Innovative Radiation Therapy Approaches: Benefits & Challenges - Global Perspective

MRI-guided Radiation Therapy (MRgRT), FLASH proton therapy, concurrent immunotherapy, and radiation therapy and SBRT for oligometastatic disease, are emerging technologies and approaches to optimize cancer care. The number of academic and community centers acquiring these technologies has rapidly increased recently both nationally and internationally. There is not usually a technology-specific structured training. Many centers are now acquiring or having access to these approaches. This activity provides evidence-based, practical, non-commercially biased insight on current status, scientific evidence, and practical limitations of these approaches. This activity will interest radiation staff in centers recently acquired, those considering acquiring, and those interested to learn more about any of these technologies. Speakers are experienced in these specific technologies, with expertise in different tumor sites both in academic and community practice settings. The activity covers benefits and challenges utilizing each technology and addresses feasibility and challenges to implement these approaches in a resources-constrained environment including international low- and middle-income countries and U.S.-based rural/community practices. The presentations are followed by an engaging panel discussion to address the cost effectiveness of these technologies in different situations. ASTRO should be a global leader in educating the national and global radiation oncology communities about emerging technologies. 

Topic:

  1. Proton and FLASH Therapy
    James M. Metz, MD
  2. MRI-guided Adaptive Radiation Therapy 
    Tamer Refaat, MD, PhD, MSCI
  3. Immunotherapy and Radiation Therapy
    Silvia C. Formenti, MD
  4. SBRT for Oligometastatic Disease
    Stephen Harrow, MBChB, PhD
  5. Q and A
    Full Panel

This activity is available from July 23, 2024, through 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on July 22, 2026. 

This activity was originally recorded at the 2023 ASTRO Annual Meeting.

Target Audience

The activity is designed to meet the interests of medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists, and residents.   

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

  • Identify the value, current evidence, and limitations of innovative radiation therapy approaches. 
  • Identify available global training opportunities.
  • Discuss the cost-benefit of implementing these technologies in both academic and community settings, with special emphasis on resources constrained environments nationally and internationally.
  • Determine optimal patients' cohorts to be considered for these approaches and safe treatment delivery practices. 
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education for physicians. ASTRO designates this Enduring material for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • 1.00 Certificate of Attendance
    This activity was designated for 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
Course opens: 
07/23/2024
Course expires: 
07/22/2026
Cost:
$149.00
Rating: 
0
  • William Small, Jr., MD, FASTRO, is employed by Stritch School of Medicine, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Small receives honoraria from Novocure and Zeiss. Dr. Small receives compensation from ACR and AJCC. Dr. Small serves as Chair of the AUC Committee (uncompensated) of the American Radium Society and serves on the Executive Committee (uncompensated) of the GCIG.
  • Arno James Mundt, Jr., MD, FASTRO, is employed by University of California San Diego. 
  • James M. Metz, MD, is employed by University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine. Dr. Metz receives honoraria and travel expenses from Varian and IBA.
  • Tamer Refaat, MD, PhD, MS, is employed by Loyola University Medical Center, Loyola University Chicago and the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital. 
  • Silvia Chiara Formenti, MD, FASTRO, is employed by Cornell University and the Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Formenti receives consulting honoraria from AstraZeneca, Genentech/Roche, Bayer, BMS, Varian, ViewRay, Elekta, Janssen, Regeneron, GlaxoSmithKline, Eisai, MedImmune, Merck US, and EMD Serono. Dr. Formenti receives grant/research funding from Varian, Bristol Myers Squibb, Regeneron, Merck, Celldex and Arcus. Dr. Formenti is a member of the AACR Board of Directors, a member of the Medical Advisory Council of the Chemotherapy Foundation, and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board with the American Italian Cancer Foundation.
  • Stephen Harrow, MBChB, PhD, is employed by Edinburgh Cancer Centre and NHS Lothian. Dr. Harrow receives honoraria from Takeda and grant/research funding from AstraZeneca. 

The person(s) above served as the developer(s) of this activity. Additionally, the Education Committee had control over the content of this activity. All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.

Disclosure link: 
ASTRO Education Committee

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

 

Available Credit

  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education for physicians. ASTRO designates this Enduring material for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • 1.00 Certificate of Attendance
    This activity was designated for 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Price

Cost:
$149.00
Please login or register to take this course.

Course Fees:
ASTRO members must log in to the ASTRO website to view and receive the member rate.

Nonmember: $149
Member: $99
Member-in-training: $49
Student/Grad Student/PGY: $49
Postdoctoral Fellow: $49

If you are an ASTRO member from a low or lower-middle income country, as identified by the World Bank, you can receive a 50% discount off your corresponding registration for this activity. Please email [email protected] to inquire about the discount.

Policies:
No refunds, extensions, or substitutions will be made for those participants who, for any reason, have not completed the activity by the expiration date.

Participants using ASTRO Academy activities to satisfy the requirement of a Continuing Certification (MOC) program should verify the credit number and type and availability dates of any activity before making a purchase. No refunds, extensions, or substitutions will be made for participants who have purchased activities that do not align with their MOC requirement.

The activity and its materials will only be available on the ASTRO website until July 22, 2026, regardless of purchase date. At the expiration of the activity, participants will no longer have access to the activity or its materials. ASTRO reserves the right to remove an activity before its expiration date.

Required Hardware/software

One of the two latest versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari.