The biggest event of the year for radiation oncology is the annual ASTRO meeting, which will take place in Washington, DC, from September 29 thru October 2, 2024.

In preparation for the event, and to find out what attendees should expect, HCB News sat down with ASTRO president, Dr. Howard Sandler, for a wide ranging discussion about his background, the agenda for the meeting, and the ways cancer treatment is evolving.

HCB News: Who or what inspired you to follow a career in healthcare?
Dr. Howard Sandler: I grew up in a family that was exposed to careers in medicine: both my father and his brother, my uncle, were OB-GYN physicians in a small town in Connecticut, and medicine was present in our home environment. In high school, I enjoyed physics — thanks, Mr. Stearns! — and when I headed to college, I naturally became a physics major. But I was torn between developing a career in physics or heading to medical school to become a physician. When I was accepted to University of Connecticut's medical school, I learned that they were starting a new MD/PhD program. I applied and was accepted, intending to pursue an MD and a physics PhD. Ultimately, I graduated with a master's degree in physics and an MD, which prepared me for my next steps.

HCB News: Why did you choose radiation oncology?
HS: In medical school, I was exploring various specialties that connected medicine with physics. Perhaps a career in radiology or nuclear medicine? I providentially met an attending gynecologic oncologist who, after a discussion, encouraged me to consider radiation oncology, which had not been on my radar. I signed up for a fourth-year radiation oncology elective at a local academic medical center and quickly realized that radiation oncology had everything I desired in a medical specialty. It seemed that oncology was a part of medicine that was on the cusp of new developments, in both radiation oncology and drug therapies, and so I was excited to enter the oncology space.

HCB News: How did you first become involved with ASTRO?
HS: My first major interaction with ASTRO was through a previous experience with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In 2006-2007, I had a six-month sabbatical in The enter for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), the FDA device center in Gaithersburg, Va., learning how the FDA works and how new devices in radiologic health are approved. I provided radiation oncology input to the FDA regarding the latest in radiation oncology developments as they had minimum in-house radiation oncology expertise. After completing my sabbatical I engaged with ASTRO and joined the ASTRO FDA subcommittee and that experience led to participation on the ASTRO Government Relations committee, then a leadership role on the GR committee, and finally a Board of Directors role on the Government Relations council.

HCB News: What are some of your key initiatives as ASTRO President and Chair?
HS: I'm coming to the end of my year as ASTRO President, where I've focused primarily on the 66th ASTRO Annual Meeting in Washington D.C., and I'm looking forward to my upcoming year as Chair of the Board of Directors. It's an active time for ASTRO: after years of development, we are championing a legislative response to unfavorable reimbursement trends for the specialty. Legislation to enact the Radiation Oncology Case Rate (ROCR) program will provide both savings to CMS and predictable payment stability for radiation oncology practices. Achieving legislative enactment of ROCR will be ASTRO's number-one priority for the next year or two. Additionally, and importantly, ASTRO is interested in building a diverse society of clinicians and radiation oncology-focused researchers. Over the past few years, ASTRO has strengthened its engagement and commitment in this regard. Finally, we are working with society members to develop a cadre of authorized users who can provide clinical oversight of radiopharmaceutical delivery as novel radiopharmaceutical agents enter the clinical world.

HCB News: What are some of the events or sessions you’re most looking forward to at this year’s Annual Meeting?
HS: Here are some highlights:

The Presidential Symposium kicks off the meeting Sunday morning with deep dives into updates in research in prostate, kidney and bladder cancers.

There are more than 2,000 research presentations on advances in cancer care. Plenary and Clinical Trials sessions will highlight top research, and there is a special poster section for in-progress trials.
The keynote addresses center on this year’s theme, “Targeting Provider Wellness for Exceptional Patient Care.” Bryan Sexton, PhD, of the Duke Center for Healthcare Safety and Quality, will examine the science behind brief interventions to improve well-being. And Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD, of Bellevue Hospital, will look at the impact of disillusionment in medicine and provide strategies for re-engaging, combating burnout, and thriving.

For early career professionals, our Early Career and Mentoring Lounge has expanded programming this year and will host three Speed Mentoring events.

HCB News: Can you tell us about some of the topics you expect ASTRO attendees to be talking about?
HS: During ASTRO Annual Meetings, the plenary session topics tend to create active discussion among the attendees, and I suspect this year will be no exception. For example, the results of the PARTIQoL prostate cancer trial, which are long-awaited, will be presented during this year's plenary. Additionally, the Presidential Symposium will discuss innovative treatments for several genitourinary (GU) cancers, including innovative treatments that are ready for ASTRO attendees to implement in their clinics today. GU cancers are a clinical space where radiation oncology is highly active, and radiation oncologists have a particular interest in novel treatments for the management of these cancers. I hope that the theme of the meeting, will also spark conversations about wellness, burnout and engagement during the meeting. I suspect that providers who attend the meeting will consider the linkage between provider wellness and improved patient outcomes, and I certainly hope that this becomes a focus of some conversation during the meeting and afterwards.

HCB News: What is some of the best advice you've ever received?
HS: I've received lots of good advice over my career. I've also been fortunate to be exposed to excellent mentors. During my initial employment search for an academic position, one of my residency attending physicians recommended that as I consider various academic positions, I look for a department that was growing and had a positive and innovative academic trajectory. I certainly found that at the University of Michigan Department of Radiation Oncology.