Targeting Cancer: Technology & Biology

The American Society for Radiation Oncology’s (ASTRO) 56th annual meeting attracted more than 11,000 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. Its Presidential Symposium, “Local-regional Management of Breast Cancer: A Changing Paradigm,” featured Jay R. Harris, M.D., FASTRO, and Thomas A. Buchholz, M.D., FASTRO, who highlighted recent practice-changing, landmark studies and current developments in the local-regional management of breast cancer. 

The meeting program was designed to narrow the competency gaps of patient/patient-centered care, medical knowledge, cognitive expertise, evidence-based practice, evaluation of performance in practice, interpersonal skills and communications, practice-based learning and improvement, utilization of informatics, work in interdisciplinary teams, quality improvement, professional standing and commitment to lifelong learning, 13 of the 15 core competencies embraced by the American Board of Medical Specialties, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the Institute of Medicine.

Many new studies and technologies were featured at this year’s meeting, some of which are featured below.