The Accelerators Podcast

Send us a textWelcome to Season 4! The Accelerators (Dr. Matt Spraker and Cameron Tharp, MPH, RT(T)) kick it off with a sequel to our prior podcast on the Advanced Practice Radiation Therapist (APRT) role. We host friends-of-the-show Drs. Join Luh and Marsha Haley, Radiation Oncologists who bring important past experiences and unique expertise to the discussion. We kick off by examining some articles from the Spring 2025 issue of ASRT's Radiation Therapist:Caldwell and Lee, Defining Advanced Practice Radiation Therapy at MDACCBurch et al., Advanced Practice Role in IGSRT for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer TreatmentBeckert, Implementation of an APRT in Online Adaptive Radiation TherapyWe then explore "scope creep", a phrase used to describe mid-level healthcare provider encroachment on traditional physician roles. One example is the UPenn study comparing the interpretations of Radiology Assistants with physician residents. Don't miss the excellent YouTube review of this study by Physicians for Patient Protection. Join shares his experience with another example, California Assembly Bill (AB) 890.Later, Join shares some discussion about the APRT among ASRT and CARROS members at the ACR 2025 meeting.This leads to an open discussion of what APRTs should do -- versus could do -- in a radiation oncology clinic. As evidenced by Table 1 in Caldwell and Lee, the tasks are wide ranging, may replicate existing roles of US radiation therapists, and might make more sense in international markets than in the United States.We close by reviewing Marsha's letter to the IJROBP editor in response to an APRT role scoping review. Here are some other things we discussed in the episode.Physicians for Patient Protection WebsiteAMA successfully fights scope of practice expansions (2024)Patients at Risk Audio and Video PodcastCouncil of Affiliated Regional Radiation Oncology Societies (CARROS)Beckert et al., Impact of APRT for on-table adaptive radiotherapyShah et al., Radiation Oncology Workforce Analysis ReviewBook recommendation: Lower Ed by Tressie McMillan CottomPatients at Risk Video - Deficiencies in NP Education

Send us a textThe Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host the 2025 ACRO candidates for Vice President/President-Elect in the first ever radiation oncology election debate! Well, it's more like a friendly discussion, but Simul asked them their opinions on 4 great topics. What differentiates ACRO from other radiation oncology societies? Can you explain ACRO's position on physician supervision of radiation oncology services over the years? Why link accreditation to payment in ROCR?Should proton therapy be included in ROCR, and what is your position on the PPS exemption program? The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. For more from Matt, visit his website. For more from Simul, visit his blog, Radiation Medicine: Dollars and Sense.

Accelerators co-host Dr. Matt Spraker is joined by radiation oncologists Drs. Bobby Koneru and Mudit Chowdhary for an update on low dose radiotherapy for osteoarthritis! Dr. Koneru is a radiation oncologist in Freeport, IL and prolific social media educator on benign indications. Dr. Chowdhary is a radiation oncologist at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, and a friend of TAP (see his prior episodes).We start by discussing their ASTRO 2024 panel on benign indications for radiotherapy; it sounds like there was a lot of knowledge sharing among those getting started with these treatments.Bobby and Mudit share how they built a referral network for their successful practices.We close by discussing some practical tips and recommended educational resources. Here are some other things we discussed in the show, or links that may be helpful in building your benign radiotherapy practice: Matt's LDRT & Benign Resource ListRadiotherapy Academy for Benign Diseases (RT-ABC)Makarova et al., RCT showing LDRT reduces disability risk in OAEnglish Translation of the DEGRO-AG “Radiotherapy of Benign Diseases”TAP reviews LDRT with Dr. Austin Dove Alvarez et al., Radiotherapy for Benign Conditions Contouring AtlasLDRT for arthritis PRIMR videoThe Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

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 CultureStacy's most popular article, Why Your Doctor is Leaving YouWhy Mars is Boring and Cancer is Not, by Stacy WentworthHealthcare A to Z with Eric BrickerZotero organizational softwareEric Topol's Ground Truths Will Dowd's monthly Lunar DispatchHow to start writing on Substack An Inconvenient Truth, by GraypeaceA biography of Juan Del Regato (ROI Institute)The NSABPShibamoto and Takano, Non-surgical management of operable breast cancer reviewHess et al., Phase 1 trial of low-dose radiotherapy for COVID-19The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

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 oppositionThe Controlled Substences ActFederal Marijuana Compassionate Use ProgramBraun et al., JCO, National Survey of Medical Oncologists PerceptionsNASEM report on The Health Effects of CannabisTashkin, Annals ATS, Effects of marijana smoking on the lungNabiximolsWaissengren et al, TAMO, Effect of cannabis on oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathyOverview of cannabis for peripheral neuropathy (Cleveland Clinic)Munson et al, JNCI, Antineoplastic Activity of CannabinoidsGuzmán et al., Br J Cancer, Pilot study of CBD for recurrent GBMTwelves et al., Br J Cancer, Phase 1b study of CBD for recurrent GBMBook Rec: The First Cell, Azra RazaPiper et al, Cancers, Regarding cannabinoids and immunotherapyThe Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

