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Newswise San Francisco, September 14, 2014The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) are partnering to launch and support a national registry for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatments. The SRS patient registry will define national patterns of care in radiosurgery, with an eye to improving health care outcomes, supporting informed decision making and potentially lowering the cost-of-care for patients. The registry project will gather data from 30 diverse, high-volume sites with data specific to stereotactic radiosurgery during the next three years. The registry will log de-identified SRS treatment information of thousands of patients affected by brain metastases, benign brain tumors and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs).

AANS and ASTRO have begun a national prospective radiosurgical registry. The registry underscores the commitment by AANS and ASTRO to enhancing quality care for our patients. It also provides new opportunities for achieving major advances in the management of patients with complex problems such as brain tumors, vascular malformations and functional disorders, which is why the Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation (NREF) is also providing support, commented Jason Sheehan, MD, PhD, FAANS, Harrison Distinguished Professor and vice-chair of Neurological Surgery at the University of Virginia.

ASTRO Health Policy Council Chair and a radiation oncologist at the University of Colorado, Denver, Brian Kavanagh, MD, MPH, added, ASTRO is excited to partner with AANS for this important project. Radiosurgery is one of the most important, high-value services we can provide to a wide-range of patients for an assortment of benign and malignant cancers. The registry will give us big data that we can use to refine our current technical and patient selection guidelines with the nuanced observations that can only be derived from large patient cohorts who are followed prospectively in a registry platform.

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a minimally invasive approach utilizing imaging guidance and stereotactic principles to deliver radiation to targeted cells within the body, and it has become an important part of the neurosurgical resources for the treatment of brain metastases, benign brain tumors and arteriovenous malformations.

ASTRO and AANS will lead the Scientific Advisory Committee charged with providing strategic oversight for the registry, including but not limited to identifying and approving contributing sites that will participate; developing the plan for data collection; managing the data collection issues; developing plans for data analysis and managing data analysis issues; review and analysis of statistical reports; development of policies and procedures for responding to requests for access to registry data; and for review and approval of the publication or public presentation of data, results or conclusions resulting from the project.

Analysis of the de-identified patient data will be scientifically published, and the fully de-identified data elements will subsequently be made available in the public domain. This transparency is important to the registry and will likely stimulate secondary publications beyond what is published by the Scientific Advisory Committee.

Major sponsorship for the project has been provided by BrainLAB. Additional sponsors are being sought to support the long-term efforts and expansion of the registry.

ABOUT AANS Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS is a scientific and educational association with more than 8,500 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. All active members of the AANS are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system, including the spinal column, spinal cord, brain and peripheral nerves. To learn more, visit http://www.aans.org.

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Newswise ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. (September 15, 2014) The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) are partnering to launch and support a national registry for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatments. The SRS patient registry will define national patterns of care in radiosurgery, with an eye to improving health care outcomes, supporting informed decision making and potentially lowering the cost-of-care delivery to patients. The registry project will gather data from 30 diverse, high-volume sites with data specific to stereotactic radiosurgery during the next three years. The registry will log de-identified SRS treatment information of thousands of patients affected by brain metastases, benign brain tumors and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs).

AANS and ASTRO, along with corporate supporter Brainlab, have begun a national prospective radiosurgical registry. The registry, managed by Neuropoint Alliance (NPA), underscores the commitment by AANS, ASTRO and Brainlab to enhancing quality care for our patients. It also provides new opportunities for achieving major advances in the management of patients with complex problems such as brain tumors, vascular malformations and functional disorders, which is why the Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation (NREF) is also providing support, commented Jason Sheehan, MD, PhD, FAANS, Harrison Distinguished Professor and Vice Chair of Neurological Surgery at the University of Virginia.

ASTRO Health Policy Council Chair and a radiation oncologist at the University of Colorado, Denver, Brian Kavanagh, MD, MPH, added, ASTRO is excited to partner with AANS for this important project. Radiosurgery is one of the most important, high-value services we can provide to a wide-range of patients for an assortment of benign and malignant cancers. The registry will give us big data that we can use to refine our current technical and patient selection guidelines with the nuanced observations that can only be derived from large patient cohorts who are followed prospectively in a registry platform.

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a minimally invasive approach utilizing imaging guidance and stereotactic principles to deliver radiation to targeted cells within the body, and it has become an important part of the neurosurgical resources for the treatment of brain metastases, benign brain tumors and arteriovenous malformations.

ASTRO is providing both financial and professional support for the registry. ASTRO and AANS will lead the Scientific Advisory Committee charged with providing strategic oversight for the registry, including but not limited to: identifying and approving contributing sites that will participate; developing the plan for data collection; managing the data collection issues; developing plans for data analysis and managing data analysis issues; review and analysis of statistical reports; development of policies and procedures for responding to requests for access to registry data; and for review & approval of the publication or public presentation of data, results or conclusions resulting from the project.

Analysis of the de-identified patient data will be scientifically published, and the fully de-identified data elements will subsequently be made available in the public domain. This transparency is important to the registry and will likely stimulate secondary publications beyond what is published by the Scientific Advisory Committee. Storage, analysis and scientific supervision of the data are managed independently from Brainlab to ensure impartiality of the data.

Major sponsorship for the project has been provided by Brainlab. Other med- and biotech companies are being sought for additional sponsorship to support the long-term efforts and expansion of the registry.

About AANS Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 8,500 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. All active members of the AANS are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system, including the spinal column, spinal cord, brain and peripheral nerves. To learn more, visit http://www.aans.org

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Stereotactic Radiosurgery Registry Launched By American Assoc. of Neurological Surgeons and American Soc. for ...

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Newswise San Francisco, September 14, 2014Radiation therapy (RT) alone is as effective in decreasing swallowing complications experienced by advanced esophageal cancer patients as RT combined with chemotherapy, thus allowing patients to forgo chemotherapy, according to research presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncologys (ASTROs) 56th Annual Meeting.

In this international study that included sites in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom, researchers assessed the use of palliative chemotherapy combined with RT, or chemoradiotherapy (CRT), to provide relief from dysphagia. Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is a common complication of advanced esophageal cancer and has been shown to be relieved with RT. The trial evaluated the effectiveness of RT alone versus CRT through patient-reported questionnaires that measured swallowing ability and quality of life, and through clinician-reported questionnaires that measured potential side effects and adverse events that affected the entire body.

A total of 220 patients were randomized to receive a course of palliative RT: 115 patients in Australia and New Zealand received 35 Gy in 15 fractions, and 105 patients in Canada and the United Kingdom received 30 Gy in 10 fractions. Of those patients, 109 received only RT, and 111 received concomitant CRT including Cisplatin and 5FU.

Dysphagia was measured using the Mellow scoring system, which measures swallowing on a scale of 0 to 5 based on the patients ability to swallow liquids or solids. Side effects were measured by clinicians using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v2, and quality of life was evaluated using two patient questionnairesEORTC QLQ30 and oesophagus module (OES-18). The primary end point was the proportion of patients with improved dysphagia as measured at week 9 and maintained until week 13.

