- Email: [email protected]
Meetings and news notes
Int. J. Radiation Oncology Biol. Phys., Vol. 60, No. 5, pp. 1672–1674, 2005 Copyright © 2005 Elsevier Inc. Printed in the USA. All rights reserved 0360-3016/05/$–see front matter
MEETINGS
2005
April 9 –14, 2005 AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGY 2005 ANNUAL MEETING AND CHAPTER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE Washington, D.C. www.acr.org
January 20 –23, 2005 RADIATION THERAPY ONCOLOGY GROUP (RTOG) Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa, Phoenix, AZ For more information, please contact Tom Wudarski: 215/574-3205
April 19 –24, 2005 TENTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON ORAL CANCER Creta Maris Conference Centre, Crete, Greece Deadline for abstract submission: Nov. 30, 2004 For information, contact Alexander D. Rapidis, MD, DDS, PhD Tel.: (⫹30)/210/9524888 Fax: (⫹30)/210/9524088 E-mail: [email protected] www.icooc-2005.org
January 28 –31, 2005 NEURO-ONCOLOGY 2005: CURRENT CONCEPTS Grand Floridian Resort at Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, FL CME: 10.5 For more information, please contact Martha Tobin: Tel.: 800/223-2273, ext. 53449 Fax: 216/445-4527 E-mail: [email protected] www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/courses/neurooncology2004.asp
May 7–11, 2005 AMERICAN RADIUM SOCIETY Hotel Arts Barcelona, Spain For more information, please contact Cathy D. Carey: Tel: 708/687-1034 www.americanradiumsociety.org
January 30 –February 4, 2005 GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCE IN RADIATION ONCOLOGY Holiday Inn Ventura, CA For more information, please contact:
June 6 – 8, 2005 UK RADIOLOGICAL CONGRESS 2005 (UKRC 2005) CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION G-Mex/MICC, Manchester, UK
Elizabeth Travis, PhD, Chair
Tel: 713/792/3424 or [email protected] www.grc.org
For more information, please contact: UKRC 2005 Organisers
44 (0) 20 7307 1410/20 or [email protected]; [email protected]; or www.ukrc.org.uk
February 4 – 6, 2005 2005 IMRT PRACTICUM Omni Mandalay at Las Colinas Dallas, TX For more information, please contact: http://www.astro.org/education_and_meetings/upcoming_ astro_meetings/2005IMRT.htm
July 24 –28, 2005 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICISTS IN MEDICINE (AAPM) 47TH ANNUAL MEETING Seattle, WA www.astro.org October 16 –20, 2005 AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR THERAPEUTIC RADIOLOGY AND ONCOLOGY (ASTRO) 47TH ANNUAL MEETING Denver, CO For more information, please contact Laura Mulay: 703/502-1550 www.astro.org
April 1–3, 2005 2005 SPRING REFRESHER COURSE Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL For more information, please contact: http://www.astro.org/education_and_meetings/upcoming_ astro_meetings/2005Spring.htm 1672
News Notes
ASTRO 4th Quarter Membership Applicant Roster Available Online
ASTRO
The ASTRO Membership Committee has reviewed and accepted membership applications submitted for the 4th quarter of 2004. To review the list, please visit http:// www.astro.org. You will need your username and password to access the listing.
Record High Attendance at ASTRO Annual Meeting in Atlanta
Attendance for the ASTRO Annual Meeting hit an all-time high in Atlanta with more than 10,100 healthcare professionals coming to the meeting to hear the results of new research and view the latest technology. Mark your calendars for ASTRO’s 47th Annual Meeting, scheduled for October 16-20, 2005, in Denver.
New Brochures Available
The Communications Committee has just completed a new brochure to help patients understand how radiation therapy is used to treat colorectal cancer. The two-page color brochure explains the different types of radiation therapy used to treat cancer of the colon and rectum and details side effects patients might experience. Another brochure, “Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer,” helps patients and their caregivers understand how radiation therapy is used to treat cancers of the face, mouth and throat. Members can download the brochure free at http://www.astro.org/ patient/treatment_information/ or purchase printed copies for $50 per 100 brochures by visiting http://www.astro.org/ publications/products_to_improve_your_practice/.
