Samuel Chao, MD, on Improving the Consistency of Radiation Oncology Processes
2015 ASTRO Annual Meeting
Samuel Chao, MD, of Cleveland Clinic, discusses the QMAP program and data-driven management, which offer ways to improve consistency and drive quality in radiation oncology departments (Abstract 39).
Joel E. Tepper, MD
Joel E. Tepper, MD, of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, discusses the ways in which SBRT has changed radiotherapy, as demonstrated in key studies presented at this year's meeting on stereotactic body radiotherapy for liver metastases and hepatocellular carcinoma, and borderline resectable and unresectable pancreatic tumors (Abstracts 253, 255, 351, 357).
Brian D. Kavanagh, MD
Brian D. Kavanagh, MD, of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, summarizes three papers: outcomes for locally advanced non–small cell lung cancer, 3D CRT vs image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy for reducing bowel toxicity, and dexamethasone for controlling pain flares in patients with bone metastases (Abstracts 2, 8, LBA6663).
Catherine C. Park, MD
Catherine C. Park, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, summarizes results from three clinical trials of radiation therapy for various cancers: metastatic melanoma, oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and breast cancer (Abstracts 215, 3, and LBA7).
Leonard Gunderson, MD
Leonard Gunderson, MD, of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, discusses PET/CT imaging in upper and lower gastrointestinal cancers, which can be of value as a baseline study prior to treatment, in determining the degree of response to treatment, and in helping decide whether there is a relapse after a complete response to treatment.
Jay Harris, MD
Jay Harris, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, discusses the difficulty reconciling recent important trials on radiotherapy for breast cancer: The Z11 trial suggested that breast tangents are sufficient, while MA.20 and EORTC studies suggested that full nodal irradiation is beneficial.