Newswise — Fairfax, Va., May 28, 2014 – The American Society for Radiation Oncology’s (ASTRO’s) 56th Annual Meeting garnered a record-breaking total of 2,874 abstracts submitted for selection at the nation’s premier meeting in radiation oncology. 1,681 studies are from researchers in the U.S., followed by 575 studies from Asia (Japan (206), China (191), Korea (93), Taiwan (33), India (31), Hong Kong (8), Singapore (7), Philippines (3), Thailand (2) and Malaysia (1)); 171 studies from Canada; 54 studies from Germany; and 31 studies from the United Kingdom. The scientific presentations will include up to four plenary papers, 360 oral presentations, 1,862 posters and 144 digital posters in more than 50 educational sessions and for 20 disease-site tracks and topics including radiation biology, radiation physics, palliative care, patient safety and patient-reported outcomes.

The 2014 Annual Meeting will be held September 14-17, 2014, at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, and is expected to attract more than 11,000 attendees including oncologists from all disciplines, medical physicists, dosimetrists, radiation therapists, radiation oncology nurses and nurse practitioners, biologists, physician assistants, practice administrators, industry representatives and other health care professionals from around the world. Led by ASTRO President Bruce G. Haffty, MD, FASTRO, a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer, the theme of the 2014 Meeting is “Targeting Cancer: Technology and Biology.” The Presidential Symposium, “Local-regional Management of Breast Cancer: A Changing Paradigm,” will feature Jay R. Harris, MD, FASTRO, and Thomas A. Buchholz, MD, FASTRO, to highlight recent practice-changing landmark studies and current developments in the local-regional management of breast cancer.

Three keynote speakers will address a range of topics including oncologic imaging, biology and targeting in oncology, and human error and safety concerns: • Hedvig Hricak, MD, PhD, Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center• Frank McCormick, PhD, FRS, Director, University of California San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center• Sidney Dekker, PhD, Professor, Safety Science Innovation Lab, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia

When: Sunday, September 14 – Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Where: Moscone Center, San Francisco

Press Registration: Credentialed journalists from accredited news organizations are invited to attend and report on ASTRO’s 2014 Annual Meeting. Reporters registered by August 31 will receive the embargoed Annual Meeting Press Kit prior to the meeting. Press Policies and Registration Form

Press Room: ASTRO will have a dedicated Press Room at Moscone Center.

2014 Press Room Hours:Sunday, September 14: 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.Monday, September 15: 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.Tuesday, September 16: 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.Wednesday, September 17: 7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

2014 News Briefings Schedule, as of May 28, 2014:*Please note that the News Briefings listed below are subject to change and/or cancellation.

Sunday, September 14, Time TBA: Bruce G. Haffty, MD, FASTRO, ASTRO president and chair of the 2014 Annual Meeting Steering Committee

Monday, September 15, Time TBA: “Plenary Papers” News Briefing Tuesday, September 16, Time TBA: Two News Briefings: Topics TBA

Wednesday, September 17, Time TBA: News Briefing: Topic TBA

For more information about ASTRO’s 56th Annual Meeting. Follow the 2014 ASTRO Annual Meeting on Twitter: #ASTRO14

ABOUT ASTROASTRO is the premier radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals that specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through professional education and training, support for clinical practice and health policy standards, advancement of science and research, and advocacy. ASTRO publishes two medical journals, International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics (www.redjournal.org) and Practical Radiation Oncology (www.practicalradonc.org); developed and maintains an extensive patient website, www.rtanswers.org; and created the Radiation Oncology Institute (www.roinstitute.com), a non-profit foundation to support research and education efforts around the world that enhance and confirm the critical role of radiation therapy in improving cancer treatment. To learn more about ASTRO, visit www.astro.org.

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