ASTRO publishes guideline for pancreatic cancer, Looking ahead: ASTRO 2026 Presidential Symposium
August 19, 2026
| ASTRO publishes updated guideline on radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer |
| ASTRO released the updated guideline on radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer. Replacing the 2019 version, the new guideline covers treatments for patients with invasive ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma across a broad spectrum of nomestatic and metastatic stages.
See ASTRO's news release for a detailed summary. |
| New episode of the RadOnc Report: Shaping the Future of Cancer Care | |||
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| Get ready for Boston! In our latest episode, ASTRO President Neha Vapiwala, MD, FASTRO, and ASTRO CEO Vivek Kavadi, MD, MBA, FASTRO, sit down with Karen Knudsen, PhD, MBA, CEO of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI) and former CEO of the American Cancer Society.
Tune in as they dive into:
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| Public comments requested on draft Ethics-based Resource for Informed Consent |
| ASTRO is seeking public comments on a new draft Ethics-based Resource for Informed Consent in Radiation Oncology. Designed to provide a foundational ethical understanding and practical tools, this resource serves as a reference for developing practice-specific informed consent processes. Recognizing the wide variety of clinical approaches, state laws and institutional policies, the guide is intended to be tailored in consultation with your practice's clinical and legal advisors.
Please review the draft Resource and submit comments by September 17. |
| Offer your kudos to the awardees and raise funds for research! | |||
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Honor the 2026 Gold Medal awardees with a congratulatory message, a meaningful way to recognize and celebrate the Gold Medal Award recipients. Testimonials will be printed in the Gold Medal Gala’s evening program and proceeds raised benefit future research grants from Speed of Light – The ASTRO Foundation.
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| Join ASTRO’s next Functional Medicine Grand Rounds | |||
| Interested in learning more about radiation therapy applications outside of oncology? Join ASTRO's Functional Radiation Medicine (FRM) Task Force on September 8, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time for the next FRM Grand Rounds. This international webinar, Functional Radiation Medicine for Nononcologic Disorders: From Bench to Bedside, will explore the expanding role of low-dose radiotherapy for nononcologic diseases.
Moderators and speakers include: Robert Blach, MD (Moderator), Jan Kriz, MD, PhD (Moderator), Gopal Bajaj, MD, MBA, FASTRO (Speaker), Oliver Micke, MD (Speaker) and Lisa Weissmann, PhD (Speaker).
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| Webinar Series: Radiation's role in oligometastatic and polymetastatic disease | |||
Join us for a two-part series on September 8 and 11, reviewing advancements in metastasis-directed therapy, current indications and challenging cases. Moderated by Bhanu Prasad Venkatesulu, MD, MBBS, this series features experts from the London Health Sciences Centre and Seidman Cancer Center (up to 2 CME credits available). Bonus: Use code SUMMER26 at checkout to save 26% on all ASTRO Academy courses through September 7!
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ROCR momentum gaining on Capitol Hill ASTRO continues to push the Radiation Oncology Case Rate (ROCR) Act as a cornerstone of Medicare physician payment reform. In an August 11 letter, ASTRO urged lawmakers to include ROCR in the Patients First Act, highlighting its potential to stabilize payments and support community-based cancer care. ROCR also just gained two bipartisan House cosponsors, Reps. Carol Miller (R-WV) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), bringing total support to 41 House members, including key Medicare policymakers and cancer care champions. Help keep the momentum going by urging your representatives to cosponsor ROCR. |
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Mark your calendars for World Radiotherapy Awareness Day September 7 is World Radiotherapy Awareness Day (WRAD) and ASTRO is a proud member of the planning team in the global campaign to grow support for radiotherapy. Start planning how your clinic can participate this year through patient education, social media and local events. |
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| Attention residents: Apply now for ASTRO’s 2027 Government Relations Fellowship | |||
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Are you a resident interested in health policy and congressional advocacy? Apply for ASTRO's 2027 Government Relations (GR) Fellowship! The GR Fellow participates directly in advocacy meetings with members of Congress and receives an Emerging Advocacy Grassroots Leader award for travel to Advocacy Day.
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| Celebrate National Medical Dosimetrist Day today |
| Today, ASTRO joins the radiation oncology community in celebrating medical dosimetrists and their vital role in delivering safe, high-quality care. To mark the occasion this day, RO-ILS has released a new “great catch” event detailing how a dosimetry student identified missing target volumes during treatment planning. Please take a moment to thank your dosimetrist colleagues and join us in recognizing the American Association of Medical Dosimetrists for their continued support of RO-ILS. |
