In late March, 150 researchers from leading clinics around the world got together to share their views and insights into the future of radiation oncology. The event — which was sponsored by Varian Medical Systems — allowed physicists and doctors alike to gauge the direction cancer treatment is going in, and collaborate on how to advance it. DOTmed News reached out to Dr. Patrick Kupelian, professor and vice chair of UCLA's Department of Radiation Oncology, to get a sense of what that future looks like.
DOTmed News: What is the atmosphere like at an event like this?
Dr. Pat Kupelian: About 150 participants who are current or potential collaborators of Varian attended a two-and-a-half day meeting presenting and discussing a variety of topics relevant to the use of radiotherapy.
The meeting was in Atlanta and gathered an international crowd. Most people knew each other, or were familiar with the work being done. This aspect and the size of the overall meeting facilitated active and fruitful discussions. Contacts were made. Many were already friends and appreciated the contact. A number of new attendees expressed pleasant surprise at the tone of the meeting, the relevance of the work discussed and the quality of the presentations and discussions.
DOTmed News: Can you describe the telehealth system prototype you and your team presented?
PK: The tele-health project is a process and infrastructure facilitating data collection directly from patients during the course of their treatment and during follow-up.
DOTmed News: I understand 4pi radiotherapy was a central topic of discussion. What is it and how can it yield better patient outcomes?
PK: 4pi therapy is the design and delivery of radiation beams from all possible angles to a tumor. It is designed for — and enabled by — the TrueBeam platform. It renders the delivered doses much more compact, sparing normal tissues to large extent, and use an existing platform i.e. TrueBeam.
Implementation requires specialized treatment plan optimizers, some change in workflow, and the need for additional safety mechanisms mostly to avoid collisions.
DOTmed News: What new trends do you think will emerge in radiation oncology over the next five or 10 years?
PK: More compact radiation delivery methods, increased imaging capability at the time of treatment, increasing use of novel drug and radiation combination treatments, and increased use of image, blood or tissue based biomarkers that can characterize patients, tumors and response.
DOTmed News: What would you say were the key takeaways from the symposium?
PK: Topics are increasingly complex and collaborations are necessary. Thus, the importance of meetings such as the Atlanta one.