Of the patients who received RT alone, 67.89 percent of patients reported a more favorable dysphagia response (meaning decreased pain at any point) compared to 73.87 percent of patients who received CRT and showed a positive dysphagia response (p=0.343).

Gastrointestinal side effects were reported in the CRT patients, including nausea (p=0.0019) and vomiting (p=0.0072). The median survival was 203 days for patients who received RT alone and 210 days for patients who had CRT, demonstrating comparable survival prognosis for both groups.

This study was the largest, randomized, phase three trial of advanced esophageal cancer and was a significant undertaking for a palliative care trial, namely where the emphasis was on the best, yet simplest and least toxic treatment to alleviate pain, said lead author Michael Penniment, MBBS, MBA, FRANZCR, director of radiation oncology at Royal Adelaide Hospital in South Australia and the director of radiation oncology at Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre in Darwin, Australia. It is common for chemotherapy to be prescribed for patients with advanced esophageal cancer, and this is based on the standard use of CRT in people with less advanced disease. However, some clinicians believe no treatment should be offered, assuming treatment is futile and potentially toxic. These results will allow us to simplify the treatment for patients who cannot be cured but who can expect an improvement in swallowing and quality of life as a result of RT alone; and these patients can be spared the extra toxicity and cost of chemotherapy.

The abstract, Best Practice in Advanced Oesophageal Cancer: A Report on TROG 03.01 NCIC CTG ES.2 Multinational Phase III Study in Advanced Oesophageal Cancer (OC) Comparing Quality of Life (QoL) and Palliation of Dysphagia in Patients Treated with Radiotherapy (RT) or Chemo-Radiotherapy (CRT), will be presented in detail during a scientific session at ASTROs 56th Annual Meeting at 3:15 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday, September 14, 2014. To speak with Dr. Penniment, please call Michelle Kirkwood on September 14 17, 2014, in the ASTRO Press Office at the Moscone Center in San Francisco Center at 415-978-3503 or 415-978-3504, or email michellek@astro.org.

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Patients with Advanced Esophageal Cancer Who Receive Radiation Therapy Alone Experience Less Problems When Swallowing ...

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Newswise San Francisco, September 14, 2014Patients with stage I and II Hodgkins Disease who receive consolidated radiation therapy (RT) have a higher 10-year survival rate of 84 percent, compared to 76 percent for patients who did not receive RT; and, the data also shows a decrease in utilization of RT, according to research presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncologys (ASTROs) 56th Annual Meeting.

Researchers evaluated clinical features and survival outcomes among 41,502 patients diagnosed with stage I and II Hodgkins Disease from 1998 to 2011 from a prospectively collected databasethe National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), which is comprised of cases from 1,500 sites and represents >75 percent of all cancers diagnosed in the U.S. The average patient age was 37 (range: 18 90), with a median follow-up of 7.5 years. The association between RT use, co-variables and outcome were assessed in a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Multi-agent chemotherapy was administered to 96 percent (39,842) of the patients, and 49 percent (20,441) of patients received a median RT dose of 30.6 Gy. The 10-year overall survival of the entire group was 80.8 percent, with patients receiving RT having a statistically significant improved overall survival rate at 10 years, when compared to those not receiving RT (84.4 percent vs. 76.4 percent; p<0.00001). Additionally, the omission of RT was related to higher rates of salvage transplant procedures performed.

Despite this benefit, the utilization of RT for patients with early-stage Hodgkins Disease decreased at the study sites from 56 percent to 41 percent between 1998 and 2011; and in 88.4 percent of the patients, the physician-reported reason given for not administering RT was that it was not part of the planned initial treatment strategy. The research also indicated that RT use was associated with younger patients (40 years), who are in a higher socioeconomic status, who had access to health insurance, and who received treatment at comprehensive cancer centers (all p<0.0001).

Multiple prospective, randomized trials have shown a significant improvement in disease control with the addition of RT, however previous trials were limited by low patient numbers and limited follow-up and thus, were unable to demonstrate an overall survival benefit, said lead study author Rahul R. Parikh, MD, a radiation oncologist at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. This is the largest dataset in this patient population to demonstrate a survival benefit with the addition of RT. Given that the utilization of RT was associated with younger age, insurance status, higher socioeconomic status, and treatment at comprehensive cancer centers, we have highlighted ongoing disparities in Hodgkins Disease treatment and it is important that we recognize these findings as potential barriers to care. Given the survival benefit demonstrated in this study, radiotherapy should be included in the combined modality approach of multi-agent chemotherapy followed by consolidation RT in order to maintain high overall survival rates for this curable disease.

The abstract, Early-Stage Hodgkin's Disease: The Utilization of Radiation Therapy and Its Impact on Overall Survival, will be presented in detail during a scientific session at ASTROs 56th Annual Meeting at 3:15 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday, September 14, 2014. To speak with Dr. Parikh, please call Michelle Kirkwood on September 14 17, 2014, in the ASTRO Press Office at the Moscone Center in San Francisco at 415-978-3503 or 415-978-3504, or email michellek@astro.org.

ASTROs 56th Annual Meeting, to be held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, September 14-17, 2014, is the nations premier scientific meeting in radiation oncology. The 2014 Annual Meeting is expected to attract more than 11,000 attendees including oncologists from all disciplines, medical physicists, dosimetrists, radiation therapists, radiation oncology nurses and nurse practitioners, biologists, physician assistants, practice administrators, industry representatives and other health care professionals from around the world. Led by ASTRO President Bruce G. Haffty, MD, FASTRO, a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer, the theme of the 2014 Meeting is Targeting Cancer: Technology and Biology, and the Presidential Symposium, Local-regional Management of Breast Cancer: A Changing Paradigm, will feature Jay R. Harris, MD, FASTRO, and Thomas A. Buchholz, MD, FASTRO, to highlight recent practice-changing, landmark studies and current developments in the local-regional management of breast cancer. ASTROs four-day scientific meeting includes presentation of up to four plenary papers, 360 oral presentations, 1,862 posters and 144 digital posters in more than 50 educational sessions and scientific panels for 20 disease-site tracks. Three keynote speakers will address a range of topics including oncologic imaging, biology and targeting in oncology, and human error and safety concerns: Hedvig Hricak, MD, PhD, Chair of the Department of Radiology and the Carroll and Milton Petrie Chair at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Frank McCormick, PhD, FRS, DSc (hon), Professor Emeritus and the David A. Wood Distinguished Professor of Tumor Biology and Cancer Research of the University of California at San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center; and Sidney Dekker, PhD, MA, MSc, Professor and Director of the Safety Science Innovation Lab at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.

