From the podium to the patient: Bringing the 2008 ASCO meeting to the clinic

Around 4,800 abstracts on preclinical and clinical research in different oncology areas were presented and discussed by oncology clinicians and scientists at the 44th American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting, the largest international forum in the field. As expected, the meeting provided valuable insights into future developments as well as enlightening clinicians regarding current controversies. This manuscript is an opinion-based review of the studies presented at the meeting, focusing on findings from randomized phase III trials and translational researches that, in the authors' opinion, are most likely to modify clinical practice or help scientists in designing future translational and clinical studies.