Key Sessions and Highlights

Clinical Trials and Plenary Sessions

The Annual Meeting Scientific Committee has curated an outstanding program for 2026. The scientific program will encompass more than 2,000 abstracts presented in a variety of formats, including the popular Science Highlights, Quick Pitch sessions and many opportunities to explore the more than 1,700 posters.

The Clinical Trials session is held on Sunday, September 27 at 1:30 p.m. and moderated by Kenneth Rosenzweig, MD, FASTRO, and Farzan Siddiqui, MD, PhD, FASTRO, chair and co-chair respectively of the Annual Meeting Scientific Committee.

The Plenary Session, also moderated by Drs. Rosenzweig and Siddiqui, features potentially practice-changing studies and will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, September 28, directly following the Presidential Address from Neha Vapiwala, MD, FASTRO.

The Clinical Trials and Plenary sessions showcase abstracts of scientific significance deemed to have the highest merit and greatest impact on radiation oncology research and practice. Learn more about such advancements through these sessions in addition to interactive Oral Scientific and Quick Pitch sessions, Science Highlight sessions, Digital Posters and Cancer Breakthrough sessions. 

Keynotes

Keynote speakers give attendees an opportunity to hear from high-profile individuals whose breadth and vision extend beyond our specialty and inform us on the broader healthcare environment.

With a leading bioethicist and policymaker in the room, we’re thrilled to welcome this year’s speakers, Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD, and Scott Gottlieb, MD.

Keynote 01: The American Care Compact: Goals for Future American Healthcare Reform

Monday, September 28
9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD

With a vast background as both an oncologist and bioethicist, Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD, will speak on The American Care Compact: Goals for Future American Healthcare Reform. For context, the American healthcare system is currently unaffordable, overcomplicated and unsustainable. The U.S. spends about $4,000 more per person than the next highest country — Switzerland. Because the defect is structural, partial reforms will not solve healthcare’s problems. There must be comprehensive, systemic reform.

Dr. Emanuel will preview five goals of a well-functioning healthcare system as: 1) Universal coverage, 2) Reasonable and sustainable costs, 3) Consistent, high-quality care, 4) Reducing disparities and 5) Satisfaction of the public, patients and providers. Meanwhile, he will discuss how reform needs to ensure that providers have the three Is — information, incentives and infrastructure.

Dr. Emanuel’s perspective is derived from his many roles including Vice Provost for Global Initiatives and as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, an oncologist and the most widely cited bioethicist. He is a Special Advisor to the Director General of the World Health Organization, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and was founding chair of the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health and held that position until August 2011. He has served as a Special Advisor on Health Policy to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and National Economic Council and was instrumental in drafting the Affordable Care Act (ACA). He also served on the Biden-Harris Transition COVID Advisory Board.

With over 350 publications and having authored or edited 16 books, Dr. Emanuel’s most recent books include “Eat Your Ice Cream” (2026) and “Which Country Has the World’s Best Healthcare” (2020). He has received numerous awards including election to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences, the Royal College of Medicine (UK) and is currently a Guggenheim Fellow. He is a graduate of Amherst College, holds an MSc from Oxford University in Biochemistry and received his MD from Harvard Medical School and his PhD in political philosophy from Harvard University.

Keynote 02: A Conversation with Dr. Scott Gottlieb

Tuesday, September 29
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Scott Gottlieb, MD

Scott Gottlieb, MD, will lead a keynote that will take place as a moderated conversation exploring current trends in healthcare. Dr. Gottlieb offers expertise from numerous roles he has held, most notably as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. A former practicing hospitalist and current leading expert in health policy, Dr. Gottlieb’s work focuses on providing insights into the economic and technological forces driving the transformation of healthcare. He is currently a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research and a partner at the venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates.

Under Dr. Gottlieb’s leadership, the FDA advanced new frameworks for the modern oversight of gene therapies, cell-based medicines and digital health devices. He promoted policies to reduce death and disease from tobacco, improve food safety and aggressively confront addiction crises. The agency’s prolific advances in new policy distinguished his tenure as FDA Commissioner, along with a record-setting number of approvals for novel drugs, medical devices and generic medicines.