ABOUT ASTRO ASTRO is the premier radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals that specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through professional education and training, support for clinical practice and health policy standards, advancement of science and research, and advocacy. ASTRO publishes two medical journals, International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (www.redjournal.org) and Practical Radiation Oncology (www.practicalradonc.org); developed and maintains an extensive patient website, http://www.rtanswers.org; and created the Radiation Oncology Institute (www.roinstitute.org), a non-profit foundation to support research and education efforts around the world that enhance and confirm the critical role of radiation therapy in improving cancer treatment. To learn more about ASTRO, visit http://www.astro.org. ###

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Improved Survival Shown in Early-Stage Hodgkin's Disease Patients Who Receive Radiation Therapy

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - September 15, 2014) - Patients with inoperable, early-stage lung cancer who receive stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) have a five-year survival rate of 40 percent, according to research presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology's (ASTRO's) 56th Annual Meeting. Such a positive survival rate is encouraging considering that historically conventional RT resulted in poor tumor control for patients with inoperable lung cancer. This study is an update of RTOG 0236, originally published in 2010[1], and also conducted by the original researchers to evaluate tumor control rates and side effects for patients at five years post-treatment.

RTOG 0236 was a Phase II North American multicenter trial from May 2004 until October 2006 of patients age 18 and older with biopsy-proven peripheral T1-T2 N0M0 non-small cell lung cancer (early stage with no lymph node involvement or metastases). Patients in the study all had medical conditions that precluded them from surgery, so they received SBRT, a specialized type of external beam therapy that usesfocused radiation beams at a tumor using detailed imaging. SBRT delivers high doses of radiation to the tumor in a decreased amount of treatment time, compared to standard RT, while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy organs. SBRT appeared to improve tumor control, as suggested by the initial study results for RTOG 0236[2].

A total of 59 patients were accrued for the study, and 55 were evaluable (44 patients with T1 tumors and 11 patients with T2 tumors). Patients each received three fractions of 18 Gy (54 Gy total) of SBRT, and treatment lasted between one-and-a-half to two weeks.

Researchers evaluated local control, which is the rate of reoccurrence of the cancer at the site of origin, as well as disease-free survival, overall survival and toxicity (side effects). Median follow-up was four years (7.2 years for surviving patients). At five years, the rates for disease-free and overall survival were 26 percent and 40 percent, respectively, with a median overall survival of four years.

Only four patients had recurrences at the primary tumor site, resulting in an estimated five-year primary tumor failure rate of seven percent (range, 1.8 to 4.8 years after SBRT). Nine additional patients had recurrence within the involved lobe (range, 0.1 to 5.9 years after SBRT), resulting in a five-year primary tumor and involved lobe (local) failure rate of 20 percent.

The five-year local-regional failure rate was 38 percent, of which seven patients experienced a spread of the cancer to nearby lymph nodes or organs (range, 2.8 to 5.2 years after SBRT). Fifteen patients had disseminated recurrence (throughout the lung), thus the five-year disseminated failure rate was 31 percent. Treatment-related grade three and grade four side effects were reported in 15 patients and in two patients, respectively. No grade five adverse events were reported.

"Historically, when treating early lung cancer with radiotherapy, progression at the site of the primary tumor was the most common failure resulting in suffering and death," said lead study author Robert Timmerman, MD, professor and vice chair of the department of radiation oncology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. "The initial results of RTOG 0236 showed very good tumor control; however, many physicians were concerned that treatment-related toxicity would eventually appear, so SBRT has not seen wide-spread use. This long-term analysis confirms that treated tumors did not reappear at the original site; and late toxicity, beyond what was seen in the initial report, did not appear. However, metastatic tumors continued to appear over time in untreated sites likely because those tumors were so small at initial treatment that they were not detected.These five-year results demonstrate positive tumor control and disprove the misconception that short-course treatment will result in late-appearing, unacceptable toxicities."

The abstract, "Long-term Results of RTOG 0236: A Phase II Trial of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) in the Treatment of Patients with Medically Inoperable Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer," will be presented in detail during a scientific session at ASTRO's 56th Annual Meeting at 10:45 a.m. Pacific time on Monday, September 15, 2014. To speak with Dr. Timmerman, please call Michelle Kirkwood on September 14 - 17, 2014, in the ASTRO Press Office at San Francisco's Moscone Center at 415-978-3503 or415-978-3504, or email michellek@astro.org.

ASTRO's 56th Annual Meeting, to be held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, September 14-17, 2014, is the nation's premier scientific meeting in radiation oncology. The 2014 Annual Meeting is expected to attract more than 11,000 attendees including oncologists from all disciplines, medical physicists, dosimetrists, radiation therapists, radiation oncology nurses and nurse practitioners, biologists, physician assistants, practice administrators, industry representatives and other health care professionals from around the world. Led by ASTRO President Bruce G. Haffty, MD, FASTRO, a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer, the theme of the 2014 Meeting is "Targeting Cancer: Technology and Biology," and the Presidential Symposium, "Local-regional Management of Breast Cancer: A Changing Paradigm," will feature Jay R. Harris, MD, FASTRO, and Thomas A. Buchholz, MD, FASTRO, to highlight recent practice-changing, landmark studies and current developments in the local-regional management of breast cancer. ASTRO's four-day scientific meeting includes presentation of up to four plenary papers, 360 oral presentations, 1,862 posters and 144 digital posters in more than 50 educational sessions and scientific panels for 20 disease-site tracks. Three keynote speakers will address a range of topics including oncologic imaging, biology and targeting in oncology, and human error and safety concerns: Hedvig Hricak, MD, PhD, Chair of the Department of Radiology and the Carroll and Milton Petrie Chair at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Frank McCormick, PhD, FRS, DSc (hon), Professor Emeritus and the David A. Wood Distinguished Professor of Tumor Biology and Cancer Research of the University of California at San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center; and Sidney Dekker, PhD, MA, MSc, Professor and Director of the Safety Science Innovation Lab at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.

2014 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 56th Annual Meeting News Briefing, Tuesday, September 16, 2014, 7:00 a.m. Pacific time

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Long-Term Results of RTOG 0236 Confirm Good Primary Tumor Control and Positive Five-Year Survival Rates for Lung ...

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Newswise San Francisco, September 15, 2014Prostate cancer patients who received hypofractionated (HPFX) radiation therapy (RT) reported that their quality of life, as well as bladder and bowel function were at similar levels before and after RT, according to research presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncologys (ASTROs) 56th Annual Meeting. Additionally, results indicate that parallel quality of life outcomes occurred between groups of patients who receive different regimens of HPFX RT.

The phase I/II trial enrolled 343 patients with low-to-intermediate risk prostate cancer at five institutions from 2002 to 2010 to study the effectiveness of HPFX RT, as well as the patients ability to tolerate the treatment. HPFX RT is radiation therapy in which the total dose of radiation is divided into large doses and administered over a shorter period of time (fewer days or weeks) than standard RT.

All of the patients received intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to the prostate and base of the seminal vesicles. IMRT is an advanced high-precision RT that uses guided imaging techniques to deliver well-defined radiation doses to a tumor or specific areas within the tumor. IMRT allows for the radiation dose to conform more precisely to the three-dimensional shape of a tumor while minimizing radiation to surrounding tissues.

Patients were divided into three groups based on dose-per-fraction schedules (the amount of radiation administered during each RT session). Researchers calculated and designed the three different HPFX regimens in hopes that each might achieve similar disease control and consistently minimal side effects for patients. Group Ones HPFX levels were 64.7 Gy total, with 22 fractions (doses) of 2.94 Gy each. Group Twos HPFX levels were 58.08 Gy total, with 16 fractions (doses) of 3.63 Gy each. Group Threes HPFX levels were 51.6 Gy total with 12 fractions (doses) of 4.3 Gy each.

