Report from the Radiation Therapy Committee of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG): Research Objectives Workshop 2008.
Strategic planning for the Radiation Therapy Committee of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) is comprehensively evaluated every six years in an effort to maintain a current and relevant scientific focus, and to provide a standard platform for future development of protocol concepts. Participants in the 2008 Strategic Planning Workshop included clinical trial experts from multiple specialties, industry representatives from both pharmaceuticals and equipment manufacturers, and basic scientists. High-priority research areas such as image-guided radiation therapy for control of limited metastatic disease, analysis of biomarkers for treatment response and late toxicity, assessment of novel agents in combination with radiation, standardization of radiation target delineation, and the assessment of new imaging techniques to individualize cancer therapy, were discussed. Research priorities included clinical study designs featuring translational end points that identify patients most likely to benefit from combined modality therapy; intervention including combination radiation with standard chemotherapy; radiation with radiosensitizing molecular-targeted therapies; and stereotactic radiation for treatment of patients with regard to asymptomatic metastasis and radiation-induced tumor autoimmunity. The Committee concluded that the future research opportunities are among the most exciting to have developed in the last decade, and work is in progress to embark on these plans.
Okunieff
Paul
P
University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642, USA. paul_okunieff@urmc.rochester.edu
Kachnic
Lisa A
LA
Constine
Louis S
LS
Fuller
Clifton D
CD
Gaspar
Laurie E
LE
Hayes
Daniel F
DF
Hooks
Jean
J
Ling
Clifton
C
Meyskens
Frank L
FL
Philip
Philip A
PA
Raben
David
D
Smalley
Stephen R
SR
Swanson
Gregory P
GP
Teicher
Beverly A
BA
Thomas
Charles R
CR
Vikram
Bhadrasain
B
Zelefsky
Michael J
MJ
Baker
Laurence H
LH
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000592:standards / Q000627:therapeutic use; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000639:trends*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000592:standards; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000639:trends
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents