American Society of Clinical Oncology policy for relationships with companies: background and rationale.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology's (ASCO's) new conflict of interest policy reflects a commitment to transparency and independence in the development and presentation of scientific and educational content. ASCO supports thorough and accessible disclosure of financial relationships with companies at institutional and individual levels and calls for rigorous evaluation of content in light of the information disclosed. For abstracts and articles presenting original research, ASCO holds first, last, and corresponding authors to a clear standard of independence. In imposing restrictions, the new policy focuses on the role of these authors rather than of the principal investigator(s) as in the previous policy. ASCO remains actively engaged with the broader scientific community in seeking and implementing efficient, effective approaches to conflict of interest management.