The Accelerators Podcast

The Accelerators Podcast co-host Dr. Simul Parikh is heading back around the globe, this time to discuss breast cancer!

He hosts Drs. Anna Kirby (Royal Marsden Hospital & Institute of Cancer Research), Sushil Beriwal (Allegheny Health Network, Varian Medical Systems), and Revathy Krishnamurthy (Tata Memorial Centre), Radiation/Clinical Oncologists from the UK, US, and India.

The group kicks off it's discussion by comparing and contrasting breast cancer screening processes in their respective countries. 

Then they run cases, examining varied cases of breast cancer and techniques: early stage, locally advanced, triple negative, PMRT, VMAT and SIB, and the oligometastatic state.

Here are other things that were discussed in the show:

• The PRIMETIME Trial (UK)
• SOUND Trial Findings and Discussion, American Society of Breast Surgeons
• Omission of Sentinal Lymph Node Biopsy, American College of Surgeons]
• Hypo-G Breast Abstract, ESTRO 2024
• FAST-Forward Boost Trial (UK, PI Anna Kirby)

The Accelerators Podcast is a production of Photon Media, a division of the Cold Light Legacy Company.

If you'd like to support our efforts, please visit the Cold Light Legacy Company to learn more.

Cameron Tharp, MPH, RTT joins The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh), and we host radiation therapist Shaun Caldwell, EdD, RTT to discuss the Advanced Practice Radiation Therapist (APRT) role. 

Here are some things we discussed during the show:

• Mohan et al. on record and verify systems (1984)
• American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT)
• American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)
• Health Education England Advanced Clinical Practice Definition

Here are some peer reviewed publications on the APRT role:

• Lawlor and Leech. Scoping review of established APRT roles
• Skubish et al. Exploring possibilities for the APRT in the US

The Accelerators Podcast is a production of Photon Media, a division of the Cold Light Legacy Company.

If you'd like to support our efforts, please visit the Cold Light Legacy Company to learn more.

The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host Christine Gnaster, MS, DABR, FAAPM, Vice President of Product of Radformation and medical physicist Chelsea Page-Robertson for a #MedEd discussion of AutoContour, ClearCheck, and the use of AI in Radiation Oncology. 

Christine kicks us off with an approachable overview of how tools like AutoContour actually work. We discuss how Radformation have trained hundreds of models to help you contour in clinic. She also shares how they are approaching current challenges in the field of automated contouring. 

We then discuss ClearCheck, how it is linked to AutoContour, and why it is so much more than a checklist for dosimetry review. Chelsea shares how her and Matt have implemented AutoContour and ClearCheck in their practice. 

We close with a discussion of the "psychology" of implementing AI tools in the Radiation Oncology clinic. Should we trust the computer to draw clinical target volumes? Are we planning to green boxes? Are these tools going to us worse clinicians? 

Plus, all the (live) music that makes us happy.

Here are some other things we discussed during the show:

• See a list of AutoContour's included models
• Radformation Acquires Limbus AI
• TAP Re-irradiation Episode
• AAPM TG 132
• Dean et al., CB-CHOP plan review strategy
• Chen et al., Physician vs. AI Chat Bot for cancer
• Physics World, "Automation in the radiotherapy workflow"
• Batumalai et al., Survey of RO professionals perceptions of automation

Editor's Note: While our love for their products is genuine, The Accelerators were compensated for this episode and Radformation participated in planning the content. The discussions in this episode are the opinions of the participants and are not clinical advice.

Please see our website for complete information on our past and current sponsors.

The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) team up with Vision RT for the first of two tech-forward episodes! 

We are joined by Mike Tallhamer, MSc DABR, Chief of Radiation Physics at Advent Health for a masterclass on Surface Guided Radiotherapy (SGRT). We discuss how VisionRT has leveraged SGRT to enhance the radiotherapy planning and delivery.

After reviewing SGRT basics, we discuss how SimRT can be used to improve the patient experience: no set up tattoos and "open mask" radiotherapy. We also review its use as a platform for respiratory management.

We then discuss MapRT, a new SGRT tool that gives planners knowledge of vault geometry. Increased planning efficiency could increase access to advanced techniques.

We close with a discussion of AlignRT, a patient positioning and monitoring tool, and DoseRT, a technology providing real-time visualization of dose delivery.
 
