ASTRO releases new radiation therapy guidelines for gastric cancers
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) on Wednesday issued new consensus guidelines on the use of radiation therapy for patients with gastric cancer.
Although incidence rates of the disease have declined significantly over the last several decades, recent data indicate it may be on the rise in middle age adults. Estimates suggest around 30,000 individuals in the U.S. will be diagnosed with gastric cancer in 2025, while gastric tumors represent the fifth most common malignancy globally.
Many gastric cancers are identified at later stages, making treatment and management complex and multifaceted, experts note. Advances in chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation therapy have led to improved outcomes, but determining the appropriate treatment regimen requires a collaborative effort among providers.
This is what led ASTRO to release its new radiation therapy guidelines targeted toward gastric cancers. The society outlined its recommendations this week in Practical Radiation Oncology.
“Management of gastric cancer is complex and multidisciplinary, and the role of radiation therapy has evolved over the past two decades, requiring thoughtful and dynamic integration with the modalities of surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and palliative care,” Christopher G. Willett, MD, chair of the expert panel that developed the guidelines and a professor of radiation oncology at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, said in a statement.
ASTRO’s new guidelines are the product of a task force that collaborated to answer clinical questions related to three key areas: (1) indications for and timing of radiation therapy among patients with resectable and nonmetastatic gastric cancer; (2) indications for and timing of radiation therapy in those with unresectable locoregional disease, oligometastases and/or requiring palliation; and (3) appropriate dose-fractionation regimens, target volumes and techniques in these clinical settings.
Christopher J. Anker, MD, vice chair of the expert panel and a professor of radiation oncology at the University of Vermont Cancer Center, suggested these latest recommendations build on prior work to offer providers more detailed insight into all of the options available to their patients.
“While other societies have published guidelines for treating patients with gastric cancer, this is the first guideline to clarify the role of radiation therapy across all stages of the disease, providing patient-centered, evidence-based recommendations to guide clinical practice,” Anker said.
The detailed guidelines can be viewed here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.