ASTRO in the News
ASTRO received excellent media coverage for its 46th Annual Meeting in Atlanta. Stories on the meeting ran on leading television stations, including CNN, and in top newspapers such as USA Today and the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. On the radio, ASTRO stories were broadcast on several news networks, including the Associated Press Broadcast, which has nearly 5 million listeners nationwide. GAO Examines Medicare Physician Payments
Easier Way to Access the Red Journal Online
The U.S. Government Accountability Office released its study on the Sustainable Growth Rate, a primary component of Medicare’s physician payment formula, and potential alternatives to the system. The report provides a good background on the fundamental flaws with the current system and presents possible alternatives for improving and stabilizing physician payments. However, CMS projects that follow either of the two primary approaches offered by GAO will result in higher aggregate spending, thereby increasing the difficulty of addressing Medicare’s long-term financial stability. To read the report, visit http://www. astro.org/pdf/SGR%2010-12-04.pdf.
To allow members to more easily access the Red Journal online, members who subscribe to the Journal can now log in to the ASTRO Web site to view Journal articles. This allows members to use their ASTRO login to avoid having separate information to access the Red Journal online. To access the Journal through ASTRO’s Web site, visit http:// www.astro.org/members_corner/welcome.asp. Click on “IJROBP for Members” at the bottom and type in your login information. You will then be redirected to the Red Journal, where you will have full text access to the articles. For help retrieving your login information, visit http://www.astro. org/members_corner/issi/main/password.asp?action⫽start. If you currently do not receive the Red Journal as a benefit of membership and would like to, please contact Todd Karstaedt or Steven Smith at 1-800-962-7876.
NCI Launches New Nanotechnology Web Site
The National Cancer Institute Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer has launched a new Web site, located at http:// nano.cancer.gov/index.asp. The NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology is designed to be a comprehensive, systematized initiative encompassing the public and private sectors, designed to accelerate the application of the best capabilities of nanotechnology to cancer.
Congress Advances Cancer Research Funding
On September 9, 2004, the House of Representatives approved the fiscal year 2005 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Act. This legislation provides $28.5 billion for the National Institutes of Health (a $727 million, 2.6%, increase over last year) and $4.87 billion for NCI (a $131 million, 2.8%, increase over last year). The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the Labor-HHS bill on September 15, 2004, which includes $28.9 billion for NIH (a $1.1 billion, 3.9%, increase over last year) and $4.89 billion for the National Cancer Institute (a $152 million, 3.2%, increase over last year). ASTRO is working with members of Congress to ensure the higher Senate funding levels for NIH and NCI are enacted into law. For more information, contact Brad Gruehn at 703-227-0166 or [email protected].
New NIH Clinical Research Center to Accept Patients in December
Dedicated in late September, the first patient move-in for the new Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center is scheduled for early December. Named in honor of Oregon Senator Mark Hatfield, a supporter of medical research throughout his congressional career, the Clinical Research Center will promote translational research. For additional information on this new facility, visit the Centers Web site at: http:// www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/crc/. 1673
Upcoming ASTRO Events and Meetings Annual Meetings
5th Gordon Research Conference in Radiation Oncology, January 30 to February 4, 2005, Holiday Inn, Ventura CA. Chair, Elizabeth L. Travis, Co-chair, Simon Powell
●
The GRC in radiation oncology entitled Molecular Mechanisms of Radiation Response in Complex Systems will present and discuss recent data on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of radiation effects in cells and tissues in model systems. Sessions include non-DNA targets, modulation of chromatin structure and genomic approaches to understand radiation sensitivity, micro environment interactions and the role of stem cells in tumor and normal tissue responses to radiation, and clinically oriented sessions on targeting signaling pathways to change treatment outcome. The nine sessions, each with three or four invited speakers, consist of significant new unpublished work in radiation oncology and biology that is supplemented by posters presentations. The purpose is to define and analyze important problems in radiation biology/oncology, recent advances and opportunities for new research through both formal presentations and extensive discussion, which is facilitated by the small number of participants (135) plus the informal setting. Attendance by junior investigators is encouraged by allotting time in each session for two or more short platform presentations to be selected from submitted abstracts/posters. Program and registration is available on line at www.grc.org or contact E. L. Travis, (713) 792-3424; etravis@mdanderson. org for further information.
