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).
Vratislav Strnad, MD, PhD, of the University Hospital in Erlangen, discusses results from a European study comparing accelerated partial-breast irradiation using brachytherapy, to the standard treatment of whole-breast irradiation for women with low-risk breast cancer (Abstract LBA7).
Alysa M. Fairchild, MD, of the Cross Cancer Institute and the University of Alberta, discusses her study on the use of dexamethasone to reduce pain flare in patients receiving palliative radiotherapy for bone metastases (Abstract LBA6663).
Anita Mahajan, MD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center, summarizes results from three clinical trials on radiation therapy for ependymoma, locally advanced thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and meningioma (Abstracts 31, 1, 7).
Bruce Minsky, MD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses two important papers: results from a prospective trial on quality-of-life outcomes for low-risk HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and a prostate cancer radiation therapy study (Abstracts 3, 4).
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.
