I’m thrilled to share details about the 2025 ASTRO Presidential Symposium, which reflects this year’s Annual Meeting theme: Rediscovering Radiation Medicine and Exploring New Indications.
This year’s sessions will highlight the growing body of evidence supporting radiation therapy for non-malignant diseases, with a focus on musculoskeletal (e.g., Dupuytren’s, osteoarthritis), cardiac (e.g., arrhythmias, heart failure), and functional neurologic (e.g., tremors) conditions. Our expert speakers — drawn from a range of disciplines — will challenge us to think differently about where our field is heading, and how to get there.
Session I: Reimagining Radiation Medicine
I’ll open the Symposium by outlining the opportunities and challenges ahead as we expand the scope of radiation medicine beyond cancer. We’ll then hear from a multidisciplinary group of thought leaders:
- Jarad Martin, MD, MBChB, PhD, BSc, GAustMS, will kick things off with a broad overview: biological rationale, levels of evidence, current outcomes, credibility concerns, and toxicity data — while identifying critical opportunities for future clinical trials and collaboration.
- Paul Werker, MD, PhD, a Dutch plastic surgeon and basic scientist, will offer a measured perspective. Drawing on high-level data, including randomized trials in conditions like plantar fibromatosis, he’ll highlight the existing evidence base for radiation in diseases such as Dupuytren’s, Ledderhose, and hand osteoarthritis, and underscore the need for rigorous, prospective research.
- Heidi Prather, DO, a national expert on musculoskeletal medicine, will explore osteoarthritis as a chronic condition with no cure. She will delve into the emerging role of low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT) in symptom management, emphasizing OA subtypes, metabolic contributions to disease, and co-treatment strategies that may enhance outcomes.
- Gopal Bajaj, MD, MBA, FASTRO, will challenge us to imagine a future where radiation oncology alleviates suffering in patients with non-malignant and inflammatory diseases. With a call to action, he’ll ask: “What else can radiation oncology cure?” and make the case that the time for this paradigm shift is now — supported by the precision tools we already have, offering relief, dignity and durable outcomes for patients previously left behind.
- Jan Kriz, MD, PhD, will moderate the multidisciplinary panel discussion to close out Session I.
Session II: Coding Relief — Billing RT for Non-Malignant Diseases
Infrastructure matters — and that includes reimbursement. Amar Rewari, MD, MBA, FASTRO, will lead a practical session on the coding landscape for non-malignant radiation therapy. This includes the latest updates from CMS, guidance on reducing denials, and tools to support program growth. Attendees will leave with clarity on how to bill confidently and compliantly in this evolving space. The session will demystify the current rules and preview what’s ahead, so practices can seize this moment to lead.
Session III: Precision Without Incision — The New Era of Functional Radiosurgery
This session will feature a storytelling format to trace the evolution of functional radiosurgery, from its origins to present-day practice, and offer real-world examples and workflows.
Markus Bredel, MD, PhD, and Evan Thomas, MD, PhD, will walk us through patient selection, imaging pathways, team-based decision making, and technological tools used in conditions like dystonia, Parkinson’s disease and tremors. They’ll also explore reimbursement, awareness building, and where the field is heading, including the narrowing role for radiation in chronic pain and investigational applications like Alzheimer’s disease.
Session IV: Cardiac Radioablation — Past, Present, and Future
More than a decade in the making, stereotactic arrhythmia radiotherapy (STAR) is transforming the treatment landscape for patients with life-threatening ventricular tachycardia.
Clifford Robinson, MD, FASTRO, and Phillip Cuculich, MD, will review the clinical history of cardiac-directed RT, share lessons from completed and ongoing trials, and explore new frontiers. including its surprising potential in heart failure. The session will address workflows, target definition, emerging standardization, and the implications of low-dose scatter on non-target cardiac tissue. They’ll conclude with insights into dose constraints for cancer patients and new evidence supporting the role of radiation in heart failure management.
Special thanks to all our Presidential Symposium speakers!
Join us in San Francisco on Sunday, September 28, at 8:45 a.m. Pacific time, for what promises to be a transformative session — and stay for all that the 2025 ASTRO Annual Meeting has to offer.
Let’s rediscover what radiation medicine can become.
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