Best rates for Refresher, WBI Guidelines Task Force needed, Nominations for Honorary & Mentor
January 29, 2025
| Time is running out to save on the 2025 ASTRO Virtual Annual Refresher Course! |
| Review the schedule to see the sessions we have planned and the expert presenters! This three-day course has been curated to provide you with the latest and greatest research. In addition, there are three eContouring sessions you can participate in; onDemand access is included with registration; and you can choose to register for add-on programs at a special Refresher Course discount! New for 2025, there’s a physics lecture on protons and heavy ions, a lecture on radiobiology of benign disease, and two bonus onDemand presentations on pediatrics and vulvar and vaginal cancers. Act now and save when you register by February 5! |
| Federal spending freeze prompts questions |
| ASTRO is monitoring communications from the Trump Administration after the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Monday directed federal agencies to pause funding for thousands of government services, excluding Medicare. The OMB directive was then temporarily halted by a federal judge Tuesday evening. OMB has sought to clarify actions, noting that the freeze is specific to President Trump’s recent executive orders and asking federal agencies to provide information on certain federal programs by February 7. The freeze follows the suspension of communications and travel for Health and Human Services Department employees, including the National Institutes of Health. |
| CMS seeks to improve care and access for Medicare Advantage enrollees |
| In the Medicare Contract Year 2026 proposed rule, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) seeks to establish guardrails for the use of artificial intelligence in utilization management and removing unnecessary barriers to care. ASTRO comments in response to the proposed rule support defining a common “internal coverage criteria” for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and disaggregating MA data collected to further address inequities in access to care. For more, see What’s Happening in Washington. |
| ASTRO’s Coding and Coverage Seminar now available on the ASTRO Academy |
| ASTRO has made its recorded December 2024 Coding and Coverage seminar available for purchase in the ASTRO Academy. For a limited time only, those interested will have the opportunity to purchase the recording in full or select from specific program sessions. Residents and members-in-training can purchase the recordings at a reduced price. Of note, these options do not include the individual case studies or Q&A session that were held during the live session. Attendees of the live seminar have called this “ASTRO’s best seminar yet” and “critical to enforcing or expanding your coding knowledge.” |
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Calling all artists! Submit for Red Journal cover art Please consider submitting your artwork for the Red Journal cover! We accept all forms of art, including photography, paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture. All members of the radiation community are welcome and encouraged to submit. Please reach out to Jennifer Bellon or Annie LaVigne with any questions, or submit directly to the journal. |
| Last call: Apply to work on replacement guideline task force for Whole Breast Irradiation |
| ASTRO is initiating a task force to develop a replacement guideline on Whole Breast Irradiation. Interested members may apply for consideration by next Wednesday, February 5. Please also forward this information to any colleagues who may be interested. |
| ASTRO accepting applications for Mentorship and Honorary Member awards |
| Submit your nominations for the prestigious Mentorship recognition award, due March 21, and ASTRO Honorary Member, due April 11. The Mentorship award recognizes extraordinary mentors in radiation oncology who demonstrate outstanding commitment to the professional development of their mentees as clinicians, educators and researchers. The Honorary Membership award is the highest honor ASTRO bestows upon distinguished cancer researchers and leaders in disciplines other than radiation oncology, radiation physics or radiobiology. Awardees will be recognized during the Awards Ceremony at the 2025 Annual Meeting in San Francisco. |
| Media Request: Prior authorization and patient deaths |
| ASTRO’s recent Prior Authorization Survey highlighted how insurance approval practices can harm people with cancer. Now, a leading news outlet is investigating cases where prior authorization caused or significantly contributed to a patient's death. They are particularly looking for instances in which families would be open to sharing their experiences. If you have any information or examples that might shed light on this issue, please email ASTRO’s media team. We understand this is a highly sensitive topic and appreciate your help underscoring the real-world impact of prior authorization delays and denials. |
| New on the Blog: Providers and researchers collaborate to mitigate the impacts of wildfire on cancer care |
| Wildfires in Southern California have presented unprecedented challenges for cancer patients and their health care providers. Learn more about recent research led by PGY5 Katie Lichter, MD, and her colleagues from University of California, San Francisco, highlighting the urgent need for cancer centers to develop disaster preparedness strategies to address the growing threat of wildfires, as well as a first-hand account from radiation oncologist Yun Rose Li, MD, PhD, at City of Hope, on how they mobilized to mitigate treatment disruptions for their patients during the nearby Eaton fire. Read more on the ASTROblog. |
| Interviews from the ASTRO History Committee |
| In 2000, the ASTRO History Committee began a series of oral interviews of notable society members and non-member honorees. Each of the individuals interviewed has a unique story from which we have much to learn about their journeys and our specialty’s past, and possibly, our future. This week we feature ASTRO Gold Medal Award recipient Lori Pierce, MD, FASTRO, who was interviewed in December 2020, by Tithi Biswas, MD, and Colleen Lawton, MD, FASTRO. |