Researchers evaluated the impact each treatment regimen had on the quality of life of patients, and all patients completed three quality-of-life (QOL) questionnaires at baseline and annually for up to three years post-treatment. Patient assessments measured bladder, bowel and sexual function, and included the Fox Chase Bowel/Bladder Toxicity questionnaire, the Spitzer Quality of Life Index (SQLI) questionnaire and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire.

Analysis of patient-scored QOL bowel data at three years post-treatment revealed no significant difference in average pre- to post-treatment score changes. Additionally, there was little difference in composite QOL outcomes across the three groups. Out of a maximum score of 100, the scores were 86.3 for Group One; 87.7 for Group Two; and, and 85.4 for Group Three (p=0.469). Similarly, QOL data regarding bladder function at three years follow-up was comparable across the three groups. Out of a maximum score of 100, the scores were 79.5 for Group One; 82.5 for Group Two and 81.1 for Group Three (p=0.343).

The SQLI data, which has a range of 0-10, revealed excellent, similar three-year mean scores of 9.5 for Group One; 9.8 for Group Two and 9.5 for Group Three (p=0.188). IIEF data on sexual function also revealed no significant difference across HPFX levels at three years post-treatment when assessing erectile function (p=0.07), orgasmic function (p=0.078), sexual desire (p=0.231), intercourse satisfaction (p=0.354) and overall satisfaction (p=0.191). All measures except intercourse satisfaction were significantly worse at three years when compared to baseline for all three treatment groups.

These results will significantly contribute to the continued understanding of hypofractionation in the setting of prostate cancer, said lead author Jeffrey V. Brower MD, PhD, a radiation oncology resident at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. We were pleased by the overall minimal changes from baseline noted in the study participants following hypofractionated radiation. The findings of non-statistically significant differences noted when comparing hypofractionation regimens was as anticipated, as much work was done to calculate equivalent doses and to predict late toxicities. Specifically, with regard to patient-reported quality of life outcomes, our research can assist in a continued paradigm shift concerning the role of hypofractionation in the treatment of prostate cancer, resulting in shorter treatment times and improved quality of life for our patients.

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Newswise Fairfax, Va., September 10, 2014The American Society for Radiation Oncologys (ASTROs) 56th Annual Meeting, to be held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, September 14-17, 2014, is the nations premier scientific meeting in radiation oncology, and the results of 2,874 radiation oncology-specific research studies and clinical trials conducted around the world will be presented at the four-day meeting. The 2014 Annual Meeting is expected to attract more than 11,000 oncologists from all disciplines and members of the entire radiation oncology care team from the U.S. and internationally.

ASTRO will present five News Briefings and a Meet-The-Expert session live, on-site and online to highlight the 18 most innovative clinical trials and studies of the 56th Annual Meeting.

What: Five live, webcast News Briefings and one Meet-The-Expert presentation from ASTROs 56th Annual Meeting at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Downloadable news photos, audio recordings and slides will be available online at the end of each day: http://www.astro.org/AMpress

When: Sunday, September 14 Wednesday, September 17, 2014

2014 News Briefing Schedule: Sunday, September 14 at 2:45 p.m. Pacific time ASTRO 2014: Hot Topics Bruce G. Haffty, MD, FASTRO, ASTRO president and chair of the 2014 Annual Meeting Steering Committee How: https://astro.adobeconnect.com/pressbrief1

Monday, September 15 at 8:15 a.m. Pacific time Developments in Prostate Cancer Moderated by Colleen A.F. Lawton, MD, FASTRO How: https://astro.adobeconnect.com/pressbrief2

Monday, September 15 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time Palliative Care, Quality of Life and Patient-reported Outcomes Moderated by Tracy A. Balboni, MD, MPH How: https://astro.adobeconnect.com/pressbrief3

Tuesday, September 16 at 7:00 a.m. Pacific time Advances in Lung Cancer Moderated by Benjamin Movsas, MD, FASTRO How: https://astro.adobeconnect.com/pressbrief4

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Record-Breaking Number of More Than 2,800 Radiation Oncology Clinical Trials and Studies Will Showcase Worldwide ...

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Newswise Fairfax, Va., September 9, 2014Radiation therapy with concurrent paclitaxel chemotherapy following surgery is an effective treatment for patients with high-risk endometrial cancer, according to a study published in the September 1, 2014 edition of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy. Patients with early-stage disease are typically treated with surgery alone; however, patients with advanced endometrial cancer have higher instances of local or distant recurrence. Concurrent radiation therapy and chemotherapy after surgery is used to reduce the rate of recurrence in patients with advanced disease. This study, A Phase 2 Trial of Radiation Therapy With Concurrent Paclitaxel Chemotherapy After Surgery in Patients With High-Risk Endometrial Cancer: A Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group Study, evaluates the efficacy and toxicity of concurrent chemoradiation with weekly paclitaxel in patients with stage III and IV endometrial cancer.

From January 2006 to March 2008, 57 patients from 20 institutions in Korea were included in the study. Patients eligible to participate in the study were between 20 and 80 years old, with a histologic diagnosis of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage III or IV endometrioid adenocarcinoma with no history of prior surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy for the treatment of other cancers. Patients with diagnoses of other cancers or severe infection requiring parenteral antibiotics, with a history of cardiac arrhythmia, congestive heart failure or myocardial infarction within the previous six months, or with uncontrolled infection, diabetes, hypertension or compromised cardiac, renal, liver or bone marrow functions were not included in the study. Of the 57 patients in this study, 12 patients (21.1 percent) had FIGO stage IIIA disease, 40 (70.1 percent) had FIGO stage IIIC disease and five (8.8 percent) had FIGO stage IV disease. Fourteen patients (24.6 percent) had grade 1 tumors, 27 (47.3 percent) had grade 2 tumors, and 16 (28.1 percent) had grade 3 tumors. The average age of the study patients was 52.2 years old.

All eligible patients had a staging laparotomy, including total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of both ovaries and both fallopian tubes), pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy and peritoneal washing cytology. Patients in the study received a total dose of 45.0 to 50.4 Gy of external pelvic radiation therapy (1.8 to 2.0 Gy daily, five times a week), and 60 mg/m2 of paclitaxel diluted in 500 mL of 5 percent dextrose in water administered intravenously for three hours, once a week, for six weeks. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy were initiated within six weeks of surgery, and radiation therapy began either two days before or two days after the first chemotherapy treatment.

Chemotherapy was suspended due to adverse toxic effects in two patients. Of those two patients, one experienced septic shock, and one had persistent grade 4 neutropenia (an abnormally low count of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell) for more than two weeks. One patient refused treatment after enrollment, and two patients withdrew from treatment prior to completing all six cycles of chemotherapy. Fifty-two patients were included in the studys final analysis.

Patients received follow-up for five years after surgery. Chest X-ray and abdominal-pelvic CT or MRI were conducted every six months for the first two years post-surgery and then annually for the next three years. Patients were also evaluated by pelvic examinations, monitoring CA125 blood serum levels and Papanicolaou tests every three months for the first two years post-surgery and then every six months for the next three years.

