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Objective: Cancer is a major health problem worldwide including Asian-Pacific region. The region hosts over 4.5 billion people, over 60 of the world population and very divergent socioeconomically. The major cancers in the region in male include lung, stomach, liver, colorectal and esophagus and in female breast, lung, cervix, colorectal, and stomach. Over 60 of cancer patients need radiotherapy alone or in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy, and therefore, radiotherapy is the main and essential modality of cancer treatment. Radiation oncology medical physicists play a pivotal role in efficient implementation of radiotherapy. This study was aimed to assess the status of cancer treatment by radiotherapy and the requirement of radiation oncology medical physicists in the region. Materials and Methods: To access the status and requirement of radiotherapy machines, availability of radiation oncology physicists in the region of Asia Oceania Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (AFOMP), we have carried out a survey by sending questioners to AFOMP National Medical Physics Organizations (NMO). We received response from 21 countries, 100 response, regarding availability of teletherapy units, number of medical physicists working in radiotherapy and related information. Using GLOBOCAN cancer incidence data and considering 62.5 of cancer patients need radiotherapy treatment and up to 500 cancer patients can be treated in a year on one teletherapy machine, the gap between the available and required teletherapy machine to treat all the cancer patients requiring radiotherapy is estimated. Further, we estimated the gap between radiotherapy medical physicists available and required as per International Atomic Energy Agency and European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology guidelines. Results: It was observed that availability of teletherapy machines in AFOMP region is 0.21-14.0 teletherapy machine/million population and radiotherapy medical physicist are 0.82-2.43/teletherapy unit. Keywords: Asia Oceania federation of organizations for medical physics, medical physicists, radiotherapy, teletherapy machine, Author(s): Arun Chougule (corresponding author) [1] INTRODUCTION Cancer is one of the major health issues globally, and due to increase in socioeconomic conditions, changes in lifestyle, food, and environment, the [...]

Background: After coronavirus disease outbreak emerged in 2019, radiotherapy departments had to adapt quickly their health system and establish new organizations and priorities. The purpose of this work is to report our experience in dealing with COVID-19 emergency, how we have reorganized our clinical activity, changed our priorities, and stressed the use of hypofractionation in the treatment of oncological diseases. Materials and Methods: The patients' circuit of first medical examinations and follow-up was reorganized; a more extensive use of hypofractionated schedules was applied; a daily triage of the patients and staff, use of personal protective equipment, hand washing, environment sanitization, social distancing and limitations for the patients' caregivers in the department, unless absolutely essential, were performed; patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 were treated at the end of the day. In addition, the total number of radiotherapy treatment courses, patients and sessions, in the period from February 15 to April 30, 2020, comparing the same time period in 2018 were retrospectively investigated. In particular, changes in hypofractionated schedules adopted for the treatment of breast and prostate cancer and palliative bone metastasis were analyzed. Results: Between February 15, and April 30, 2020, an increased number of treatments was carried out: Patients treated were overall 299 compared to 284 of the same period of 2018. Stressing the use of hypofractionation, 2036 RT sessions were performed, with a mean number of fractions per course of 6.8, compared to 3566 and 12.6, respectively, in 2018. For breast cancer, the schedule in 18 fractions has been abandoned and treatment course of 13 fractions has been introduced; a 27 reduction in the use of 40.5 Gy in 15 fractions, (67 treatments in 2018-49 in 2020) was reported. An increase of 13 of stereotactic body radiation therapy for prostate cancer was showed. The use of the 20 Gy in 4 or 5 sessions for the treatment of symptomatic bone metastasis decreased of 17.5 in favor of 8 Gy-single fraction. Three patients results COVID-19 positive swab: 1 during, 2 after treatment. Only one staff member developed an asymptomatic infection. Conclusions: The careful application of triage, anti-contagion and protective measures, a more extensive use of hypofractionation allowed us to maintain an effective and continuous RT service with no delayed/deferred treatment as evidenced by the very low number of patients developing COVID-19 infection during or in the short period after radiotherapy. Our experience has shown how the reorganization of the ward priority, the identification of risk factors with the relative containment measures can guarantee the care of oncological patients, who are potentially at greater risk of contracting the infection. Keywords: Coronavirus outbreak, COVID-19 pandemic, hypofractionated radiotherapy, patients safety, radiotherapy, radiotherapy work-flow, Author(s): Salvatore Cozzi (corresponding author) [1]; Maria Paola Ruggieri [1]; Lilia Bardoscia [1]; Masoumeh Najafi [2]; Gladys Blandino [1]; Lucia Giaccherini [1]; Moana Manicone [1]; Dafne Ramundo [1]; Ala Rosca [...]

The specialty drug pipeline includes first- and next-in-class drugs across the oncology and immunology spaces. Specialty drugs are having a moment: Between 2015 and 2021, specialty pharmacies grew by 315%, [...]

Precision medicine continues to expand as more targeted therapies with companion diagnostics receive FDA approval, warranting additional diligence when analyzing results of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP), according to panelists during [...]

P1 DIFFERENTIAL EXPRESSION OF NOVH PROTO-ONCOGENE IN HUMAN PROSTATE CELL LINES AND TISSUES B. Cadot [1], M. Maillard [2], R. Y. Ball [3], K. Sethia [3], D. Edwards [2], B. [...]

K M Rieger-Christ [*] J A Pezza [*] Abstract Aims--The relation between lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) and invasive breast cancer is unresolved. In an attempt to establish whether LCIS [...]

A recently published study found that patients who are terminally ill are able to discuss death, dying, and bereavement with their caregivers with minimal stress (Arch. Intern. Med. 2004;164:1999-2004). In [...]

TUPELO -- A precise treatment option for radiation oncology patients is now available at North Mississippi Medical Center's (NMMC's) Cancer Center. The new radiotherapy system, which is called SmartBeam IMRT [...]