Clinical trials and cutting-edge radiation oncology research to be featured at ASTRO's Annual Meeting in San Diego

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The press program for the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) will feature advances in cancer research, including reports from phase II and III clinical trials. Studies that examine innovative treatments, such as immunotherapy, mental health influences on cancer outcomes and optimal radiation dosing and sequencing will also be presented at the largest meeting for the field of radiation oncology.

The meeting, which is expected to attract more than 11,000 attendees, will be held September 24 through 27, 2017, at the San Diego Convention Center. Researchers selected for the press program will share their findings in a series of news briefings held in room 24C and webcast live to registered press (registration available here). The schedule is as follows:

The Science of Radiation Oncology: Innovative Approaches
Sunday, September 24, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Pacific time

• "Consolidative radiotherapy for limited metastatic non-small cell lung cancer: A randomized phase II trial," Puneeth Iyengar, MD, PhD, University of Texas Southwestern (Abstract LBA-3)
• "Phase II 5-arm trial of ipilimumab plus lung or liver stereotactic radiation for patients with advanced malignancies," James Welsh, MD, MD Anderson Cancer Center (Abstract LBA-5)
• "Novel associations between the immune landscape of prostate cancer and post-operative radiation response," Shuang (George) Zhao, MD, MSE, University of Michigan (Abstract 3)
• [invited study to be confirmed]
• Moderator: Brian Czito, MD, Duke University

Quality Care in Radiation Oncology: Refining Treatments
Monday, September 25, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific time

• "A phase III trial of pelvic radiation therapy versus vaginal cuff brachytherapy followed by paclitaxel/carboplatin chemotherapy in patients with high-risk, early-stage endometrial cancer: A Gynecology Oncology Group study," Marcus Randall, MD, FASTRO, University of Kentucky (Abstract LBA-1)
• "Two-year results for MC1273, a phase II evaluation of aggressive dose de-escalation for adjuvant chemoradiation in HPV+ oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC)," Daniel Ma, MD, Mayo Clinic (Abstract LBA-14)
• "Hypofractionated radiation therapy after mastectomy for the treatment of high-risk breast cancer: Five-year follow-up result of a randomized trial," Shulian Wang, MD, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (Abstract 5)
• "Long-term results of RTOG 0617: A randomized phase III comparison of standard dose versus high dose conformal chemoradiotherapy +/- cetuximab for stage III NSCLC," Jeffrey Bradley, MD, FASTRO, Washington University at St. Louis (Abstract 227)
• Moderator: Paul Harari, MD, FASTRO, ASTRO President-elect, University of Wisconsin

The Healing Art of Radiation Oncology: Patient Well-being
Tuesday, September 26, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Pacific time

• "Healthcare disparities in cancer patients receiving radiation: Changes in insurance status after Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act," Fumiko Chino, MD, Duke University (Abstract LBA-15)
• "Study of total and undiagnosed depression in a cancer patient population at an urban cancer center," Jason Domogauer, PhD, Rutgers University (Abstract 21)
• "The long-lasting relationship of distress on radiation oncology-specific clinical outcomes," Justin Anderson, Virginia Commonwealth University (Abstract 22)
• "The patient's perspective on breast radiation therapy: Initial fears and expectations versus reality," Narek Shaverdian, MD, University of California, Los Angeles (Abstract 85)
• Moderator: Brian Kavanagh, MD, MPH, FASTRO, ASTRO President, University of Colorado

Embargoed news releases and highlighted abstracts will be provided to registered news media in advance of the meeting, and, upon request, outside experts are available to comment. Audio recordings, author slides and high-resolution photos will be posted online after each briefing.

An on-site press office in room 24B of the San Diego Convention Center will be open during business hours Sunday through Wednesday. Registration for the meeting is complimentary for credentialed news media and public information officers at institutions presenting research at the meeting. Information on press registration and briefing webcasts is available online.

Follow the meeting on Twitter using #ASTRO17. More information about the meeting is available at the ASTRO Annual Meeting webpage or online conference planner.

ABOUT ASTRO'S ANNUAL MEETING
ASTRO's 59th Annual Meeting, the world's largest scientific meeting in radiation oncology, will be held September 24-27, 2017, at the San Diego Convention Center. The 2017 Annual Meeting is expected to attract more than 11,000 attendees from across the globe, including oncologists from all disciplines and members of the entire radiation oncology team. More than 2,800 abstracts sharing results from clinical trials and other research studies will be presented in conjunction with educational sessions and keynote addresses that underscore the meeting's theme, "The Healing Art and Science of Radiation Oncology." Led by ASTRO President Brian Kavanagh, MD, MPH, FASTRO, the 2017 meeting will feature keynote addresses from Richard D. Zane, MD, FAAEM, Chief Innovation Officer for the University of Colorado Health System; Lucy Kalanithi, MD, FACP, widow of Paul Kalanithi, MD, the best-selling author of "When Breath Becomes Air," with Heather Wakelee, MD, Paul's oncologist; and Vinay K. Prasad, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine at the Oregon Health & Science University. During the four-day meeting, more than 200 exhibitors will demonstrate cutting-edge technology and medical device innovations for radiation oncology. Visit us online for more information about ASTRO's 59th Annual Meeting or press opportunities at the meeting.

ABOUT ASTRO
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is the world's largest radiation oncology society, with more than 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. The Society is dedicated to improving patient care through professional education and training, support for clinical practice and health policy standards, advancement of science and research, and advocacy. ASTRO publishes three medical journals, International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics (www.redjournal.org), Practical Radiation Oncology (www.practicalradonc.org) and Advances in Radiation Oncology (www.advancesradonc.org); developed and maintains an extensive patient website, RT Answers (www.rtanswers.org); and created the Radiation Oncology Institute (www.roinstitute.org), a nonprofit foundation to support research and education efforts around the world that enhance and confirm the critical role of radiation therapy in improving cancer treatment. To learn more about ASTRO, visit www.astro.org and follow us on our blog, Facebook and Twitter.

Contact: Liz Gardner
703-286-1600
liz.gardner@astro.org

Leak Kerkman Fogarty
703-839-7336
leah.fogarty@astro.org

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SOURCE American Society for Radiation Oncology