SSO 2018 will also mark the 25th Anniversary of the Annals of Surgical Oncology (ASO). ASO has grown to become the most cited surgical oncology journal in the world, has had over 41,000 article citations during the period of 2003 – 2017 and has had over 5.8 million article downloads since 2005. The accomplishments of the journal have been made possible by not only the contributions of surgeon scientists from around the globe, but also the comprehensive editorial board that has been led for the last 25 years by Editor-in-Chief, Charles M. Balch, MD. At the conclusion of SSO 2018, Dr. Balch will entrust the role of Editor-in-Chief and the future vision of ASO to Kelly M. McMasters, MD, PhD.
Dr. Balch’s enduring passion and commitment to the field of surgical oncology, as evidenced through his leadership with ASO, is both impressive and inspiring. In honor of his role in advancing the profession, the Distinguished Service Award is being renamed, The Charles M. Balch, MD Distinguished Service Award. Please plan to attend the presentation to this year’s recipients on Friday, March 23 at 8:45 am.