl 4):396. doi:10.1200/JCO.2024.42.4_suppl.396