ASTRO Journals Various

Sue Yom, our Editor in Chief, leads a discussion of Overview and Recommendations for Prospective Multi-institutional Spatially Fractionated Radiation Therapy Clinical Trials, a critical review from AAPM and NRG Oncology. Guests are first author Dr. Heng Li, Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences at Johns Hopkins University and Chief Proton Physicist of the Johns Hopkins National Proton Center, supervising author Dr. Stanley Benedict, Professor and Vice Chair of Clinical Physics in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of California Davis, and co-author Dr. Nina Mayr, Professor in the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University.

Editor-in-Chief, Robert Amdur, MD, discusses using SBRT dose schedules to re-irradiate large volume recurrences of locally advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer that has progressed following high-dose radiotherapy with conventional fractionation. The discussion is based on a paper published in the May 2024 issue of PRO titled "Thoracic Reirradiation with Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) for Recurrent Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)” (2024, Issue 3, May/June, PMID 38387781).

Editor-in-Chief Sue Yom hosts Dr. Ralph Ermoian, Associate Professor from the University of Washington and Dr. Kilian Salerno, Associate Research Physician from the National Cancer Institute, our two successive Pediatric/Sarcoma Section Editors who supervised the PEdiatric Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic (PENTEC) peer review process for our journal. We also welcome two representatives from the PENTEC group, Dr. Louis Constine, Professor of Radiation Oncology and Pediatrics and Vice Chair in Radiation Oncology from the University of Rochester and Dr. Soren Bentzen, Professor and Division Director of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics in Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland. We discuss several papers from this landmark 12-year effort, including Comparison of Risks of Late Effects from Radiotherapy in Children versus Adults: Insights from the QUANTEC, HyTEC and PENTEC Efforts; Neurocognitive Effects and Necrosis in Childhood Cancer Survivors Treated with Radiotherapy: A PENTEC Comprehensive Review; Risks of Spinal Abnormalities and Growth Impairment After Radiation to the Spine in Childhood Cancer Survivors: A PENTEC Comprehensive Review; and Risk of Subsequent Neoplasms in Childhood Cancer Survivors after Radiation Therapy: A Comprehensive PENTEC Review.

Editor-in-Chief, Robert Amdur, MD, discusses two papers published in PRO related to the question of using a vaginal dilator during radio-chemotherapy for carcinoma of the anus: "Daily Vaginal Dilator Use During Radiation for Women With Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anus: Vaginal Wall Dosimetry and Patient-Reported Sexual Function” (2024, Volume 14, Issue 2, PMID 37898354) and “ECOG-ACRIN Guideline for Contouring and Treatment of Early Stage Anal Cancer Using IMRT/IGRT” (2022, Volume 12, Issue 4, PMID 35717050).

Editor-in-Chief Sue Yom hosts a British-American conversation about brachytherapy. Guests include Dr. Mahbuba Choudhury, Clinical Oncology Registrar and Stereotactic Radiotherapy Fellow at Imperial College London NHS Trust, and Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed, Consultant Clinical Oncologist and Clinical Lead at Southend University Hospital in the UK, first and supervising authors on this month’s paper,
Timing of High-Dose Rate Brachytherapy with External Beam Radiotherapy in Intermediate and High-Risk Localized Prostate Cancer Patients and Its Effects on Toxicity and Quality of Life: A Randomized Controlled Trial, as well as Dr. Akila Viswanathan, Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Johns Hopkins University, supervising author of two papers publishing together this month, Updated Trends in the Utilization of Brachytherapy in Cervical Cancer in the U.S.: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results Study and Updated Trends in Brachytherapy Utilization and Disparities in the United States from 2004 to 2020.

Editor-in-Chief, Robert Amdur, MD, discusses a paper from the March 2024 issue of PRO: “Dose-Volume Predictors of Radiation Pneumonitis After Thoracic Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy” (Volume 14 Issue 2, PMID 37984711). This paper suggests V5, V20, and Mean Lung Dose values to minimize grade ≥2 pneumonitis when treating lung cancer with the moderate hypofractionation programs of 60 or 72 Gy at 4 Gy per treatment. The values they propose are lower than those stated in consensus group guidelines.