October 16 –20, 2005
Colorado Convention Center Denver, CO
Courses ●
February 4 – 6, 2005
●
April 1–3, 2005
2005 IMRT PRACTICUM Dallas, TX 2005 SPRING REFRESHER COURSE Chicago, IL
ESTRO Upcoming ESTRO Events and Meetings Meetings ●
May 5–7, 2005
●
October 30 – November 3, 2005
Brachytherapy Meeting, Budapest, Hungary ECCO13—European Cancer Conference, Paris, France
For further information, contact: ESTRO Office, Av. Mounier 83, 1200 Brussels, Belgium; Tel: ⫹32.2.775 93 40; Fax: ⫹32.2. 779 54 94; E-mail: [email protected]; http:// www.estro.be
1674
MEETINGS
2005
April 9 –14, 2005 AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGY 2005 ANNUAL MEETING AND CHAPTER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE Washington, D.C. www.acr.org
January 20 –23, 2005 RADIATION THERAPY ONCOLOGY GROUP (RTOG) Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa, Phoenix, AZ For more information, please contact Tom Wudarski: 215/574-3205
April 19 –24, 2005 TENTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON ORAL CANCER Creta Maris Conference Centre, Crete, Greece Deadline for abstract submission: Nov. 30, 2004 For information, contact Alexander D. Rapidis, MD, DDS, PhD Tel.: (⫹30)/210/9524888 Fax: (⫹30)/210/9524088 E-mail: [email protected] www.icooc-2005.org
January 28 –31, 2005 NEURO-ONCOLOGY 2005: CURRENT CONCEPTS Grand Floridian Resort at Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, FL CME: 10.5 For more information, please contact Martha Tobin: Tel.: 800/223-2273, ext. 53449 Fax: 216/445-4527 E-mail: [email protected] www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/courses/neurooncology2004.asp
May 7–11, 2005 AMERICAN RADIUM SOCIETY Hotel Arts Barcelona, Spain For more information, please contact Cathy D. Carey: Tel: 708/687-1034 www.americanradiumsociety.org
January 30 –February 4, 2005 GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCE IN RADIATION ONCOLOGY Holiday Inn Ventura, CA For more information, please contact:
June 6 – 8, 2005 UK RADIOLOGICAL CONGRESS 2005 (UKRC 2005) CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION G-Mex/MICC, Manchester, UK
Elizabeth Travis, PhD, Chair
Tel: 713/792/3424 or [email protected] www.grc.org
For more information, please contact: UKRC 2005 Organisers
44 (0) 20 7307 1410/20 or [email protected]; [email protected]; or www.ukrc.org.uk
February 4 – 6, 2005 2005 IMRT PRACTICUM Omni Mandalay at Las Colinas Dallas, TX For more information, please contact: http://www.astro.org/education_and_meetings/upcoming_ astro_meetings/2005IMRT.htm
July 24 –28, 2005 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICISTS IN MEDICINE (AAPM) 47TH ANNUAL MEETING Seattle, WA www.astro.org October 16 –20, 2005 AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR THERAPEUTIC RADIOLOGY AND ONCOLOGY (ASTRO) 47TH ANNUAL MEETING Denver, CO For more information, please contact Laura Mulay: 703/502-1550 www.astro.org
April 1–3, 2005 2005 SPRING REFRESHER COURSE Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL For more information, please contact: http://www.astro.org/education_and_meetings/upcoming_ astro_meetings/2005Spring.htm 1672
News Notes
ASTRO 4th Quarter Membership Applicant Roster Available Online
ASTRO
The ASTRO Membership Committee has reviewed and accepted membership applications submitted for the 4th quarter of 2004. To review the list, please visit http:// www.astro.org. You will need your username and password to access the listing.
Record High Attendance at ASTRO Annual Meeting in Atlanta
Attendance for the ASTRO Annual Meeting hit an all-time high in Atlanta with more than 10,100 healthcare professionals coming to the meeting to hear the results of new research and view the latest technology. Mark your calendars for ASTRO’s 47th Annual Meeting, scheduled for October 16-20, 2005, in Denver.
New Brochures Available
The Communications Committee has just completed a new brochure to help patients understand how radiation therapy is used to treat colorectal cancer. The two-page color brochure explains the different types of radiation therapy used to treat cancer of the colon and rectum and details side effects patients might experience. Another brochure, “Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer,” helps patients and their caregivers understand how radiation therapy is used to treat cancers of the face, mouth and throat. Members can download the brochure free at http://www.astro.org/ patient/treatment_information/ or purchase printed copies for $50 per 100 brochures by visiting http://www.astro.org/ publications/products_to_improve_your_practice/.
ASTRO in the News
ASTRO received excellent media coverage for its 46th Annual Meeting in Atlanta. Stories on the meeting ran on leading television stations, including CNN, and in top newspapers such as USA Today and the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. On the radio, ASTRO stories were broadcast on several news networks, including the Associated Press Broadcast, which has nearly 5 million listeners nationwide. GAO Examines Medicare Physician Payments
Easier Way to Access the Red Journal Online
The U.S. Government Accountability Office released its study on the Sustainable Growth Rate, a primary component of Medicare’s physician payment formula, and potential alternatives to the system. The report provides a good background on the fundamental flaws with the current system and presents possible alternatives for improving and stabilizing physician payments. However, CMS projects that follow either of the two primary approaches offered by GAO will result in higher aggregate spending, thereby increasing the difficulty of addressing Medicare’s long-term financial stability. To read the report, visit http://www. astro.org/pdf/SGR%2010-12-04.pdf.
