The status quo of global geriatric radiation oncology education: A scoping review.

Purpose: To identify potential gaps in geriatric radiation oncology (RO) education worldwide, as measured by geriatric oncology (GO) content within postgraduate RO training program (TP) curricula across 8 focus countries.

Methods And Materials: The need for improved education around GO is internationally recognized and is a key strategic priority of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG).Two reviewers undertook a systematic scoping review from March to September 2023.

Development of Web-Based Education Modules to Improve Carer Engagement in Cancer Care: Design and User Experience Evaluation of the e-Triadic Oncology (eTRIO) Modules for Clinicians, Patients, and Carers.

Background: Carers often assume key roles in cancer care. However, many carers report feeling disempowered and ill-equipped to support patients. Our group published evidence-based guidelines (the Triadic Oncology [TRIO] Guidelines) to improve oncology clinician engagement with carers and the management of challenging situations involving carers.

An online intervention to improve oncology health professional self-efficacy in communicating with carers: Hybrid effectiveness-implementation evaluation of the eTRIO program.

Objectives: Many oncology health professionals (HPs) report communicating with carers as complex; and receive limited carer-relevant training. We developed an online HP education program for supporting and managing carer involvement (eTRIO). We aimed to assess whether HPs' self-efficacy in carer communication, knowledge, and decision-making preferences improve following eTRIO.

Development and dissemination of structured hashtags for radiation oncology: Two-Year trends.

Purpose: For radiation oncology, social media is a favored communication platform, but it uses non-structured hashtags, which limits communication. In this work, we created a set of structured hashtags with key opinion leaders in radiation oncology, and we report on their use after two years post-deployment.

Materials/methods: Hashtags were created, voted on, and refined by crowdsourcing 38 international experts, including physicians, physicists, patients, and organizations from North America, Europe, and Australia.

Gender diversity and leadership in Radiation Oncology in Australia and New Zealand.

Introduction: There has been a groundswell of discussion and activism surrounding gender diversity. Given the growing importance of this issue, a working group was established under the Faculty of Radiation Oncology (FRO) of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists' (RANZCR) Economics and Workforce Committee (EWC) to review the current status of gender diversity within radiation oncology (RO) in Australia and New Zealand.

Methods: De-identified data were provided from two recent FRO workforce censuses conducted in 2014 and 2018 with permission from the EWC.

Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry assessment of bone health in Australian men with prostate cancer commencing androgen deprivation therapy.

Objective: To determine the prevalence in Australia of bone health assessment of men with prostate cancer by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), from six months before to twelve months after initiation of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

Design, Setting: Cross-sectional national study; linkage of de-identified Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) data.

Participants: Men (18 years or older) first dispensed PBS-subsidised ADT during 1 May 2017 - 31 July 2020.

The dosimetric error due to uncorrected tumor rotation during real-time adaptive prostate stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Background: During prostate stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), prostate tumor translational motion may deteriorate the planned dose distribution. Most of the major advances in motion management to date have focused on correcting this one aspect of the tumor motion, translation. However, large prostate rotation up to 30° has been measured.

A new wave of leaders: Early evaluation of the interdisciplinary Foundations of Leadership in Radiation Oncology (FLiRO) program.

Purpose: Effective leadership across all areas of radiation oncology (RO) is vital to fully realise the benefits of radiation therapy in cancer care. We report outcomes of a novel interdisciplinary leadership program designed for RO professionals under a global joint society initiative.

Methods: The Foundations of Leadership in RO (FLiRO) program was designed for aspiring RO leaders.

An International Expert Delphi Consensus to Develop Dedicated Geriatric Radiation Oncology Curriculum Learning Outcomes.

Purpose: The management of older adults with cancer is rapidly becoming a significant challenge in radiation oncology (RO) practice. The education of future radiation oncologists in geriatric oncology is fundamental to ensuring that older adults receive high-quality care. Currently RO trainees receive little training and education in geriatric oncology.

Improving the Education of Radiation Oncology Professionals in Geriatric Oncology: Where Are We and Where Should We Be?

As the global population ages, the care of older adults with cancer is increasingly recognised as a growing challenge in oncology practice worldwide. At present, outcomes for older adults with cancer are worse than younger counterparts. The need for improved clinician education around geriatric oncology is internationally recognised as being fundamental to addressing this problem.

Improving medical student education in radiation oncology: Integrating and evaluating an experiential interdisciplinary workshop into the medical student curriculum.

Introduction: To evaluate a novel interactive educational workshop designed to improve medical student knowledge and awareness of radiation oncology (RO).

