A midyear update on advocacy, supporting members and ASTRO’s path forward

We are now halfway through 2026 and eagerly anticipating the kickoff of the ASTRO Annual Meeting, which will be held September 26-30 in Boston.

This year’s theme — Data to Dialogue: Communicating Radiotherapy’s Value to Advance Care — is especially timely as our field continues to demonstrate and communicate the critical role of radiotherapy across the cancer care continuum. The meeting will feature more than 2,000 abstracts, hundreds of high-quality educational sessions, hands-on workshops, and opportunities for networking and collaboration. We are also excited to welcome keynote speakers Dr. Zeke Emanuel and Dr. Scott Gottlieb. This will be an outstanding meeting and one you will not want to miss.

At present, ASTRO’s top priority is supporting our members and the field through implementation of the new external beam delivery code set, which has created significant disruption for many practices. These changes affect standard fractionation external beam delivery codes 77402, 77407 and 77412.

Our Health Policy and Government Relations teams have been working tirelessly with CMS, Medicare Administrative Contractors, commercial payers, Medicaid plans across all 50 states, and other stakeholders to address challenges associated with implementation. We have also worked with the American Medical Association to revise coding language and clarify guidance, efforts that we expect will provide meaningful and immediate relief for many practices. A model policy to define active motion management is, at the time of this writing, out for member review.

During the first six months of the year, ASTRO has gone beyond direct engagement efforts. We conducted member surveys, launched a payer support and resolution center, developed and integrated an evidence base combining survey findings, member-reported financial impacts, and payer implementation data, and worked closely with legislative champions to identify a path forward on behalf of our members.

Advocacy efforts have remained strong. Nearly 100 ASTRO members participated in Advocacy Day in Washington, DC, on April 27-28, engaging directly with policymakers to highlight the importance of radiotherapy access and sustainability. In early May, we hosted a Town Hall to provide updates on the coding changes and, equally importantly, to hear directly from members about their experiences and concerns. Looking ahead, a congressional hearing is planned for July 14 to highlight the essential role radiotherapy plays in caring for patients with both malignant and nonmalignant disease.

ASTRO Advocacy was also successful in securing language supporting research funding to further evaluate the role of radiotherapy in nonmalignant conditions.

In parallel, the Economics of Oncology project is underway. This ambitious initiative, conducted independently by Harvard University and coordinated and largely funded by ASTRO, represents nearly a $1 million investment. The goal is to better define and quantify the value that radiation therapy provides across the spectrum of cancer care, with findings anticipated for presentation at the 2027 Annual Meeting. Appropriately, this work aligns directly with the theme of this year’s meeting — turning data into meaningful dialogue.

ASTRO remains fully committed to advocating for our members and advancing the field.

ASTRO elections will take place from late June through late July. This is your opportunity to cast your vote and help shape the future direction of our society. We have outstanding candidates across the ballot, and I encourage every member to participate and make their voice heard.

In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to ASTRO staff or volunteer leadership with questions, comments or concerns.

I hope you all have a wonderful summer, and I look forward to seeing many of you this fall in Boston.