Astro Journals

Editor-in-Chief, Robert Amdur, MD, introduces the first of a new article type being published in PRO: Topic Discussions. The featured piece is "Postoperative Radiation Therapy to Pathologically Negative Neck Nodal Stations in Patients with Indications for Radiation Therapy at the Primary Site."

The Red Journal in coordination with its partners at the Virtual Visiting Professor Network organized a discussion of "The Big Debate: Where Must Radiation Oncology Go First in the 2020s?" This month's podcast features the five speakers: Dr. Wendy Woodward representing Molecular Biology, Dr. Chuck Mayo representing Artificial Intelligence, Dr. Dan Golden representing Education, Dr. Karen Winkfield representing Diversity/Equity/Inclusion, and Dr. Peter Maxim representing FLASH radiotherapy. The challenges, responsibilities, and special insights arising from these varied disciplines will shape the future of our specialty.

Practical Radiation Oncology Executive Editor Anamaria Yeung, MD, hosts a discussion on the ASTRO clinical practice guideline on radiation therapy for cervical cancer. Junzo Chino, MD of Duke Cancer Center and Catheryn Yashar, MD, from the University of California - San Diego join Dr. Yeung for this episode to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of external beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy for cervical cancer when compared to other treatments like surgery. Dr. Chino is the lead author on the guideline.

Issue Highlights March 15, 2021

Issue Highlights March 1, 2021

Editor-in-Chief, Robert Amdur, MD, discusses an article published in PRO, "Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Nonspine Bone Metastases: International Practice Patterns to Guide Treatment Planning." This article reports survey results regarding clinicians' preferred dose schedule for SBRT treatment of nonspine bone metastases, as well as how they feel about the dose schedules suggested by other respondents. Dr. Amdur shares four questions he uses based on this study when deciding how to treat patients in his clinic.

Practical Radiation Oncology senior editor Michael Buckstein, MD, PhD, hosts a discussion on the recently published ASTRO clinical practice guideline on radiation therapy for rectal cancer (https://www.practicalradonc.org/article/S1879-8500(20)30207-1/fulltext). Two of the authors of the guideline, Jennifer Wo, MD of Massachusetts General Hospital and Prajnan Das, MD, MS, MPH of MD Anderson Cancer Center, discuss the development process of the guideline and the evidence for the recommendations included. Brian Czito, MD, of Duke University Medical Center and an author of the associated commentary Emerging Treatment Paradigms in Localized Rectal Cancer (https://www.practicalradonc.org/article/S1879-8500(20)30270-8/fulltext), discusses some of the ongoing and upcoming paradigm shifts in the treatment of rectal cancer.

Issue Highlights February 1, 2021

In his debut podcast as Editor-in-Chief, Robert Amdur, MD, discusses several of the new Practical Radiation Oncology journal initiatives upcoming in 2021. New projects include the establishment of a new article type, expansions of the journal’s social media presence, and an increase in regular podcasts.

Issue Highlights January 1, 2021

Issue Highlights December 1, 2020

Issue Highlights November 15, 2020

As part of the new featured section of the Red Journal, Statistics for the People, Deputy Editor Sue Yom, MD, PhD, hosts an in-depth discussion on the use of propensity scores with Beow Yeap, ScD, David Cheng, PhD, and Red Journal methodology editor David Sher, MD.

Issue Highlights November 1, 2020

As part of the Red Journal’s special issue focused on COVID-19 and its impact on Radiation Oncology, the October 2020 Issue Highlights podcast has been produced in conjunction with the Virtual Visiting Professor Network. The podcast is hosted by Editor-in-Chief Anthony Zietman, MD, FASTRO and Deputy Editor Sue Yom, MD, PhD, and features guests Paul Volberding, MD, and Daphne Haas-Kogan, MD. Drs. Volberding and Haas-Kogan share their stories of working with patients with HIV, and reflect upon parallels to today's COVID-19 pandemic.

Wesley Talcott, MD, and Sue Evans, MD, MPH join PRO Senior Editor Bhisham Chera, MD, to discuss their article “A Blinded, Prospective Study of Error Detection During Physician Chart Rounds in Radiation Oncology .” The authors discuss their motivation for the study, how plan review and chart rounds can be more effective, and more. Also available in the September-October 2020 issue of PRO is an accompanying editorial by Dr. Chera, “Restructuring our approach to peer review: a critical need to improve the quality and safety of radiation therapy .” For those interested in expanding their peer review pool, see the new ASTRO Peer-to-Peer Match program, a user-driven platform that facilitates the establishment of relationships for the purpose of peer review of patient cases.

In conjunction with the special September issue of the Red Journal, Silvia Chiara Formenti, MD, FASTRO joins Editor-in-Chief Anthony Zietman, MD, FASTRO to discuss the latest developments in immunotherapy as they relates to radiation oncology, including checkpoint inhibitors, the abscopal effect, and how these changes could affect the future of the field.

The August 1st Red Journal podcast features a discussion of Black representation in radiation oncology. Guest panelists include Curtiland Deville, Jr., MD, of Johns Hopkins University; Iris Gibbs, MD, FACR, FASTRO, of Stanford University; Chelsea Pinnix, MD, PhD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center, and special guest Freeman Hrabowski III, PhD, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. This wide-ranging discussion about rationale and strategies related to diversity, representation and equity is moderated by Red Journal Deputy Editor Sue Yom, MD, PhD of the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Deville and Dr. Gibbs are the first and senior authors, respectively, on a recently published article in the Red Journal, "I Can't Breathe: The Continued, Disproportionate Exclusion of Black Physicians in the United States Radiation Oncology Workforce" and co-authors of "Why Racial Justice Matters in Radiation Oncology," an article recently published in Advances in Radiation Oncology.

Issue Highlights July 15, 2020

Issue Highlights July 1, 2020