I attend a number of trade shows every year. Very few of them have been as energetic as this year's ASTRO.

There were a lot of new products and services being offered. Visitors to the show were interested and the exhibitors could feel it. Lots of people were asking plenty of questions and there were extensive discussions about products and services. I noticed quite a few physicians broken off into groups discussing treatment options and results.

The presidential address was packed. There weren't any chairs left even in the overflow room. The president Dr. Bruce Haffty was fun to listen to and kept everyone engaged in his technical presentation with the humor he inserted here and there.

I walked away with two distinct feelings: first that cancer treatment has come a long way and second that data analysis will improve patient outcomes.

We've written a lot of stories this week about ASTRO and next week we will focus on ASTRO Proton stories. Keep an eye on our online news. You will be glad you did.