Severe toxicities observed during treatment were primarily hematologic toxicities. Of the 312 treatment cycles (52 patients each received six cycles), 52 episodes (16.7 percent) of grade 3 or 4 leukopenia (decrease in number of white blood cells) were observed, and 35 episodes (11.2 percent) of grade 3 or 4 neutropenia were observed. Hematologic toxicity caused 98 cycles to be delayed one week, and a paclitaxel dose reduction was required for eight patients (15.3 percent) who experienced persistent neutropenia for more than one week.

Disease recurrence occurred in 19 (36.5 percent) of the 52 patients in the final analysis. Eighteen patients (34.6 percent) experienced extrapelvic recurrence (lung, liver, bone, para-aortic, lymph node or other sites). One patient (1.9 percent) had intrapelvic recurrence in the vaginal vault. The median time to the detection of recurrence was 12 months (range 3 to 24 months).

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Radiation Therapy with Concurrent Chemotherapy After Surgery Is an Effective Treatment for Patients with High-Risk ...

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

9-Sep-2014

Contact: Michelle Kirkwood press@astro.org 703-286-1600 American Society for Radiation Oncology http://www.twitter.com/ASTRO_org

Fairfax, Va., September 9, 2014Radiation therapy with concurrent paclitaxel chemotherapy following surgery is an effective treatment for patients with high-risk endometrial cancer, according to a study published in the September 1, 2014 edition of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy. Patients with early-stage disease are typically treated with surgery alone; however, patients with advanced endometrial cancer have higher instances of local or distant recurrence. Concurrent radiation therapy and chemotherapy after surgery is used to reduce the rate of recurrence in patients with advanced disease. This study, "A Phase 2 Trial of Radiation Therapy With Concurrent Paclitaxel Chemotherapy After Surgery in Patients With High-Risk Endometrial Cancer: A Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group Study," evaluates the efficacy and toxicity of concurrent chemoradiation with weekly paclitaxel in patients with stage III and IV endometrial cancer.

From January 2006 to March 2008, 57 patients from 20 institutions in Korea were included in the study. Patients eligible to participate in the study were between 20 and 80 years old, with a histologic diagnosis of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage III or IV endometrioid adenocarcinoma with no history of prior surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy for the treatment of other cancers. Patients with diagnoses of other cancers or severe infection requiring parenteral antibiotics, with a history of cardiac arrhythmia, congestive heart failure or myocardial infarction within the previous six months, or with uncontrolled infection, diabetes, hypertension or compromised cardiac, renal, liver or bone marrow functions were not included in the study. Of the 57 patients in this study, 12 patients (21.1 percent) had FIGO stage IIIA disease, 40 (70.1 percent) had FIGO stage IIIC disease and five (8.8 percent) had FIGO stage IV disease. Fourteen patients (24.6 percent) had grade 1 tumors, 27 (47.3 percent) had grade 2 tumors, and 16 (28.1 percent) had grade 3 tumors. The average age of the study patients was 52.2 years old.

All eligible patients had a staging laparotomy, including total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of both ovaries and both fallopian tubes), pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy and peritoneal washing cytology. Patients in the study received a total dose of 45.0 to 50.4 Gy of external pelvic radiation therapy (1.8 to 2.0 Gy daily, five times a week), and 60 mg/m2 of paclitaxel diluted in 500 mL of 5 percent dextrose in water administered intravenously for three hours, once a week, for six weeks. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy were initiated within six weeks of surgery, and radiation therapy began either two days before or two days after the first chemotherapy treatment.

Chemotherapy was suspended due to adverse toxic effects in two patients. Of those two patients, one experienced septic shock, and one had persistent grade 4 neutropenia (an abnormally low count of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell) for more than two weeks. One patient refused treatment after enrollment, and two patients withdrew from treatment prior to completing all six cycles of chemotherapy. Fifty-two patients were included in the study's final analysis.

Patients received follow-up for five years after surgery. Chest X-ray and abdominal-pelvic CT or MRI were conducted every six months for the first two years post-surgery and then annually for the next three years. Patients were also evaluated by pelvic examinations, monitoring CA125 blood serum levels and Papanicolaou tests every three months for the first two years post-surgery and then every six months for the next three years.

Severe toxicities observed during treatment were primarily hematologic toxicities. Of the 312 treatment cycles (52 patients each received six cycles), 52 episodes (16.7 percent) of grade 3 or 4 leukopenia (decrease in number of white blood cells) were observed, and 35 episodes (11.2 percent) of grade 3 or 4 neutropenia were observed. Hematologic toxicity caused 98 cycles to be delayed one week, and a paclitaxel dose reduction was required for eight patients (15.3 percent) who experienced persistent neutropenia for more than one week.

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RT and concurrent chemotherapy after surgery is effective treatment for high-risk endometrial cancer

6" f/12 Astro Physics Refractor
6" f/12 Astro Physics Refractor.

By: loron91423

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6" f/12 Astro Physics Refractor - Video

29.08.2014 - (idw) Johannes Gutenberg-Universitt Mainz

Young particle and hadron physicists from Germany and Europe will be meeting at the Frauenwrth Benedictine Abbey on Lake Chiemsee in Germany The venue for the 2014 Summer Graduate School "Symmetries and Fundamental Interactions" will be the Frauenwrth Abbey near the Bavarian Alps. The participants will be focusing on subjects such as the physics of the Higgs particle, the search for "New Physics," and the corresponding unifying theory that will greatly expand our understanding of elementary particles and fundamental forces. The summer school is being organized by the DFG-funded Research Training Group 1581 "Symmetry Breaking in Fundamental Interactions," the Cluster of Excellence "Precision Physics, Fundamental Interactions and Structure of Matter" (PRISMA), and the Mainz Institute for Theoretical Physics (MITP) at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. From September 1 to 5, some 80 participants from Mainz and other institutions in Germany and Europe will come together to discuss the current status of experimental and theoretical fundamental physics with lecturers and internationally eminent researchers. (For the program and other information, please see http://indico.mitp.uni-mainz.de/conferenceProgram.py?confId=22.)

Further information: Professor Dr. Stefan Weinzierl Theoretical High Energy Physics (THEP) Institute of Physics Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz D 55099 Mainz, Germany phone + 49 6131 39-25579 fax +49 6131 39-24611 e-mail: weinz001@uni-mainz.de http://www.thep.physik.uni-mainz.de/45.php#L_Weinzierl__Prof__Dr__Stefan Weitere Informationen:http://www.symmetrybreaking.uni-mainz.dehttp://www.prisma.uni-mainz.dehttp://www.mitp.uni-mainz.de

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On the search for 'New Physics'

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

26-Aug-2014

Contact: Michelle Kirkwood press@astro.org 703-286-1600 American Society for Radiation Oncology

Fairfax, Va., August 26, 2014The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has selected San Francisco Bay Area resident and cancer survivor Jasan Zimmerman to receive the 2014 Survivor Circle Award. Mr. Zimmerman will be presented with his award, including $1,000, during the Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, September 16 at ASTRO's 56th Annual Meeting at San Francisco's Moscone Center. The Survivor Circle Award recognizes a cancer survivor who lives in the ASTRO Annual Meeting host city and who has dedicated his or her time and energy in service and support of their local community.

"Volunteering was always a part of my life, instilled in me by my parents, so when I was finally comfortable enough to share my story, it was easy to find volunteer opportunities in the cancer advocacy world," Zimmerman said. "The benefits of volunteering are two-fold for me: every time I share my story, it helps me come to terms with and accept my experiences a little more, and externally, I can see positive changes in the lives of other people based on the work that I have done, whether directly or indirectly."

Zimmerman was diagnosed in 1976, at six months old, with neuroblastoma of the left neck. The tumor was removed, and he was treated with upper mantle radiation therapy at Loma Linda University Medical Center. In 1991, at age 15, Zimmerman was then diagnosed with thyroid cancer and had a thyroidectomy at the University of California Irvine Medical Center and radiation therapy at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California. He experienced a recurrence of thyroid cancer in 1997 at age 21 and underwent radiation therapy at the University of California Irvine Medical Center. In 2004, after Zimmerman finished graduate school and moved to the Bay Area, he felt like something was missing in his life. He read about a local support group in the paper and decided to attend. For the first year or two of meetings, Zimmerman did not speak up much beyond sharing his name and cancer history. During those meetings, he met other group members who were involved in advocacy for cancer patients, and Zimmerman realized that he had experiences and knowledge to share as a pediatric and young adult cancer survivor.

"I never had a conscious 'moment of inspiration,' but slowly, I became more and more involved in advocating for the psychosocial support of pediatric and young adult cancer survivors," Zimmerman said. "I don't want people to have the negative experiences that I had when I was sick, such as depression, anger and being treated as a child instead of as a young adult who could make my own decisions. I really enjoy helping people and connecting them with resources that can make their lives easier."

Zimmerman has been a member of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Cancer Patient Advisory Council since 2010; and since 2012, a member of the planning committee for Courageous Kids, an annual American Cancer Society event that is "a day for kids away from cancer;" a member of the Alumni Advisory Board of First Descents, which offers free outdoor adventure camps for young adult cancer patients and survivors; and a co-facilitator of Healthy Young Attitude, the monthly young adult patient and survivor support group in Mountain View, California that he first attended in 2004. Zimmerman has also served as a Super Advocate for the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship from 2008-2011; an Advisory Board member of Yoga Bear, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting more opportunities for wellness and healing to the cancer community through the practice of yoga, from 2008-2012; and a Patient Services Committee member for Cancer CAREpoint in San Jose, California from 2011-2013. He has also reviewed cancer research grants for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program and spoken about survivorship to various groups, including the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Relay for Life and Stupid Cancer's 2014 OMG! Cancer Summit for Young Adults.

"For most of my life, I did not want to think or to talk about cancer, and I was really uncomfortable when I had to tell my story. Now, it gets easier every time I tell my story. Doing so has helped me come to terms with what I've been through," Zimmerman said. "Volunteering has also helped me learn about resources that impact my own survivorship, like seeking out a treatment summary and survivorship care plan. I've met lots of great people who have educated and mentored me, and I'm so grateful for their support, care and leadership."

"ASTRO is honored to present Mr. Zimmerman with the 2014 Survivor Circle Award," said Bruce G. Haffty, MD, FASTRO, president of ASTRO's Board of Directors. "His dedication to helping other cancer survivors and his willingness to share his story with so many others, particularly other pediatric and young adult cancer survivors, are an inspiration. He is an excellent example of the importance of caring for and supporting our patientsfrom diagnosis through survivorship."

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San Francisco Bay Area cancer survivor will be honored with ASTRO's 2014 Survivor Circle Award

Astroarchitect Neeta Sinha, believes that an individual's persona affects his/her environment and vice versa, and for a happy and successful life one must match his horoscope with the spaces around him/her

You have probably heard that every structure like any living person has its own unique energy. So if you can have a personal horoscope, so can a premise that you live or work in. What does a horoscope of a premise look like? How does it work? To get the answers to these questions we met Neeta Sinha bollywood's favourite astroarchitect. Sinha has been in the field of astro-architecture for the last 28 years.

Neeta's journey A non believer, Neeta was astounded by the predictions made by late DR Kusuma regarding her life, igniting a powerful desire to learn the science. Her curiosity to know more set her on a quest that led to years of research. Neeta has worked with prominet clients from varied fields. Her list of clients include Vijay Raheja and Associates, K Raheja Universal, actors Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh Khan, Suniel Shetty, Farhan Akhtar, designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla and the Maharani of Jaipur HH Padmini Devi among others.

About Astro-architecture She says, "It's a unique science based on the belief that a man's persona affects his environment and vice versa. Like a living person, every structure has its own unique energy. To ensure you have a happy, successful and fulfilled life, one must match his/her horoscope with the spaces around him/her. Astro-achitecture is one such research led conviction, which is a fusion of astrology and architecture. It aims to create a balance between living persons and their spaces."

How it works? As the name suggests, astro-architecture is the application of the laws of astrology to the dimensions of architecture. It works following the basics of meta-physics and occult sciences to create a balance between an individual and his/her premises. Neeta says, "Different corners of a premise have different energy forces affecting different aspects of an individual's life. The application of astro-architecture along with its simple yet powerful remedies, helps in maintaining a balance between the positive and negative energies to enhance prosperity, peace and positivity."

To get the horoscope of your premise, you need: To get your flat's horoscope, you have to approach Neeta with the basic details ie if it's a residential or commercial premise, the name of the owner (specifying whether it's a rental premise and the names of the people occupying the same), apart from the above if it's a commercial set up, you also need to provide Neeta with the company's name, director's name, specify if it's a branch or a corporate office, also give details about products manufacture in the premises if it's a manufacturing or pharmaceutical firm. Also, taking the layout of the flat, and mentioning the direction of the premises is also a vital requirement. Neeta charges Rs 15,000 onwards for a basic consultation session

Tips you can use The front door should have a vibrant colour. Never play with two opposite mirrors or the colour red as when used in a positive area can benefit you, but when in a negative area can result in disastrous consequences. No matter how hard you try, there is always one area in the house where clutter exists, place extra light and use orange paint on the walls for a positive feel. If you notice constant leakage or seepage of water in a particular area of the bathroom, despite repeated attempts to fix the same, try reducing the size of the mirror in the bathroom. Green plants are a welcome addition in the home and should be used as part of the decor.

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Now a horoscope for your flat

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Newswise Fairfax, Va., May 8, 2014During the American Society for Radiation Oncologys (ASTROs) 11th annual Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. on May 5-6, 2014, more than 75 ASTRO members met with more than 150 congressional members from their 32 home states. Attendees, including radiation oncologists, nurses, administrators and a record of 24 radiation oncology residents, urged Congress to close the self-referral loophole, to stabilize Medicare physician payments, to provide sustainable funding for radiation oncology-specific cancer research, and to preserve and increase funding for additional residency slots in the nations Graduate Medical Education (GME) program.

