By Lauren Dubinsky and Gus Iversen
At the 58th annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), 11,000 attendees converged on Boston with a common cause: getting up to speed on the cutting edge intel and equipment shaping the fight against cancer.
Highlighted in 377 oral abstracts, 180 digital posters and 1,760 paper posters, was research from a wide range of scientists who set out to share their own findings with the radiology community and help define a future with better outcomes for patients.
A fraction of that research has been highlighted by HCB News, such as
new evidence from Mayo Clinic that when cancer has metastasized to the brain, stereotactic radiosurgery leads to a better quality of life and less cognitive decline at comparable survival rates than whole brain radiation therapy.
Other studies outline the benefits of stereotactic body radiation therapy for treating lung cancer in the elderly, and prostate cancer.
Others still, identified and validated three distinct molecular subtypes of prostate cancer that correlate with distant metastasis-free survival.
Some of the research presented also served to illustrate the benefits of new treatment solutions recently brought to market or seeking introduction to the market. Some of those products and devices were being showcased in ASTRO's 112,00 square foot exhibit area, in which 221 companies invited visitors to learn how they could help achieve the same goal being sought by the researchers: better outcomes for cancer patients.
Here are a few (not all) of the most significant unveilings from manufacturers in the oncology sector:
Elekta emphasizes the potential for MR-guided radiotherapy
In addition to highlighting the
capabilities of its Versa HD linear accelerator, which combines High Definition Dynamic Radiosurgery treatment capabilities and precision radiotherapy in a single platform, Elekta's high-field MR-adaptive linear accelerator was the focus of many of the studies presented at the meeting.
MR-guided radiotherapy underscores the industry's interest in adaptive software that addresses moving tumors and nearby organs in the interest of limiting dose exposure to healthy tissue and organs.
"MR is the best tool for imaging the body," said Dr. John Christodouleas, vice president of clinical affairs at Elekta. "It images in thousands of ways."
