Master Classes are deeper dives into a particular topic that require additional time and instruction. This year we will hold four Master Classes covering a wide range of topics.
To register for any Master Class, please select the class you would like to attend during the registration process. If you have already registered to attend the meeting and would like to add a Master Class, you may modify your registration to include it.
$25 - Members/Nonmembers
$0 - Students/Residents/Fellows/Members-in-training
This session will provide an in-depth exploration of advanced quantitative imaging techniques for personalized radiotherapy, focusing on addressing barriers to clinical implementation and improving the management of lung toxicity. Attendees will be introduced to the latest developments in quantitative imaging modalities, including their applications in radiotherapy treatment planning, response assessment and functional lung avoidance. The session will cover specific use cases in brain and head and neck malignancies, as well as lung cancer radiotherapy. Discussions will address quality assurance issues, accessibility, reproducibility and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and automated workflows. The session will review state-of-the-art technologies such as SPECT/PET/MR/CT imaging, 4-D CT ventilation, Dual Energy CT perfusion and 4-D ventilation/perfusion PET, and their role in optimizing radiotherapy planning while minimizing lung toxicity.
$25 - Members/Nonmembers
$0 - Students/Residents/Fellows/Members-in-training
Considerations of safety are vitally important and permeate every aspect of radiation oncology practice. With increasing complexity and technological advances, cultivating a culture of safety has been elevated as a major goal. Indeed since 2012 and with each successive edition of the publication "Safety is No Accident," there is recognition that “new unexpected challenges to quality and safety” arise that require the "continual reassessment of usual ways of doing things with focus on activities that add value." Following on the benefits achieved by intentional strategic focus on patient quality and safety, we have designed the 2023 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Master Class to expand our focus of safety beyond patient safety to safety concerns of radiation providers to optimize the protections of human capital. We provide renewed perspectives on creating psychologically safe spaces, building inclusive cultures and supporting effective teams. During this session, we will explore 1) what it means to make the shift from unconscious bias to conscious considerations to promote inclusivity, 2) how to define a full concept of safety for human capital, and 3) the systems required to provide individuals with a voice/platform to address issues related to safety, including but not limited to issues of safety for historically marginalized groups based on race and/or ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity.
This class is in-person only and will not be livestreamed or available onDemand.
$150 - Members/Nonmembers
$0 - Students/Residents/Fellows/Members-in-training
Radiopharmaceuticals are an increasingly utilized therapeutic option for the treatment of malignancies. This session will focus on clinical indications, difficult cases, medical physics considerations, development of standard operating procedures for clinical implementation, billing and troubleshooting theranostic delivery. Specifically, Radium-223, Lutetium-177 dotatate and Lutetium-177 PSMA-617 will be discussed. The session will include didactic presentations from physician experts from radiation oncology, nuclear medicine, medical oncology and medical physicists, with question and answer sessions to discuss practice implementation in various clinical settings (i.e., academic hospital vs. community practice, nuclear medicine vs. radiation oncology). The purpose of the Master Class is to increase physician, physicist, billing and administration understanding on how to effectively and safely develop a radiopharmaceutical program at their respective institutions.
$25 - Members/Nonmembers
$0 - Students/Residents/Fellows/Members-in-training
This will be a timely session, occurring at the 10th Anniversary of the creation of the NRG Oncology Group for NCI trials (the consortium formed between RTOG, NSABP and GOG) and the RTOG-F startup nonprofit group to supplement this work. This also occurs as NRG is finalizing its third and largest ever NCI grant submission. The goals of this session will be threefold: 1) Outline the NRG’s broad accomplishments and future plans, including goals to broaden research in combined modality therapy (e.g., in oligometastatic cancer) and improving diversity in its clinical trials. This is not meant to be an exhaustive review of NRG-RTOG trial results, but a broad research strategy review. 2) Describe some of the behind-the-scenes work of NRG protocol development, conduct and analysis, and how to locate this information for interpreting trial results and in caring for patients whether on or off trial. 3) Promote engagement with NRG/RTOG-F, not only opening studies and enrolling patients, but also directly participating in research development. Particular emphasis will be toward educating and encouraging junior attendees, community practitioners and members of groups historically underrepresented in cooperative group research. The content of this session will be broad and serve the entire ASTRO/oncology community, particularly those interested in becoming national clinical trialists but need more education and guidance on this topic. The session design includes a series of talks/lectures from several leaders of NRG/RTOG-F on the topics above, plus additional time for panel Q&A.
