ASTRO to showcase advances in radiation medicine and cancer research in 2026 Annual Meeting Press Program

As researchers and clinicians from across the globe prepare to gather in Boston for the 2026 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting, ASTRO announced today the studies selected for the meeting’s official press program. Researchers will discuss their findings in news briefings on September 28 and 29; meeting registration for credentialed journalists is available in the Annual Meeting press kit.

ASTRO’s 2026 Annual Meeting, the leading global conference in radiation oncology, will feature late-breaking and phase III trials alongside research spanning cancer care and emerging applications of radiation medicine. Press program studies will spotlight major randomized comparisons of radiation approaches for brain metastases, pancreas cancer and prostate cancer; studies exploring how radiation may be used beyond cancer, including low-dose treatment for knee osteoarthritis and radiosurgical capsulotomy for treatment-resistant major depression; and other practice-changing research.

The news briefing schedule is as follows:

Monday, September 28, 11:00 a.m. Eastern time

• A Randomized, Phase II Clinical Trial of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy or Conventionally Fractionated Concurrent Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy Preoperatively for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma, the SOFT Preop Study (Abstract LBA 08), presented by William Hall, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin

• Alliance A071801 Phase III Trial Postoperative Single Fraction Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) vs. Fractionated SRS (fSRS) for Resected Brain Metastasis (Abstract LBA 01), presented by Ayal Aizer, MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital

• Efficacy of Radical Prostatectomy Versus Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) for Localized Prostate Cancer: Results from an international Phase III Randomized Controlled Trial (PACE–A) (Abstract LBA 32), presented by Nicholas van As, MD, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

• NRG-CC009: A Phase III Trial of Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) vs. Hippocampal-Avoidant Whole Brain Radiotherapy (HA-WBRT) for Brain Metastases from Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) (Abstract LBA 02), presented by Chad Rusthoven, MD, University of Colorado School of Medicine

• Phase II Multi-institutional Study of Ultralow-dose (4Gy) Response-adapted Radiotherapy for Symptomatic Bone Metastases from Multiple Myeloma (Abstract 10), presented by Leslie Ballas, MD, FASTRO, Cedars Sinai

• Moderated by Beth Erickson, MD, FASTRO, Medical College of Wisconsin, incoming ASTRO President-elect

Tuesday, September 29, 9:00 a.m. Eastern time

• Endocrine Therapy Adherence after RT Omission in Estrogen Receptor-Positive Early-Stage Breast Cancer (Abstract 140), presented by Shannon Jiang, MD, Washington University at St. Louis

• Radiosurgical Capsulotomy, a Novel Approach for Treatment-Resistant Major Depression: A Prospective Observational Study (Abstract 183), presented by Mohamed Khattab, MD, University of South Florida

• Randomized Trial of Low-Dose Radiotherapy for Knee Osteoarthritis: Patient-Reported, Structural and Long-Term Clinical Endpoints (Abstract 4), presented by Nagendra (Bobby) Koneru, MD, FASTRO, Loyola University

• Role of Early Mental Health Interventions on Cancer Mortality for Patients with Depression (Abstract 195), presented by Edmund Qiao, MD, University of California San Diego

• Moderated by Farzan Siddiqui, MD, PhD, MBA, FASTRO, Henry Ford Cancer Institute, ASTRO Annual Meeting Scientific Committee Vice Chair

Led by ASTRO President Neha Vapiwala, MD, FASTRO, the meeting is expected to attract more than 10,000 oncologists, clinicians, researchers and other health care professionals from around the globe. The meeting theme, “Data to Dialogue: Communicating Radiotherapy's Value to Advance Care,” focuses on fostering meaningful conversations with patients and other key stakeholders about the far-reaching uses and benefits of radiation therapy.

The meeting, which will take place September 26 to 30, will feature more than 2,500 abstract presentations, expert panels on topics such as artificial intelligence and radiopharmaceutical therapy, and keynote addresses from physician leaders Scott Gottlieb, MD, former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD, award-winning oncologist and bioethicist.

Schedule and presenter information is available in the Annual Meeting portal, and more information about the meeting can be found on ASTRO’s Annual Meeting website.

ABOUT ASTRO
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is the world’s largest professional society dedicated to advancing radiation medicine, with 11,000 members including physicians, nurses, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other professionals who work to improve patient outcomes through clinical care, research, education and advocacy. Radiation therapy is integral to 40% of cancer cures worldwide, and more than one million Americans receive radiation treatments for their cancer each year. For information on radiation therapy, visit Speed of Light – The ASTRO Foundation. To learn more about ASTRO, visit our website and press room and connect with us on social media.