Here are other some things we discussed during the show:

• Jarvis et al., Dartmouth Cherenkov Imaging experience
• VisionRT's open face mask solutions for head and neck radiotherapy
• Moser et al., Women's experience with tattoos in breast radiotherapy
• The patient-led Remove the Mask project, video and website
• Matt on Out.Of.The.Basement, IGRT episodes part 1, 2, and 3
• TAP re-irradiation episode for #ESTRO23
• ESTRO "Challenges in Reirradiation: From Art to Science" Webinar Series
• Cherenkov radiation
• Zhang et al., SGRT reduced PTV margins for sarcoma
• SGRT Community Upcoming Meetings & Videos for more educational content
• Learn more about SGRT reimbursement

Editor's Note: TAP were compensated for this episode and VisionRT participated in planning the content. The discussions in this episode are the opinions of the participants and are not clinical advice.

Please see our website for complete information on our past and current sponsors.

The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host Sam Mazin, Ph.D. and Sean Shirvani, MD, CTO and CMO of RefleXion. This Rad Onc startup have created a linear accelerator with on board PET/CT. This allows for SCINTIX biology-guided radiotherapy for bone and lung disease. 

Sam and Sean join the show to share their story in medical entrepreneurship, discuss the technology, and their vision for the future of our field. 

Why is SCINTIX any better than fusing a PET/CT to a standard CT simulation? 

PET/CT on board and in real time offers potential safety advantages and opportunities for personalized therapy. 

Many would argue that novel radio-molecules and total metastatic ablation are the future of our field. Sam and Sean invite us to think bigger and a lot more creatively about how that future might look for our patients. 

Here are some other things that were discussed during the show.

• Bob Timmerman and Nina Sanford on TAP, Parts 1 and 2
• RefleXion Research Program Information
• Shankar Siva and others with a good discussion about total metastatic ablation, X
• SCINTIX receives FDA clearance, RefleXion

The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host Radiation Oncologists and elite GI educators Drs. Krish Jethwa and Nina Sanford.

We discuss the exciting phase III ESOPEC study presented at ASCO 2024. The study demonstrated an overall survival benefit for perioperative FLOT chemotherapy versus pre-operative chemoradiation therapy for GE junction adenocarcinoma. 

• Krish's ESOPEC thread on X
• Nina's ESOPEC thread on X
• Krish on TAP discussing esophageal radiotherapy dosing
• ASCO Daily News on the ESOPEC Study
• The FLOT4 Study
• Keynote-585 Study
• Latest publication from the DANTE trial
• MATTERHORN Trial at ESMO 2023
• ASCO Daily News on Keynote-585 and MATTERHORN (2024)
• The CheckMate 577 Study
• CALGB 80803 (Alliance) Study
• "The Firefighter Study from the 70s" (1981)

The Accelerators Podcast is a production of Photon Media, a division of the Cold Light Legacy Company.

If you'd like to support our efforts, please visit the Cold Light Legacy Company to learn more.

The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host a very special guest! 

Cameron Tharp, M.P.H., R.T.T. has joined the TAP team to help us out with show development and offer new perspective to our content. 

We introduce Cameron and tease future discussions on a hot radiation therapy topic: Advanced Practice Radiation Therapy.

Of course, Simul makes Cameron sit in The Hot Seat. 

Here are some resources as well as some other things mentioned in the show:

• Oliveria et al., Advanced practice roles of therapeutic radiographers/radiation therapists: A systematic literature review.
• Skubish et al., Exploring opportunities & pathways for advanced practice radiation therapy roles in the United States.
• McDonagh et al., An Environmental Scan of Advanced Practice Radiation Therapy in the United States: A PESTEL Analysis.
• D'Alimonte et al., Toronto APRT Experience.
• "Intersting discussion" of the Advanced Practice Radiation Therapy role on Twitter
• ASRT White Paper, Advanced Practice in Radiation Therapy 
• Flow State, arousal and challenges at work

The Accelerators Podcast is a production of Photon Media, a division of the Cold Light Legacy Company.

If you'd like to support our efforts, please visit the Cold Light Legacy Company to learn more.

The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) team up with Radformation for a very special #ESTRO24 episode!

We host Dr. Dora Correia, a Portuguese Radiation Oncologist currently working at Cantonal Hospital Aarau in Switzerland and EORTC Y-ECI ROSC Chair as well as Ana Rato, Medical Dosimetrist and Clinical Success Manager with Radformation.

