From Beam to Bedside: Benefits and Logistics of a Dedicated Palliative Radiation Therapy Service

Palliative radiotherapy remains an unmet need, despite its efficacy. The presenter discusses how a dedicated palliative radiation service can address barriers to care and play an integral role in improving care access and receipt. The presenter provides helpful insights for those seeking to create such a service or strengthen an existing one. The session covers the current scope of palliative radiotherapy, the role of dedicated palliative radiation services in terms of both impacts and barrier to their success, and why such services are likely to become increasingly important within the evolving landscape of palliative radiation.

Target Audience

The activity is designed to meet the interests of medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, nurses, and residents.

Learning Objectives

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

  • Illustrate why palliative radiotherapy remains an unmet need.
  • Convey the integral role that a dedicated palliative radiation service can play in improving access to and receipt of care.
  • Provide insights to support de novo development or further refinement of a dedicated palliative radiation service.
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 0.50 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 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 0.50 Certificate of Attendance
    This activity was designated for 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
Course opens: 
02/27/2026
Course expires: 
02/26/2028
Cost:
$149.00
Rating: 
0

Speaker:

  • Anna W. LaVigne, MD, is employed by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Planner:

  • Malcolm Mattes, MD, is employed by Rutgers Cancer Institute. Dr. Mattes had research funding from Gilead Sciences [ended 8/30/2025].

Reviewer:

  • Michael Haddock, MD is employed by Mayo Clinic and has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.

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

  • 0.50 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 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 0.50 Certificate of Attendance
    This activity was designated for 0.50 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 February 24, 2028, 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.