Increasing Diversity of Patients in Radiation Oncology Clinical Trials.

Radiation oncology clinical trials lack full representation of the ethnic and racial diversity present in the general United States and in the cancer patient population. There are low rates of both recruitment and enrollment of individuals from underrepresented ethnic and racial backgrounds, especially Black and Hispanic patients, people with disabilities, and patients from underrepresented sexual and gender groups. Even if approached for enrollment, barriers such as mistrust in medical research stemming from historical abuse and contemporary biased systems, low socioeconomic status, and lack of awareness prohibit historically marginalized populations from participating in clinical trials.

Development of a standard survivorship care plan template for radiation oncologists.

Purpose: In response to a need expressed by members of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the ASTRO Board of Directors approved an initiative to create a radiation oncology-specific survivorship care plan (SCP) template.

Methods And Materials: Members of the ASTRO Health Services Research Committee (which was subsequently renamed the Clinical, Translational, and Basic Science Advisory Committee) were charged with this task. Creation of the ASTRO SCP template was informed by existing SCP templates published by other organizations and modified to add radiation treatment details felt to be important by committee members.

US radiation oncology practice patterns for posttreatment survivor care.

Purpose: Increasing numbers of cancer survivors have driven a greater focus on care of cancer patients after treatment. Radiation oncologists have long considered follow-up of patients an integral part of practice. We sought to document current survivor-focused care patterns and identify barriers to meeting new regulatory commission guidelines for survivorship care plans (SCPs) and provide guidance for survivorship care.

Breast cancer-related lymphedema.

Every year in the United States, breast cancer is diagnosed in more than 200,000 women. Because of the prevalence of breast cancer, treatment-related sequelae are of Importance to many survivors of the disease. One such sequela is upper extremity lymphedema, which occurs when fluid accumulates in the Interstitial space and causes enlargement and usually a feeling of heaviness in the limb.