In conjunction with Patient Safety Awareness Week, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) published an update today to its framework for safe and effective radiation therapy treatment. The comprehensive reference guide, Safety is No Accident: A Framework for Quality Radiation Oncology and Care, is available for download.
New research released today provides guidance for physicians who treat patients with lung cancer. Three authors will present their findings in an online presscast today and during the plenary session Thursday, March 14, at the 2019 Multidisciplinary Thoracic Cancers Symposium, held March 14-16 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.
Co-sponsors of the 2019 Multidisciplinary Thoracic Cancers Symposium announced today the three abstracts that will be highlighted in an online presscast on Tuesday, March 12, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern. Interested reporters can register to receive embargoed news from the symposium at www.astro.org/thoracicpress.
The first report from a phase II, multi-center clinical trial indicates that a newer, more aggressive form of radiation therapy — stereotactic radiation — can extend long-term survival for some patients with stage-IV cancers while maintaining their quality of life. The study is published in the January issue of International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics (Red Journal), the flagship scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
The Chair of the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Board of Directors, Paul Harari, MD, FASTRO, issued the following statement today in support of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma’s announcement that Dr. Anand Shah was named Senior Medical Advisor for Innovation at CMS.
This year’s San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) features a record number of radiation oncology trials among its oral presentations. Today’s General Session 4 (3:15-5:00 p.m. CT in Hall 3) will showcase five major studies designed to improve outcomes for the majority of breast cancer patients who receive radiation therapy to cure and/or provide relief from the disease.
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) recently named three leaders in radiation oncology as the recipients of its Gold Medal award. Patricia Eifel, MD, FASTRO, David Jaffray, PhD, and Ralph Weichselbaum, MD, were awarded the highest honor bestowed upon ASTRO members and recognized for their achievements at ASTRO’s 60th Annual Meeting in San Antonio.
A new special edition of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology•Biology•Physics (Red Journal) focuses on the roles of imaging in radiation oncology. The collection explores topics such as improving accuracy with patient positioning, defining radiation therapy volumes using imaging, imaging of functional biomarkers, the role of imaging in post-treatment care, machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Following comments today from Alex Azar, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, on an alternative payment model for radiation oncology, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) issued the following statement from CEO Laura Thevenot.
Two recent studies find advances in radiation therapy are helping to prolong or improve the lives of people with anal cancer, including those whose cancer has advanced to stage IV. Both studies were published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics (Red Journal), the flagship scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
In a 10-year study of women who received radiation therapy to treat early-stage breast cancer, those receiving fewer, larger individual doses experienced similarly low rates of late-onset side effects as those undergoing conventional radiation therapy. Findings from the multi-institutional U.K. FAST clinical trial were presented last week at the 60th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
A subset of patients with low-risk breast cancer is highly unlikely to see cancer return following breast conservation surgery but can lower that risk even further with radiation therapy, finds a new long-term clinical trial report. These 12-year follow-up data from the only prospective, randomized trial to compare recurrence outcomes after treatment for low-risk ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) were presented last week at the 60th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
Adding radiation therapy or surgery to systemic therapy for stage IV lung cancer patients whose cancer has spread to a limited number of sites can extend overall survival time significantly, according to new results from a multicenter, randomized, controlled phase II study. The findings were presented last week at the 60th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
A highly sensitive blood test that detects minute traces of cancer-specific DNA has been shown to accurately determine whether patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) are free from cancer following radiation therapy. Findings will be presented today at the 60th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
Combinations of radiation and chemotherapy drugs have been shown to cure HPV-related head and neck cancer with a high success rate. A new phase III trial has now determined that cisplatin chemotherapy, combined with radiation therapy, produces the best results and should be considered the standard of care. Findings will be presented in a news briefing Tuesday at 3pm ET from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.
Treatment of renal cell carcinoma with stereotactic radiation therapy is as safe and effective for patients with one kidney as it is for those who have two, according to an analysis of the largest-ever, international dataset of solitary kidney patients to receive this emerging treatment. Findings will be presented in a news briefing today at noon ET from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.
Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a safe and effective treatment for men with low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer, according to a long-term, multi-institutional study. The study clears the way for patients who may wish to shorten their course of treatment without fear of increasing their risk for severe, adverse side effects. Findings will be presented in a news briefing today at noon ET from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.
While popular beliefs and population data suggest that African-American men are at higher risk of dying from prostate cancer than Caucasian men, a new analysis of genetic data from a large prospective registry and clinical data from several randomized trials indicates that African-American patients may have comparatively higher cure rates when treated with radiation therapy. Findings will be presented in a news briefing today at noon ET from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.
The first report of a large international clinical trial shows that, for men who show signs of prostate cancer after surgical removal of their prostates, extending radiation therapy to the pelvic lymph nodes combined with adding short-term hormone therapy to standard treatment can extend the amount of time before their cancer spreads. Findings will be presented in a news briefing today at noon ET from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.
In the first randomized, phase II clinical trial of its kind, researchers have shown that an aggressive form of high-precision radiation therapy can greatly increase how long oligometastatic patients live and doubles how long they live without cancer. The findings will be presented in a news briefing and the plenary session at the 60th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) next week.
Three prominent medical societies today issued a new clinical guideline for physicians treating men with early-stage prostate cancer using external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). Adoption of the guideline could make treatment shorter and more convenient for many patients with prostate cancer. Developed by a panel of experts from ASTRO, ASCO and AUA, the new guideline recommends offering patients a treatment option known as hypofractionated radiation therapy as an alternative to longer, conventional courses of radiation.
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) announced today the 10 top-rated studies that will be highlighted in the press program for the 2018 ASTRO Annual Meeting. Researchers will present their findings in three news briefings held October 21 through 23 in room 225-D of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio and via live webcast.
or only the second time, two cancer survivors were selected to receive the annual American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Survivor Circle Award. Susan Rafte, a Houston breast cancer survivor, will be honored at an award ceremony on October 23 during ASTRO’s 60th Annual Meeting in San Antonio. The second recipient, veteran William Fults of San Antonio, will be posthumously awarded the honor.
Two Texas-based nonprofits, Candlelighters of El Paso and the Light and Salt Association, have been named the recipients of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 2018 Survivor Circle grants. Each organization will receive a $10,000 grant to aid their cancer support programs and will be recognized at an award ceremony on October 23 during ASTRO’s 60th Annual Meeting in San Antonio.
The members of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) have elected four new officers to ASTRO’s Board of Directors and four members to serve on the medical society’s Nominating Committee. The newly elected President-elect, Council Vice-chairs and Nominating Committee members will begin their terms during ASTRO’s 60th Annual Meeting in San Antonio this October.
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has selected 35 distinguished members to receive the ASTRO Fellow (FASTRO) designation. The 2018 class of Fellows will be recognized during ASTRO’s 60th Annual Meeting, to be held October 21-24 in San Antonio.
Radiation oncologists from across the United States will visit Capitol Hill tomorrow to urge Congress to support policies that safeguard cancer patients’ access to high-quality, high-value health care. The doctors will meet with Congressional leaders during the 15th annual American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Advocacy Day.
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) will host its 60th Annual Meeting at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, October 18-24, 2018. The meeting will feature updates from clinical trials and cancer research involving radiation therapy, and keynote addresses from Ned Sharpless, MD, Director of the National Cancer Institute and Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency .
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) today issued the following statement in support of findings from an ASTRO-commissioned task force to review opportunities to improve outcomes for cancer patients by expanding the number of clinical trials that include radiation therapy in combination with new cancer drugs. The recommendations were published in the May 2018 issue of The Lancet-Oncology.
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) today issued an update to its clinical guideline for the use of palliative-intent radiation therapy for patients with incurable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Reflecting new evidence from randomized clinical trials, the guideline now recommends the addition of concurrent chemotherapy to radiation therapy for certain patients with incurable stage III NSCLC, including those who are able to tolerate chemotherapy and have a life expectancy longer than three months.
