The Accelerators Podcast

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The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host Dr. Stacy Wentworth, Radiation Oncologist, Author, and Podcaster!

We discuss her career and how she developed her voice as a physician content creator. Do not miss her Less Radical narrative podcast about the life of Bernie Fisher, it is a masterpiece!

In this episode, we cover our experiences with our evolving careers. As a radiation oncologists solidify their clinical and technical expertise, how can they expand their ability to help the world?

We discuss developing a voice outside the mainstream communication channels of medicine and academics, and going a different way. As radiation oncologists, it's in our DNA.

Editors note: Don't miss Simul's Substack post related to this show, "How to Publish Outside of the Academic 'Priesthood'".

Here are some other things mentioned during the show:

• Subscribe to Stacy's Substack, Cancer Culture
• Stacy's most popular article, Why Your Doctor is Leaving You
• Why Mars is Boring and Cancer is Not, by Stacy Wentworth
• Healthcare A to Z with Eric Bricker
• Zotero organizational software
• Eric Topol's Ground Truths 
• Will Dowd's monthly Lunar Dispatch
• How to start writing on Substack 
• An Inconvenient Truth, by Graypeace
• A biography of Juan Del Regato (ROI Institute)
• The NSABP
• Shibamoto and Takano, Non-surgical management of operable breast cancer review
• Hess et al., Phase 1 trial of low-dose radiotherapy for COVID-19

The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

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The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host Dr. Donald Abrams, MD, Medical and Integrative Oncologist at the UCSF Oscher Center for Integrative Health.

Donald offers a comprehensive review of a very poorly understood topic!

We review the history of cannabis regulation in the US and globally, different delivery forms, and Donald's observations throughout his oncology practice.

We additionally discuss indications for use in cancer care; is smoking cannabis safer than taking sugary edibles?

Of course, we discuss cannabis misinformation. Right now Donald offers the best discussion of this topic that we have seen.

We close the episode with a dicussion of CBD, the future, and a bit on studies of psychedelic therapies and melatonin.

Don't miss the ASCO Cannabis and Cannabinoids guideline. 

Here are some other things we discussed during the show:

• The Marijuana Tax Act and AMA opposition
• The Controlled Substences Act
• Federal Marijuana Compassionate Use Program
• Braun et al., JCO, National Survey of Medical Oncologists Perceptions
• NASEM report on The Health Effects of Cannabis
• Tashkin, Annals ATS, Effects of marijana smoking on the lung
• Nabiximols
• Waissengren et al, TAMO, Effect of cannabis on oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy
• Overview of cannabis for peripheral neuropathy (Cleveland Clinic)
• Munson et al, JNCI, Antineoplastic Activity of Cannabinoids
• Guzmán et al., Br J Cancer, Pilot study of CBD for recurrent GBM
• Twelves et al., Br J Cancer, Phase 1b study of CBD for recurrent GBM
• Book Rec: The First Cell, Azra Raza
• Piper et al, Cancers, Regarding cannabinoids and immunotherapy

The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.