Call for H&N Late-breaking Abstracts, RPT Plenary slate announced, New podcast out now
December 17, 2025
| H&N Symposium: Late-breaking Abstracts submission site opens tomorrow | |
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Join your colleagues in Palm Desert, California, for the 2026 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Symposium, February 19-21. The 2026 Call for Late-breaking Abstracts opens tomorrow, December 18, through January 6. A late-breaking abstract is original research containing important results that were not available prior to the regular abstract submission deadline. Don’t miss this opportunity to present your findings at the premier multidisciplinary symposium for head and neck cancers! Learn more. |
| RPT Symposium – Plenary session abstracts slated |
| Two plenary sessions are scheduled during the Multidisciplinary Radiopharmaceutical Symposium, which will be held in Palm Desert, California, and virtually, February 17-18. Plenary session abstracts will focus on cutting-edge science and proven best practices. Plenary I will take place on Tuesday, February 17, 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Plenary II will be held on Wednesday, February 18, 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. View the schedule of events for the listing of sessions, including a list of Plenary Session abstracts and speakers. Join us! Registration and housing are open. |
| Tomorrow! eContouring for Glioblastoma Webinar – Free for Members-in-Training |
| Experience hands-on contouring on real cases during the eContouring for Glioblastoma Webinar, taking place Thursday, December 18, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. This ASTRO Academy live webinar will be led by Elham Rahimy, MD. ASTRO members receive a discount and members-in-training and international members-in-training can register for free, thanks to the support by the Radiation Oncology Institute’s Juan A. del Regato Fund. |
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Congratulations to the first stand-alone APEx RPT accredited facility Community Health Network MD Anderson Cancer Center East leads the way as the first to achieve APEx's RPT designation through the stand-alone process. This milestone highlights their commitment to excellence and innovation in patient care. Discover how APEx RPT can differentiate your practice and elevate your reputation. Learn more now. |
| ASTRO, 120+ tell Congress: Support prior auth reform |
| ASTRO joined more than 120 national medical specialty societies, state medical associations, and the AMA in a letter to Congress urging support of H.R. 3514/S. 1816, the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act. With more than 300 congressional cosponsors, this legislation will enact meaningful changes to burdensome and harmful prior authorization practices. Please visit What’s Happening in Washington for more details. |
| CY 2027 Proposed Rule rescinds utilization management analysis |
| On November 25, CMS proposed a CY 2027 rule revising Medicare Advantage, Part D, and Cost Plans. The rule would rescind the annual health equity analysis of utilization management policies, originally required in prior years mandating a health equity expert on utilization management committees and public reporting. For more information, read What’s Happening in Washington. |
| New podcast available on the RadOnc Report! |
| The ASTRO Early Career Committee (ECC) hosted a podcast on ASTRO’s RadOnc Report: How Early Career Radiation Oncologists Can Make a Difference Beyond the Clinic. ECC Vice-chair Avinash Chaurasia facilitated an energetic discussion with Amar Rewari, MD, MBA, FASTRO, and Anthony Paravati, MD, MBA, about how and why early career radiation oncologists can get involved in health policy advocacy. This podcast explores practical ways to engage in health advocacy — from influencing policy and reform to improving public communication and system-level decision making. Listen to this podcast and get involved! RadOnc Report is available on Spotify, Apple and ASTRO.org. |
| ASTRO medical student awards and opportunities |
| 2026 ASTRO-BCRF Radiation Oncology Visiting Away Rotations for Medical Students |
| Medical students are eligible for the ASTRO-BCRF Radiation Oncology Visiting Away Rotation awards, which provide financial support for four-week clinical or research rotations in radiation oncology. Each award provides a $2,500 stipend to help cover rotation expenses. Applications are accepted year-round, but early submission is recommended due to limited spots. |
| 2026 Medical Student Fellowship and Mentor Awards |
| The application period for the 2026 ASTRO Medical Student Fellowship (MSF) and Mentor Awards is open now through February 12. The MSF Award offers medical students early exposure to radiation oncology through research opportunities, mentorship, networking and career development. Recipients receive a $6,000 package covering an eight-week summer research experience, career sessions and travel to ASTRO’s annual meeting. |
| ASTRO Industry Sponsored Webinar, SGRT: Current practice and future developments | |
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ASTRO is pleased to present a new FREE webinar series sponsored by our industry partners. The first webinar, SGRT: An Established Tool for Treatment Safety & Emerging Platform for OAR Dose Reduction, sponsored by VisionRT, will be held January 21 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. Don’t miss this important webinar where you will gain practical insights into SGRT implementation, learn how to expand beyond traditional use cases, and understand how surface data can contribute to measurable improvements in patient care. Learn more and register on the ASTRO Academy. |
| Shaping the future of Stage 3 EGFR-Mutated NSCLC: Your voice matters |
| An international effort across cooperative groups aims to survey clinicians to plan a Phase III randomized intergroup study for stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The treatment landscape for these patients has evolved rapidly. Your insights will help inform future research priorities, guide clinical trial design and inform potential updates on practice recommendations. Participate in the survey. |
| Happy Holidays! |
| We wish you and your loved ones a happy holiday season filled with cherished moments, peace and joy. Best wishes and happy new year! ASTROgram will resume on January 7. |
