Radiation Oncology

Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to damage cancer cells' DNA and destroy their ability to divide and grow. It is delivered using linear accelerators, proton accelerators, metered cobalt-60 exposure, or brachytherapy where radioactive seeds are placed inside the patient on a temporary or permanent basis to kill cancer or relieve pain. The main radiation oncology society and annual conference is the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

Radiology scores relief as Congress addresses pay cuts, RO payment model in year-end spending bill

President Trump on Tuesday night hinted that he may veto the bill if Congress does not make certain adjustments.

December 22, 2020

CMS will delay start of radiation oncology payment model until July

The American Society for Radiation Oncology said it is "pleased" and "thankful" the federal agency listened to the needs of physician practices.

October 22, 2020

Oncology group releases its first clinical radiation therapy guidelines for cervical cancer

The American Society for Radiation Oncology recommendations cover indications and best practices for using external beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy in the postoperative and definitive settings.

June 10, 2020

ASTRO receives VA contract to develop cancer therapy quality measures

“This pioneering effort leverages evidence-based guidelines and the consensus of medical experts in a new and powerful way to optimize care for military veterans,” said Theodore L. DeWeese, MD, chair of ASTRO's board.

February 13, 2020

ASTRO releases new radiation therapy guidelines to treat skin cancers

More than 5 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer in the U.S. each year, and an overwhelming majority are categorized as either basal or cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

December 10, 2019
update policy

ACR, ASTRO update radiation therapy practice parameters

In total, the groups released seven updated practice parameters that describe recommended procedures and considerations to safely administer radiation depending on practice area.

October 23, 2019

ASTRO: AI predicts radiation side effects for cancer patients

A new machine learning approach can predict the negative side effects of radiation treatment in patients with head and neck cancers. The findings, presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting, can help select patients who might need a more tailored care approach.

September 17, 2019

ASTRO: SBRT effective in men with metastasized prostate cancer

High-dose, targeted radiation can be a safe and effective option for men with oligometastatic prostate cancer, according to findings presented at the 61st Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) in Chicago.

September 16, 2019

Around the web

Automated AI-generated measurements combined with annotated CT images can improve treatment planning and help referring physicians and patients better understand their disease, explained Sarah Jane Rinehart, MD, director of cardiac imaging with Charleston Area Medical Center.

Two advanced algorithms—one for CAC scores and another for segmenting cardiac chamber volumes—outperformed radiologists when assessing low-dose chest CT scans. 

"Gen AI can help tackle repetitive tasks and provide insights into massive datasets, saving valuable time," Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, said Tuesday. 

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