Newswise — ARLINGTON, Va., October 22, 2019 — The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) recently released seven updated practice parameters for medical providers who use radiation therapy to treat patients with cancer. The updated practice parameters synthesize the clinical best practices that describe recommended procedures and considerations for the safe delivery of radiation in specific areas of clinical practice. The joint Practice Parameters and Technical Standards are available for download online.
Three practice parameters were developed by ACR and ASTRO:
- ACR–ASTRO Practice Parameter for the Performance of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy
- ACR–ASTRO Practice Parameter for Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)
- ACR–ASTRO Practice Parameter for Communication: Radiation Oncology
Four additional practice parameters, which focus on the medical use of specific radioactive sources, were developed in collaboration with the American College of Nuclear Medicine (ACNM), the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS), the Society for Pediatric Radiology (SPR) and the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR):
- ACR–ACNM–ASTRO–SNMMI Practice Parameter for the Performance of Therapy with Unsealed Radiopharmaceutical Sources
- ACR–ACNM–ASTRO–SNMMI Practice Parameter for the Performance of Therapy with Radium-223
- ACR–ACNM–ASTRO–SNMMI–SPR Practice Parameter for Treatment of Benign and Malignant Thyroid Disease with I-131 Sodium Iodide
- ACR–ABS–ACNM–ASTRO–SIR–SNMMI Practice Parameter for Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) or Radioembolization with Microsphere Device Brachytherapy Device (RMBD) for Treatment of Liver Malignancies
ACR and ASTRO previously issued joint practice parameters for proton beam radiation therapy and radiation oncology in 2018, and for total body irradiation in 2017.
ABOUT ASTRO
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is the world’s largest radiation oncology society, with more than 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. 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 three medical journals, International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics, Practical Radiation Oncology and Advances in Radiation Oncology; developed and maintains an extensive patient website, RT Answers; and created the nonprofit foundation Radiation Oncology Institute. To learn more about ASTRO, visit our website, sign up to receive our news and follow us on our blog, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.