2021 ASTRO Annual Refresher Course

March 19-21, 2021

Meeting Highlights

• Sessions provided a comprehensive review of the core competencies, with updates on potential practice-changing trends.
• An interactive format that combined recorded sessions with Live Q&A and networking.
• Content that connected radiobiological and physics principles to relevant, clinical cases.

Program

Program Content/Format

This course is designed to provide clinicians in practice and trainees with a comprehensive review and update of the clinical practice parameters across most sub-disciplines of radiation oncology, including sarcomas, pediatrics and the role of radiotherapy in the multidisciplinary management of cancer patients. The course will review key evidence that forms the basis for current clinical practice guidelines and trends in new approaches. In addition, the course will cover the potential of FLASH radiotherapy to improve the therapeutic ratio in radiotherapy.

Statement of Need

It is imperative that the radiation oncology professional remain current in the state-of-the-art techniques. The rapidly changing field of radiation oncology, including advancements in physics and radiobiology, makes it impractical for practicing clinicians who aren’t receiving continuing education to keep up with the latest clinical trials and publications. Attendees need to determine when and how the latest science and technologies will affect their day-to-day practice, and thus be able to narrow competency gaps across the various disease sites most commonly treated in radiation oncology.

Program Objectves

Upon completion of this live activity, attendees should be able to do the following:

1. Describe and implement the latest radiation therapy treatment recommendations for clinical scenarios commonly encountered in clinical practice.
2. Apply the latest radiation technologies to improve patient care.
3. Understand the potential of FLASH radiotherapy to decrease normal tissue toxicity.

Elements of Competence

This educational forum has been designed to narrow the competency gap of patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, patient-centered care, evidence-based practice, professional standing and commitment to lifelong learning, seven of the 19 core competencies embraced by the American Board of Medical Specialties, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the Institute of Medicine, the American Board of Radiology and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.

Target Audience

The meeting is designed to meet the interests of practicing radiation oncologists, radiation oncology residents, medical and clinical physicists, nurses and all other health professionals involved in the field of radiation oncology.