To allow members to more easily access the Red Journal online, members who subscribe to the Journal can now log in to the ASTRO Web site to view Journal articles. This allows members to use their ASTRO login to avoid having separate information to access the Red Journal online. To access the Journal through ASTRO’s Web site, visit http:// www.astro.org/members_corner/welcome.asp. Click on “IJROBP for Members” at the bottom and type in your login information. You will then be redirected to the Red Journal, where you will have full text access to the articles. For help retrieving your login information, visit http://www.astro. org/members_corner/issi/main/password.asp?action⫽start. If you currently do not receive the Red Journal as a benefit of membership and would like to, please contact Todd Karstaedt or Steven Smith at 1-800-962-7876.
NCI Launches New Nanotechnology Web Site
The National Cancer Institute Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer has launched a new Web site, located at http:// nano.cancer.gov/index.asp. The NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology is designed to be a comprehensive, systematized initiative encompassing the public and private sectors, designed to accelerate the application of the best capabilities of nanotechnology to cancer.
Congress Advances Cancer Research Funding
On September 9, 2004, the House of Representatives approved the fiscal year 2005 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Act. This legislation provides $28.5 billion for the National Institutes of Health (a $727 million, 2.6%, increase over last year) and $4.87 billion for NCI (a $131 million, 2.8%, increase over last year). The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the Labor-HHS bill on September 15, 2004, which includes $28.9 billion for NIH (a $1.1 billion, 3.9%, increase over last year) and $4.89 billion for the National Cancer Institute (a $152 million, 3.2%, increase over last year). ASTRO is working with members of Congress to ensure the higher Senate funding levels for NIH and NCI are enacted into law. For more information, contact Brad Gruehn at 703-227-0166 or [email protected].
New NIH Clinical Research Center to Accept Patients in December
Dedicated in late September, the first patient move-in for the new Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center is scheduled for early December. Named in honor of Oregon Senator Mark Hatfield, a supporter of medical research throughout his congressional career, the Clinical Research Center will promote translational research. For additional information on this new facility, visit the Centers Web site at: http:// www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/crc/. 1673
Upcoming ASTRO Events and Meetings Annual Meetings
5th Gordon Research Conference in Radiation Oncology, January 30 to February 4, 2005, Holiday Inn, Ventura CA. Chair, Elizabeth L. Travis, Co-chair, Simon Powell
●
The GRC in radiation oncology entitled Molecular Mechanisms of Radiation Response in Complex Systems will present and discuss recent data on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of radiation effects in cells and tissues in model systems. Sessions include non-DNA targets, modulation of chromatin structure and genomic approaches to understand radiation sensitivity, micro environment interactions and the role of stem cells in tumor and normal tissue responses to radiation, and clinically oriented sessions on targeting signaling pathways to change treatment outcome. The nine sessions, each with three or four invited speakers, consist of significant new unpublished work in radiation oncology and biology that is supplemented by posters presentations. The purpose is to define and analyze important problems in radiation biology/oncology, recent advances and opportunities for new research through both formal presentations and extensive discussion, which is facilitated by the small number of participants (135) plus the informal setting. Attendance by junior investigators is encouraged by allotting time in each session for two or more short platform presentations to be selected from submitted abstracts/posters. Program and registration is available on line at www.grc.org or contact E. L. Travis, (713) 792-3424; etravis@mdanderson. org for further information.
October 16 –20, 2005
Colorado Convention Center Denver, CO
Courses ●
February 4 – 6, 2005
●
April 1–3, 2005
2005 IMRT PRACTICUM Dallas, TX 2005 SPRING REFRESHER COURSE Chicago, IL
ESTRO Upcoming ESTRO Events and Meetings Meetings ●
May 5–7, 2005
●
October 30 – November 3, 2005
Brachytherapy Meeting, Budapest, Hungary ECCO13—European Cancer Conference, Paris, France
For further information, contact: ESTRO Office, Av. Mounier 83, 1200 Brussels, Belgium; Tel: ⫹32.2.775 93 40; Fax: ⫹32.2. 779 54 94; E-mail: [email protected]; http:// www.estro.be
1674