In honor of ESTRO 2024, we discuss a hot topic for the conference... reirradiation!

We first compare and contrast patterns of referral and practice in Switzerland versus the US then give our thoughts on the ESTRO Challenges in Reirradiation: From Art to Science webinar series. This is free and not to be missed!

We then discuss how we manage re-irradiation in our day to day clinical job... and how Radformation ClearCheck, AutoContour, and deformable registration can enhance our re-irradiation workflows! 

Finally, we discuss how to approach treatment intent with patients when they may be facing a high risk of serious toxicity.

We close the show with Simul's Portuguese Lightning Round! 

We hope you enjoy ESTRO 2024, check out Radformation at booth 550!

Here are some other things we discussed during the episode:

• ReCare: a prospective observational registry cohort on high-dose re-irradiation within the E2-RADIatE platform
• Portuguese Vinho Verde
• Fado Music 
• Some of Dora's recommendations for Portugese Artists: Salvador Sobral, Mariza, Sara Correia (not Dora's cousin)
• Sanford and Timmerman, optimizing risk versus reward through calculated useful trauma (CUT)
• Sanford and Timmerman on TAP, parts 1 and 2
• ESTRO Session: Innovations in Re-irradiation Trial Design
• ESTRO Re-irradiation one day pre-meeting boot camp
• ESTRO Foundations in Leadership in Radiation Oncology Course

Editor's Note: While our love for their products is genuine, The Accelerators were compensated for this episode and Radformation participated in planning the content. The discussions in this episode are the opinions of the participants and are not clinical advice.

Please see our website for complete information on our past and current sponsors.

The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host Dr. Clifford Hudis, medical oncologist and CEO of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. 

We discuss a wide range of topics surrounding organizational leadership. While we examined the topic through a physician's lens, anyone that works in healthcare will love this conversation! 

Leadership coaching, physician-led healthcare organizations, remote work and virtual care, engaging law makers and the public, and more! 

Learn from one of oncology's best physician leaders. 

Here are some other things we discussed during the show:

• Hudis on the Healthcare Unfiltered Podcast (audio only, video)
• Dying and Living in the Neighborhood by Probhjat Singh
• ASCO Resources Webpage and Leadership Development Programs
• ESTRO Foundations of Leadership in Radiation Oncology
• ASAE, The Center for Association Leadership
• Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It by Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson
• Common Sense Oncology
• The Accelerators Podcast -  "The Emporor Is Just Wearing Underwear" with CSO leaders Drs. Booth and Goodman 
• Oncology Unscripted Podcast with Katie, Julie, and Matt
• Hughes et al., Lumpectomy Plus Tamoxifen With or Withoutt Irradiation in Women Age 70 or Older

The Accelerators Podcast is a production of Photon Media, a division of the Cold Light Legacy Company.

If you'd like to support our efforts, please visit the Cold Light Legacy Company to learn more.

In this episode, The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host Mary Calys, DPT, a lymphedema physical therapist, and Katelyn Nees. They are the Senior Clinical Specialist and Senior Market Development Director for Tactile Medical, respectively.

Mary and Katelyn update our medical knowledge on the etiology and management of lymphedema with a special focus on breast and head & neck cancers.

Do not miss the awesome resources they provided for this show: a high-quality slide deck, clinician resources for lymphedema management in breast and head and neck cancers, and data supporting pneumatic compression.

We cover definitions, screening for symptoms, advanced measurements, and comprehensive management. We also cover the randomized data supporting the use of Flexitouch Plus, an advanced pneumatic compression device to treat lymphedema at home.

Finally, we cover the process of prescribing Flexitouch in clinic and Matt and Simul share their experiences with clinical use. 

We hope you enjoy this practical #MedEd episode as much as we enjoyed making it!

Here are some other things we discussed during the show:

•  Lymphology Association of North America - Find a Therapist
• American Physical Therapy Association - Find a Physical Therapist

Editor's Note: The Accelerators Podcast was compensated for this episode and Tactile Medical participated in planning the content. Matt and Simul are not compensated by the company for the clinical use of Tactile products, they just really like them! The discussions in this episode are the opinions of the participants and are not clinical, billing, or coding advice. We encourage you to contact your friendly local Tactile Medical representative or visit tactilemedical.com for more information.

Please see our website for complete information on our past and current sponsors.

The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production.