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) today issued a new clinical guideline for the use of whole breast radiation therapy for breast cancer that expands the population of patients recommended to receive accelerated treatment known as hypofractionated therapy.
Results of the phase II OPTIMA clinical trial indicate that patients with head and neck cancers associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV), including those with advanced nodal disease, can receive substantially lower radiation doses safely and effectively if they respond to induction chemotherapy initially.
Analysis of a clinical trial, RTOG Foundation 3504, finds that nivolumab immunotherapy can be administered safely in conjunction with radiation therapy and chemotherapy for patients with newly diagnosed local-regionally advanced head and neck cancers.
Analysis of the phase II CONDOR trial indicates that the immune checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab is tolerable among heavily pre-treated patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer and has the potential to slow growth in tumors with low or negative expression of the PD-L1 protein.
Results of a new phase II clinical trial indicate that cabozantinib offers an active therapy option for patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) that has progressed following surgery and treatment with radioactive iodine (RAI). Thirty-four of 35 patients in the trial experienced a reduction in tumor size following treatment with the targeted kinase inhibitor, and more than half experienced reductions in excess of 30 percent.
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) today applauded congressional leaders for the passage of legislation to freeze payment rates for key radiation oncology services delivered in freestanding clinics.
Co-sponsors of the 2018 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium announced four abstracts that will be highlighted in the meeting's official press program. Researchers will present the findings of these studies in an online news briefing for media professionals on Tuesday, February 13, 2018, from 12:00 to 1:15 p.m. Eastern time.
A registry that tracks the quality of medical care provided to patients receiving cancer treatment launched this month as part of a collaboration between the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). In addition to improving the quality of care for people living with cancer, the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) Reporting Registry also makes it easier for medical and radiation oncologists to report quality-related performance metrics required by the federal government.
Researchers will present peer-reviewed abstracts on new combination therapies, targeted therapies, immunotherapy, advanced radiation and surgical techniques, new staging systems, treatment guidelines and supportive care.
ASTRO Chair Brian Kavanagh, MD, MPH, FASTRO, will join representatives from leading physician groups Wednesday morning to discuss Medicare payment reform before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health. The hearing, “MACRA and Alternative Payment Models: Developing Options for Value-based Care,” will focus on moving the U.S. health system from volume-based to value-based care through effective Medicare payment reform, namely the expansion of alternative payment models (APMs) for physician reimbursement.
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) today called on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to move forward urgently with the development of a radiation oncology alternative payment model (RO-APM) following a new report to Congress from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMS Innovation Center).
A new study finds that immune response in prostate cancer may be able to forecast how patients will respond to radiation therapy, as well as their likelihood of disease recurrence and survival outcomes. The analysis of more than 9,000 prostate tumors also found evidence that PD-L2, not PD-L1, may provide a key route for targeted therapies, such as immunotherapy, to slow disease progression.
Radiation therapy following mastectomy for intermediate-stage, high-risk breast cancer can be shortened from five to three weeks while maintaining tumor control rates in the breast and surrounding region that are equivalent to conventional treatment, according to research presented at the 59th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
A new study demonstrates that a blood test to detect cancer may predict treatment outcomes for patients with localized non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and afford physicians additional lead time to personalize treatment for recurrent disease.
A new study finds that Medicaid expansion enacted as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) improved coverage for care for cancer patients receiving radiation therapy and potentially decreased health care disparities.
For certain patients with oropharyngeal cancer caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), an aggressive reduction of radiation therapy after surgery may provide excellent cancer control while simultaneously reducing post-treatment side effects, improving quality of life and lowering treatment costs, according to research presented today at the 59th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
In a new phase III trial report from the National Clinical Trial Network group, NRG Oncology, recurrence-free and overall survival rates for women with stage I-II high-risk endometrial cancer were not superior following vaginal cuff brachytherapy plus chemotherapy when compared with pelvic radiation therapy.
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