Precision Oncology and Genomically Guided Radiation Therapy, A Report From the ASTRO/AAPM/NCI Precision Medicine Conference

Publication date: Available online 9 June 2017
Source:International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics
Author(s): William A. Hall, Carmen Bergom, Reid F. Thompson, Andrew M. Baschnagel, Srinivasan Vijayakumar, Henning Willers, Allen Li, Christopher J. Schultz, George D. Wilson, Catharine M.L. West, Jacek Capala, C. Norman Coleman, Javier F. Torres-Roca, Joanne Weidhaas, Felix Y. Feng
BackgroundPrecision medicine and oncology is rapidly becoming the central principle of cancer management. Radiation oncologists provide a precise and highly personalized oncologic modality. Our speciality will need to fully embrace personalized and genomically guided treatment recommendations or miss an opportunity to improve the outcomes of our patients.MethodsThe American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), and National Cancer Institute (NCI), co-sponsored a precision medicine in radiation oncology meeting. At this conference numerous scientist, clinicians, and physicists conveined in June of 2016 at the National Instititues of Health (NIH) to discuss challenges and future directions toward personalized radiation therapy. Various breakout sessions were held to discuss particular components and approaches to the implementation of personalized radiation oncology. This manuscript serves to summarize the genomically guided radiation therapy breakout session.ResultsA summary of exsisting genomic data enabling personalized radiation therapy, ongoing clinical trials, current challenges, and future directions was collected. The group attempted to provide both a current overview of data that radiation oncologists could use to personalize therapy, along with data that is anticipated in the coming years. It seems apparent from the provided review that a considerable opportunity exists to truly bring genomically guided radiation therapy into clinical reality.ConclusionsGenomically guided radiation therapy is a necessity that must be embraced in the coming years. Incorporating this data into treatment recommendations will provide radiation oncologists with a substantial opportunity to improve outcomes for numerous cancer patients. More research focused on this topic is needed to bring genomic signatures into routine standard of care.

Teaser

Radiation therapy is an incredibly precise and increasingly adaptable therapeutic modality. There is a significant amount of data showing that genomic metrics can significantly influence the outcomes for numerous malignancies treated with radiation therapy. Despite this, current standards of care do little to adapt radiation therapy based on genomic or tumor specific biological factors. This manuscript summarizes the current state of integrating genomic and biologic data into management strategies with radiation therapy.


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