Method: A 2.5-h pilot workshop in RO was introduced in 2018 for one teaching hospital cohort of postgraduate medical students.

An Expert Review on the Combination of Relugolix With Definitive Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer.

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is an integral component in the management of prostate cancer across multiple disease states. Traditionally, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists constituted the backbone of ADT. However, gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor hormone (GnRH) antagonists also are available, which offer faster testosterone suppression and reduced likelihood of ADT-related adverse effects compared with LHRH agonists, including the potential for fewer ADT-associated major cardiac events.

Evaluation of Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy Use and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Men With Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer in Australia and New Zealand.

Importance: Randomized clinical trials in prostate cancer have reported noninferior outcomes for hypofractionated radiation therapy (HRT) compared with conventional RT (CRT); however, uptake of HRT across jurisdictions is variable.

Objective: To evaluate the use of HRT vs CRT in men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer and compare patient-reported outcomes (PROs) at a population level.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Registry-based cohort study from the Australian and New Zealand Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry (PCOR-ANZ).

Integrating Leadership Development Into Radiation Oncology Training: A Qualitative Analysis of Resident Interviews.

Purpose: Radiation oncologists need to have more than sound clinical and technical competencies. To optimize care for patients and advance all aspects of radiation oncology (RO), radiation oncologists must also be effective leaders. Embedding systematic leadership education into RO training programs is challenging.

Patterns of care and outcomes of men with germ cell tumors in a high-volume Australian center.

Aim: To evaluate disease presentation, treatment practices, and outcomes of patients with germ cell tumor (GCT) treated in a high-volume cancer center in Australia.

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of 609 patients diagnosed with GCT in the Sydney West Cancer Network between 1990 and 2013. Cause and date of death, and second malignancy information was sourced from The Centre for Health Record Linkage.

trial: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial of online education modules to facilitate effective family caregiver involvement in oncology.

Objective: Informal family caregivers play a crucial role in cancer care. Effective caregiver involvement in cancer care can improve both patient and caregiver outcomes. Despite this, interventions improving the caregiver involvement are sparse.

Rapid Adaptation of Cancer Education in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evaluation of a Live Virtual Statistics and Research Skills Workshop for Oncology Trainees.

Due to COVID-19, an annual interactive statistics and research methodology workshop for radiation oncology trainees was adapted at short notice into a live virtual format. This study aimed to evaluate trainee opinions around the educational value of the workshop, logistical aspects and impact on interactivity. A post-course on-line survey was completed by 26/42 trainee attendees (response rate 62%).

Adjuvant radiotherapy versus early salvage radiotherapy following radical prostatectomy (TROG 08.03/ANZUP RAVES): a randomised, controlled, phase 3, non-inferiority trial.

Background: Adjuvant radiotherapy has been shown to halve the risk of biochemical progression for patients with high-risk disease after radical prostatectomy. Early salvage radiotherapy could result in similar biochemical control with lower treatment toxicity. We aimed to compare biochemical progression between patients given adjuvant radiotherapy and those given salvage radiotherapy.

Is multileaf collimator tracking or gating a better intrafraction motion adaptation strategy? An analysis of the TROG 15.01 stereotactic prostate ablative radiotherapy with KIM (SPARK) trial.

Purpose: Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) has recently emerged as a favourable treatment option for prostate cancer patients. With higher doses delivered over fewer fractions, motion adaptation is a requirement for accurate delivery of SABR. This study compared the efficacy of multileaf collimator (MLC) tracking vs.

Real-Time Image Guided Ablative Prostate Cancer Radiation Therapy: Results From the TROG 15.01 SPARK Trial.

Purpose: Kilovoltage intrafraction monitoring (KIM) is a novel software platform implemented on standard radiation therapy systems and enabling real-time image guided radiation therapy (IGRT). In a multi-institutional prospective trial, we investigated whether real-time IGRT improved the accuracy of the dose patients with prostate cancer received during radiation therapy.

Methods And Materials: Forty-eight patients with prostate cancer were treated with KIM-guided SABR with 36.

Empowering patients in decision-making in radiation oncology - can we do better?

The decision as to whether or not a patient should receive radiation therapy as part of their cancer treatment is based on evidence-based practice and on recommended international consensus treatment guidelines. However, the merit of involving the patients' individual preferences and values in the treatment decision is frequently overlooked. Here, we review the current literature pertaining to shared decision-making (SDM) in the field of radiation oncology, including discussion of the patient's perception of radiation therapy as a treatment option and patient involvement in clinical trials.