Dr. Gottlieb is the author of the New York Times bestselling book “Uncontrolled Spread: Why COVID-19 Crushed Us and How We Can Defeat the Next Pandemic” and is a regular contributor to CNBC and CBS News’ Face the Nation. In 2018 and again in 2019, Dr. Gottlieb was recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of “The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” and by Time Magazine as one of the “50 People Transforming Healthcare.” Dr. Gottlieb is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and completed medical school and a residency in internal medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and before that, graduated from Wesleyan University, majoring in economics.

Cancer Breakthroughs

Tuesday, September 29 | 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Carve out time to hear summaries of the year’s groundbreaking cancer studies from their respective oncologic organizations. Kicking off the day on Tuesday morning, Cancer Breakthroughs: A Collaborative Review of the Year’s Most Impactful Studies will be moderated by ASTRO President-elect Catheryn Yashar, MD, FASTRO, and feature discussants from AACR, AAPM, ASCO and ESTRO.

Awards Ceremony

Tuesday, September 29 | 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Honor your colleagues directly following the second keynote in this longstanding Annual Meeting tradition. The ASTRO Awards Ceremony will bestow 39 distinguished ASTRO members as ASTRO Fellows and award the 2026 Mentorship Award recipients, Honorary Member and Gold Medal recipients as well as the new Corporate Partner Award.

Workshops and Specialty Programming

Practical Radiation Oncology (PRO) Program

Tailored for community practitioners, the PRO Program delivers evidence-based, real-world guidance on managing diverse cancers over a two-day period. Sessions cover topics such as advanced gynecologic and breast cancer, brain tumor re-irradiation, liver and pancreatic malignancies, lymphomas, cSCCa, bone metastases and more — along with insights on liquid biopsies and the economics of radiation oncology.

In addition to being available as part of the Weekender registration package, the PRO Program is also included in the full registration package allowing all attendees access to these sessions.

Workshops

In addition to the new Functional Radiation Medicine and Physics workshops, we’re pleased to bring back the following focused, interactive sessions that explore critical topics in cancer care, professional development and healthcare program implementation.

Workshop 05: ACGME Workshop – Review Committee Update and Accreditation Info You Need for Your Program

This session will provide an update to radiation oncology residency program directors and program coordinators on the work of the Review Committee for Radiation Oncology in the Next Accreditation System, including program updates, changes in program requirements and NAS accreditation reviews. It will also provide an opportunity for attendees to discuss their own challenges and local solutions.

Workshop 06: Implementing Best Practices for Clinical, Operations and Research Care in a Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Program

*Please note that this workshop is an additional cost.

$150 - Member/Nonmember
$0 - Student/Resident/Fellows/Members-in-training/Patient Advocates

This session will focus on strategies to accelerate the development and expansion of radiopharmaceutical therapy programs through effective clinical integration and operational best practices. Key topics include patient selection and clinical indications of PSMA therapy, implementation of SPECT, reimbursement and billing strategies and enhanced operational recommendations.

Workshop 07: When Disaster Strikes: Safeguarding Radiotherapy’s Value and Continuity Across Catastrophic Events

This session provides a comprehensive, action-oriented framework for safeguarding radiotherapy continuity across catastrophic events. Speakers with expertise in climate-related operational disruptions, cybersecurity/RIS-EHR failures and health-system disaster planning will examine both external system threats and the internal quality mechanisms that can serve as universal lines of defense when disruptions occur.

Workshop 08: Grant Writing Workshop

The session is designed to equip residents, trainees and junior faculty clinician researchers with information on the critical skill of grant writing. After presentations on review criteria, crafting specific aims, developing a research strategy and revising and resubmitting grants, attendees will breakout into small groups to get specific feedback on their interests.

ASTRO Communities Lounge

A welcoming space for networking, connection and community. Attendees are invited to stop by to meet colleagues, recharge or join informal educational sessions and group gatherings in an environment that values diverse experiences and perspectives.

The lounge is open daily, Sunday, September 27 – Tuesday, September 29, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with additional programming.

Early Career and Mentoring Lounge

Stop by the Early Career and Mentoring Lounge to relax, network with others and view programming specifically tailored for those in their first eight years out of residency. Additionally, Speed Mentoring Sessions will be offered in Room 155 to give attendees the opportunity to learn more about topics of interest. See the schedule of programming.