Management of Radiation-Induced CNS Toxicities

Improvement in cancer therapies have increased the number of long-term survivors with brain and spine tumors. While radiation therapy remains one of the cornerstones of treatment modalities, it is associated with toxicities that can impact quality of life. Radiation induced brain injury could lead to spinal cord myelopathy, optic neuropathy, nerve plexopathies, or hypopituitarism. Approaches to prevent or manage treatment-induced side effects are important. This activity - consisting of a patient, who is a long-term survival after CNS radiation, and experts from radiation oncology, endocrinology and ophthalmology - will educate the radiation oncology community on the management of radiation induced CNS toxicities and ways to reduce these risk for the wellness of our patients.

Topics:

  1. Prevention of Radiation-Induced Spinal Cord Myelopathy
    Kristen J. Redmond, MD, MPH
  2. Radiation-Induced Peripheral Nerve Plexopathies
    Stephanie K. Schaub, MD
  3. Radiation-Induced Hypopituitarism
    Karen McCowen, MD
  4. Radiation-Induced Optic Neuropathy
    Amanda Henderson, MD

This activity is available from August 12, 2025, through 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on August 11, 2027. 

The content was originally presented and recorded at the 2024 ASTRO Annual Meeting.

Target Audience

The activity is designed to meet the interests of radiation oncologists, radiation oncology residents, neurologists and medical students

Learning Objectives

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

  • Communicate/counsel with patients in their practice at risk for or suffering CNS radiation toxicity from spinal cord myelopathy, optic neuropathy, nerve plexopathies, or hypopituitarism. 
  • Gain a better understanding of real world implications of radiation induced sequelae. 
  • Potentially change practice by dose avoidance/planning techniques to limit spinal cord myelopathy, intracranial radiation toxicity, nerve plexopathies, or vision changes. 
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.25 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 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 1.25 Certificate of Attendance
    This activity was designated for 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
Course opens: 
08/12/2025
Course expires: 
08/11/2027
Cost:
$149.00
Rating: 
0

Tony Wang, MD, FASTRO, is employed by Columbia University and receives research funding from Merck, Genentech and Varian. SH is also a consultant with Genentech and Cancer Panels. He serves on an advisory board for Iylon Precision and receives royalties from Wolters Kluwer.

Kristin J. Redmond, MD, MPH, is employed by Johns Hopkins University. She receives research funding from Elekta AB, Accuray, Cannon and Gamma Tile. She also serves as a consultant with Icotec and Gama Tile and is on an advisory board for Biomimetrix.

Stephanie Schaub, MD, is employed by the University of Washingtom.

Karen McCowen, MD, is employed by the University of California San Diego.

Amanda Henderson, MD, is employed by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She serves on an advisory board for Amgen and Catalyst Pharmaceuticals and receives research funding from Argenx.

 

The person(s) above served as the developer(s) of this activity. Additionally, the ASTRO 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

  • 1.25 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 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 1.25 Certificate of Attendance
    This activity was designated for 1.25 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/Graduate Student/PGY-1 Member: $49
  • Postdoctoral Fellow Member: $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 August 11, 2027, 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.