title: Report from the Radiation Therapy Committee of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG): Research Objectives Workshop 2008.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642, USA. paul_okunieff@urmc.rochester.edu
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Okunieff
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Kachnic
authors.forename: Louis S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Constine
authors.forename: Clifton D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.forename: Laurie E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Gaspar
authors.forename: Daniel F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hooks
authors.forename: Clifton
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Frank L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Meyskens
authors.forename: Philip A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Philip
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raben
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Smalley
authors.forename: Gregory P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Swanson
authors.forename: Beverly A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Teicher
authors.forename: Charles R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Bhadrasain
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vikram
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zelefsky
authors.forename: Laurence H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Baker
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents