This course is designed to provide clinicians in practice and trainees with a comprehensive review and update of the clinical practice parameters across most major sub-disciplines of radiation oncology, including sarcomas, pediatrics and lymphomas, and the role of radiotherapy in the multidisciplinary management of cancer patients. The course will review key evidence that forms the basis for current clinical practice guidelines and trends in new approaches. In addition, the course will cover treatment of oligometastases and use of SBRT to improve outcomes for patients with metastatic disease. It will also provide hands-on experience in contouring for breast, sarcoma and upper GI malignancies. It will also inform on the use of protons and heavy ions in the clinic and the use of radiation in the treatment of benign disease.
It is challenging for busy clinicians to stay current with the latest updates in the disease sites they treat. Information is disseminated rapidly in journal articles, webinars, podcasts and social media. Summarizing this information in a reasonable and memorable format is a great service to the specialty.
The effective and safe practice of radiation oncology requires a mastery of rapidly evolving technology and ever-changing treatment paradigms. Staying current with these changes and mastering new approaches such as more aggressive treatment of oligometastases and incorporation of AI and ctDNA is essential for patient safety and improved survival and is a need that the ASTRO Refresher courses can fill.
The treatment of benign disease with radiation is broadly needed but there is often a lack of experience and a learning intervention is needed to help Radiation Oncologists incorporate this into their practices in a safe and effective manner, and so we will have a session on this.
Upon completion of this live activity, attendees should be able to do the following:
This educational forum has been designed to narrow the following competency gaps, 13 of the 19 core competencies embraced by the American Board of Medical Specialties, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the Institute of Medicine, the American Board of Radiology and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education:
The meeting is designed to meet the interests of practicing radiation oncologists, radiation oncology residents, medical and clinical physicists, radiation therapists, radiation dosimetrists, nurses and all other health professionals involved in the field of radiation oncology.