It is imperative that our nations Medicare infrastructure and resources be judiciously preserved and strengthened. Closing the self-referral loophole, repealing the SGR, and providing increased funding for cancer research and medical residency programs are essential to shoring up our finite resources and investing in the future of cancer care, noted Colleen A.F. Lawton, MD, FASTRO, chair of ASTROs Board of Directors. We are eager to work with leaders in Washington to ensure that meaningful reforms are achieved so that we can continue to provide high-quality, safe, life-saving radiation therapy to more than one million cancer patients each year.

ASTRO is concerned that the in-office ancillary services (IOAS) exception loophole in current federal self-referral laws is compromising patient care. The physician self-referral law, the Ethics in Patient Referrals Act, prohibits physicians from referring a patient to a medical facility in which he or she has a financial interest to ensure that medical decisions are made in the best interest of the patient without consideration of any financial gain. The IOAS exception currently allows physicians to refer patients for radiation oncology treatments and certain other services in which they have a financial interest. Numerous independent reports and studies, from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Simpson-Bowles Project and a landmark study in The New England Journal of Medicine, have confirmed that abuse of the IOAS exception has led to increased costs to patients and Medicare, as well as inappropriate use of diagnostic and therapeutic services. Often, the patient is not aware that their physician has a financial interest in which treatment they choose. Reps. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) introduced the Promoting Integrity in Medicare Act of 2013 (H.R. 2914), which would close the IOAS loophole and limit its use to integrated and truly collaborative multi-specialty group practices.

Recent estimates from the Congressional Budget Office and President Obama predict substantial savings of $3.4 billion and $6.1 billion respectively, by closing the IOAS exception for anatomic pathology, advanced imaging, physical therapy and radiation therapy. These significant savings produced by closing the IOAS loophole should be allocated to offset the costs of repealing and/or permanently fixing the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula for physician payments.

ASTRO supports efforts to develop a Medicare payment system driven by quality, rather than volume, as in the current fee-for-service structure, in order to stabilize and strengthen the Medicare program. The SGR formula has been patched and re-patched 16 times with short-term doc fixes since 2003. With the development of new alternative payment models and permanent repeal of the SGR, patients will benefit from a more stable health care environment that is able to focus on quality of care.

The development and use of new and emerging technologies and treatments are achieved through vital research and clinical trials. Federal funding of radiation oncology-specific research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was less than 1 percent of the total NIH budget for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011, and a little more than 4 percent of the National Cancer Institutes (NCIs) budget was devoted to radiation oncology-specific projects. NCI has also experienced a more than $450 million decrease in funding in the FY 2014 NIH budget, which will reduce the allowance of patient enrollment in clinical trials by 30 percent in FY 2014. Decreased patient enrollment in clinical trials will impact the progress of ongoing trials and decrease the number of clinical trials, and ultimately slow the development of new cures. Sustainable and predictable funding for cancer research, with increased allocation for radiation oncology, is essential in our fight against cancer in order to continue the advancement of treatment and the quest for a cure.

The nations GME program supports graduated medical students progress to become competent practitioners in medicine, including radiation oncology, and provides for the physicians needed to address the nations physician workforce needs. The Association of American Medical Colleges projects a shortage of 91,500 physicians by 2020, which will grow to 130,600 by 2025. The federal government contributes approximately $10 billion in Medicare funds to help support GME annually, which provides the majority of funding to the approximately 115,000 physicians currently in the more than 1,000 residency programs. The Presidents FY 2015 budget proposes to decrease funding for the GME program by $14.6 billion over 10 years. Reduced funding for GME will significantly impact many hospitals and academic programs ability to provide GME, thus directly decreasing the number of physicians. Preserving critical GME funding for existing programs and increasing the number of Medicare-supported training positions for medical residents are vital investments in supporting our next generation of physicians who will care for millions of cancer patients nationwide.

ABOUT ASTRO ASTRO is the premier radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals that specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through professional education and training, support for clinical practice and health policy standards, advancement of science and research, and advocacy. ASTRO publishes two medical journals, International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (www.redjournal.org) and Practical Radiation Oncology (www.practicalradonc.org); developed and maintains an extensive patient website, http://www.rtanswers.org; and created the Radiation Oncology Institute (www.roinstitute.org), a non-profit foundation to support research and education efforts around the world that enhance and confirm the critical role of radiation therapy in improving cancer treatment. To learn more about ASTRO, visit http://www.astro.org. ###

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ASTRO's 11th Annual Advocacy Day Featured Meetings with More Than 150 Members of Congress

Keeping with his colorful personality, Garrett Crouse wore this planetary shirt for his Eugene High School senior photo, in honor of his future major in astro-physics.

EUGENE, Mo. When Garrett Crouse and his pals ran through the halls of Eugene High School chasing a ghost as the Ghostbusters for "1980s day," his peers werent surprised.

When he pulled out all the stops for the Mr. Eugene contest (a male beauty pageant), he had a blast.

And when the senior boys were determined to beat the senior girls for the first time in a pep assembly dance-off, Crouse was in the mix with back flips and boy-band dance moves.

The flamboyant and cheerful senior at Eugene High School is a self-proclaimed social bug.

I like meeting new people and expanding my social bubble, he said.

To that end, hes not afraid to be outlandish to have fun. And more importantly, he seeks to make sure others are having a good time, too.

Ultimately, what I want to do with my life is help people, Crouse said. The more people I know, the more I can potentially help.

Thats his lifes mission, not his career goal.

Crouse is headed to the University of Colorado this fall to study astro-physics. His ultimate dream is to be a researcher at the NASA branch at CalTech and perhaps become a professor there.

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Future scientist has social bent

http://www.horoastronomy.org.nz

Inspirational woman Scientist visiting Astronomers May 5th 2014

On 11th June HASI will be hosting the eminent astrophysicist Dame Prof Jocelyn Bell Burnell who is credited as being the person who discovered Pulsars. This is a great honour for Horowhenua Astronomical Society Inc and will go down in history as one of our greatest events. Dame Jocelyn is known to be an excellent, down to earth speaker and renowned woman of science. She is also scheduled as Keynote speaker at the RASNZ 50th Annual Conference hosted by Whakatane Astronomical Society from Friday 6th June to Sunday 8th June http://rasnz.org.nz/Conference/

In 1999 she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to Astronomy and promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2007. In February 2013 she was assessed as one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4. In February 2014 she was made President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the first woman to hold that office.

Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, DBE, FRS, FRAS

Dame Jocelyn is a Northern Irish astrophysicist who as a postgraduate student, discovered the first radio pulsars while studying with Antony Hewish, for which Hewish shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with Martin Ryle, while Bell Burnell was excluded, despite having observed the pulsars. She was President of the Royal Astronomical Society from 2002 to 2004, President of the Institute of Physics from October 2008 until October 2010. Bell Burnell graduated from the University of Glasgow with a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Philosophy (physics) in 1965 and obtained a Ph.D. degree from University of Cambridge in 1969. At Cambridge, she worked with Hewish and others to construct a radio telescope for using interplanetary scintillation to study quasars, which had recently been discovered. In July 1967, she detected a bit of "scruff" on her chartrecorder papers which tracked across the sky with the stars. Ms. Bell found that the signal was pulsing with great regularity, at a rate of about one pulse per second. Temporarily dubbed "Little Green Man 1" (LGM-1) the source (now known as PSR B1919+21) was identified after several years as a rapidly rotating neutron star. Only about 1,000 pulsars are known to exist, though there may be hundreds of millions of old neutron stars in the galaxy. The staggering pressures that exist at the core of neutron stars may be like those that existed at the time of the big bang, but these states cannot be simulated on Earth.

