Report from the SWOG radiation oncology committee: Research objectives workshop 2017

Paul Okunieff, Katherine Casey-Sawicki, Natalie A. Lockney, Bradford S. Hoppe, Heiko Enderling, Chelsea Pinnix, James Welsh, Sunil Krishnan, Greg Yothers, Martin Brown, Susan Knox, Robert Bristow, Paul Spellman, Timur Mitin, Nima Nabavizadeh, Jerry Jaboin, H. Charles Manning, Felix Feng, Susan Galbraith, Abhishek A. SolankiMatthew M. Harkenrider, Richard Tuli, Roy H. Decker, Steven E. Finkelstein, Charles C. Hsu, Chul S. Ha, Reshma Jagsi, Dean Shumway, Megan Daly, Tony J.C. Wang, Thomas J. Fitzgerald, Fran Laurie, David T. Marshall, David Raben, Louis Constine, Charles R. Thomas, Lisa A. Kachnic

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The Radiation Therapy Committee of SWOG periodically evaluates its strategic plan 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 2017 Strategic Planning Workshop included leaders in cancer basic sciences, molecular theragnostics, pharmaceutical and technology industries, clinical trial design, oncology practice, and statistical analysis. The committee discussed high-priority research areas, such as optimization of combined modality therapy, radiation oncology-specific drug design, identification of molecular profiles predictive of radiation-induced local or distant tumor responses, and methods for normal tissue-specific mitigation of radiation toxicity. The following concepts emerged as dominant questions ready for national testing: (i) what is the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of oligometastatic, oligorecurrent, and oligoprogressive disease? (ii) How can combined modality therapy be used to enhance systemic and local response? (iii) Can we validate and optimize liquid biopsy and other biomarkers (such as novel imaging) to supplement current response criteria to guide therapy and clinical trial design endpoints? (iv) How can we overcome deficiencies of randomized survival endpoint trials in an era of increasing molecular stratification factors? And (v) how can we mitigate treatment-related side effects and maximize quality of life in cancer survivors? The committee concluded that many aspects of these questions are ready for clinical evaluation and example protocol concepts are provided that could improve rates of cancer cure and quality of survival. 2018 American Association for Cancer Research.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3500-3509
Number of pages10
JournalClinical Cancer Research
Volume24
Issue number15
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 1 2018

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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