The Speaker: Dame Prof Jocelyn Bell Burnell Professor of Astrophysics at Oxford University Title of talk: We are made of star stuff Te Manawa Museum Main Building, Palmerston North Wednesday 11th June 2014 6.30pm Start Admission: Gold Coin

Further background:-

Talking about her discovery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKtnaTxLARc

Women in science: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp7amRdr30Y

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Inspirational woman Scientist visiting Astronomers

Teller spoke at the annual tech conference in his role as the director (or Captain, according to his official title at Google) of Google X, a semi-secret lab dedicated to creating science fiction-sounding solutions that improve existing technologies by a factor of 10. Google Glass, the self-driving car and Flux, a company that announced $8 million of funding on Tuesday, all started as moonshot projects in the Google X labs.

With a sky-blue Google Glass strapped to his face, Teller told the attendees a little more about Google Xs mission, future goals, and the privacy concerns surrounding Google Glass.

Were excited about how tech can be used to get tech out of the way, he said. Technology needs to be more like anti-lock brake systems in cars, which do exactly what we need them to do, when we need them, without us realizing they are even present. [It can] make us feel more human, not less human, more in the moment, not disconnected.

Case in point: Google Glass, which Teller said was founded on the idea that a smart phone would work best if people didnt have to carry one around all day or poke at them with their fingertips.

But on the flip side of convenience are concerns about safety and privacy. The potential ability of Google Glass to surreptitiously take pictures and record video creeps out many people and has already gotten the so-called smart glasses banned by casinos, strip clubs and movie theaters. Several states have proposed banning use of Google Glass while driving.

Teller admits these are legitimate concerns, but notes Google Glass is far from the first to push the privacy boundary.

I grant that people are generally uncomfortable with how fast privacy issues are changing in the world, but Google Glass is not going to move the needle on that, Teller said, noting how cameras are already ubiquitous in our lives and mentioning a New York Times article from the 1800s that voiced similar privacy concerns when the camera was first invented.

Its true that Google Glass in its current form lights up while recording and is limited to the direction the user is facing, making it the worlds worst spy camera, according to Teller, but what happens when the technology develops and become less obtrusive? one attendee asked. After all, thats one of the primary goals of Google X, which is working on a smart contact lens.

Teller more or less evaded the question, saying that the goal of moonshot projects is to create a positive impact in the world and not to ruin privacy. The contact lens was designed with the purpose of providing an easier method for diabetics to monitor glucose, he said, and the self-driving car was built to solve the problem of 30,000 car-related deaths in the U.S. every year. There is also Project Loon, a Google X moonshot to provide Wi-Fi to isolated parts of the world via a network of balloons.

Those are just the few projects Teller could mention. While Google X accepts submissions for moonshot ideas, the Captain said hes not allowed to talk about most of what the lab is doing.

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Dr. Astro Teller At Disrupt NY: Google X Captain Discusses Google Glass Privacy, Moonshot Projects

Zee24Taas: Thane Astro Physics Award To Amar Sharma
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Newswise Fairfax, Va., May 5, 2014 The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is concerned by the Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committees (MEDCAC) April 30, 2014 recommendation to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that adults at high risk for lung cancer should not receive Medicare coverage of annual, low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening. ASTRO urges CMS to support the December 2013 proposal of the United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF), which scored LDCT as a Grade B screening procedure, rather than MEDCACs recommendation.

The USPSTF Recommendation Statement recommends annual lung cancer screening with LDCT in adults aged 55 to 80 years who have a 30 pack-year smoking history and who currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years, and that screening should be discontinued once a person has not smoked for 15 years or develops a health problem that substantially limits life expectancy or the ability or willingness to have curative lung surgery. The USPSTF Recommendation Statement reviewed the results of four randomized clinical trials, including the National Cancer Institutes National Lung Screening Trial, which included more than 50,000 asymptomatic adults aged 55 to 74 who had at least a 30 pack-year history and found a 16 percent reduction in lung cancer mortality for those who received annual screening.

Under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), private health care insurers are required to cover, without a co-pay, all medical exams or procedures graded B or higher by the USPSTF. The PPACA does not require Medicare to follow the USPSTFs recommendations for its beneficiaries.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women in the United States, surpassing the number of deaths from breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. Research demonstrates that screening current and former heavy smokers with low-dose CT scans can reduce lung cancer mortality by nearly 20 percent in high-risk individuals, said ASTRO Chair Colleen A.F. Lawton, MD, FASTRO. Regular screening for those at highest risk for lung cancer has the potential for earlier diagnosiswhen treatment can be most successful and save lives. ASTRO strongly encourages CMS to provide coverage to Medicare beneficiaries for this life-saving screening.

ABOUT ASTRO ASTRO is the premier radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals that specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through professional education and training, support for clinical practice and health policy standards, advancement of science and research, and advocacy. ASTRO publishes two medical journals, International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (www.redjournal.org) and Practical Radiation Oncology (www.practicalradonc.org); developed and maintains an extensive patient website, http://www.rtanswers.org; and created the Radiation Oncology Institute (www.roinstitute.org), a non-profit foundation to support research and education efforts around the world that enhance and confirm the critical role of radiation therapy in improving cancer treatment. To learn more about ASTRO, visit http://www.astro.org. ###

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ASTRO Urges Medicare to Provide National Coverage of Low-Dose CT Screening for Adults at High Risk for Lung Cancer

Welcome to Astrophysics Formulas. Here you will find astrophysics formulas and astronomy formulas presented in a way that is more than just a bunch of equations. The idea is to provide practical forms as far as possible. Forms that are directly useful and that foster developing intuition for the nature of the relations represented by the equations, and for the underlying physics. Choose Astrophysics Formulas from the menu or this link, or use the search box in the right-hand sidebar.

List of Astrophysics Formulas

Use the button or link above to access a free pdf download containing an extended summary of astrophysics formulas which we hope will be a useful off-line quick reference (even though the pdf has more than 50 pages). The website entries have more detail and more explanation than the entries in the pdf file, but currently the pdf file is ahead of the website entries in the number of entries. Please check back soon for updates. If you sign up to the mailing list in the right-hand sidebar you will be informed when substantial new material has been added to the site.

Tip on unit conversions: Google is pretty clever and typing even some of the most obscure unit conversion questions into a Google search box will give you something sensible. However, there are some particular things that are not handled very well and these will be handled in astrophysics formulas (for example, keV to Kelvin, meV to kg, etc.).

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Astrophysics Formulas and Astronomy Formulas