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 SurgeonsOmission of Sentinal Lymph Node Biopsy, American College of Surgeons]Hypo-G Breast Abstract, ESTRO 2024FAST-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 DefinitionHere are some peer reviewed publications on the APRT role:Lawlor and Leech. Scoping review of established APRT rolesSkubish et al. Exploring possibilities for the APRT in the USThe 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 modelsRadformation Acquires Limbus AITAP Re-irradiation EpisodeAAPM TG 132Dean et al., CB-CHOP plan review strategyChen et al., Physician vs. AI Chat Bot for cancerPhysics World, "Automation in the radiotherapy workflow"Batumalai et al., Survey of RO professionals perceptions of automationEditor'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 experienceVisionRT's open face mask solutions for head and neck radiotherapyMoser et al., Women's experience with tattoos in breast radiotherapyThe patient-led Remove the Mask project, video and websiteMatt on Out.Of.The.Basement, IGRT episodes part 1, 2, and 3TAP re-irradiation episode for #ESTRO23ESTRO "Challenges in Reirradiation: From Art to Science" Webinar SeriesCherenkov radiationZhang et al., SGRT reduced PTV margins for sarcomaSGRT Community Upcoming Meetings & Videos for more educational contentLearn more about SGRT reimbursementEditor'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 2RefleXion Research Program InformationShankar Siva and others with a good discussion about total metastatic ablation, XSCINTIX 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 XNina's ESOPEC thread on XKrish on TAP discussing esophageal radiotherapy dosingASCO Daily News on the ESOPEC StudyThe FLOT4 StudyKeynote-585 StudyLatest publication from the DANTE trialMATTERHORN Trial at ESMO 2023ASCO Daily News on Keynote-585 and MATTERHORN (2024)The CheckMate 577 StudyCALGB 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 TwitterASRT White Paper, Advanced Practice in Radiation Therapy Flow State, arousal and challenges at workThe 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 platformPortugese Vihno VerdeFado 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 2ESTRO Session: Innovations in Re-irradiation Trial DesignESTRO Re-irradiation one day pre-meeting boot campESTRO Foundations in Leadership in Radiation Oncology CourseEditor'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 SinghASCO Resources Webpage and Leadership Development ProgramsESTRO Foundations of Leadership in Radiation OncologyASAE, The Center for Association LeadershipWhy Work Sucks and How to Fix It by Cali Ressler and Jody ThompsonCommon Sense OncologyThe Accelerators Podcast -  "The Emporor Is Just Wearing Underwear" with CSO leaders Drs. Booth and Goodman Oncology Unscripted Podcast with Katie, Julie, and MattHughes et al., Lumpectomy Plus Tamoxifen With or Withoutt Irradiation in Women Age 70 or OlderThe 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 TherapistAmerican Physical Therapy Association - Find a Physical TherapistEditor'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. 

At the end of last year, Dr. Jason Beckta published a docu-podcast about clinical supervision of radiotherapy services (parts one, two, and three). The series covers supervision terms, legal precedent, and dispels the misinformation shared by conflicted parties.  In this episode, The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) join up with Jason to interview the famous Dr. Todd Scarbrough, the radiation oncologist at the center of supervision lore.Todd shares his story and we discuss many aspects of supervision policy. Here are some links to things discussed in the show:TAP Episode with Simul, Jason, and Todd from ACRO 2022Jarvis et al., Initial Clinical Experience of Cherenkov Imaging in External Beam Radiation Therapy Identifies Opportunities to Improve Treatment DeliveryPrice et al., Washington University in St. Louis experience with remote SBRT coverage and adaptive radiotherapy coverageThe 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 early career radiation oncologists Drs. Austin Sim, Anna Paulsson, and Avinash Chaurasia to discuss... early career (EC) issues in radiation oncology! It's no secret that this is a passion topic for TAP. One of our first episodes dished out practical tips for new attendings (and new residents), and we've since given an independent voice to our EC peers on a wide range of topics: boards, starting families, finding your place in community medicine, and more.We've been watching the work of friends-of-the-show Austin, Anna, and Avinash in this space throughout the last year. They are among founding members of the nascent ASTRO Early Career Committee, a new group created to "represent the needs of radiation oncologists and physicists who are eight years or fewer out of training."Listen in as we discuss all the things they are working on and their ideas for the future! Don't miss the ECC resource website (members only) as well as their open suggestion box! 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.

It's another Accelerators journal club with Dr. Simul Parikh!In this episode Simul reviews a recent industry sponsored publication in Advances in Radiation Oncology. Image guidance improves freedom from recurrence rate after superficial radiation therapy for non-melanoma skin cancerThe article retrospectively compares patients with skin cancer treated with image-guided superficial radiotherapy to other previously published cohorts. Such a definitive title for a retrospective study! Well, there is more to the story. Simul discusses the article's methods, results, and adds important context for the message communicated by this paper. Edward Bernays would be proud.Here are some links to things discussed in the show:The Sensus SRT-100+, a superficial radiotherapy machineSkinCure Oncology, funder of this studyThe 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) discuss critique versus negativity, why Simul quit social media, Student Doctor Network, and engaging in discourse about Radiation Oncology.This episode is a companion to an episode we recorded in December, but Matt initially decided to hold it back. The episode is a strong, journal club style critique of payer policy article published by the IJROBP that we feel should be retracted.We encourage you to listen to our "almost lost" episode and additionally read Mark Storey's amazing rebuttal to the IJROBP publication.  Here we discuss how this contributed to Simul leaving social media, why we initially held back the episode, critique, misanthropy, and our mission for open discussion in Radiation Oncology. Here are some links to things we discuss in the episode:SDN Thread "Screenshotting Simul"A Wikipedia article on Preference FalsificationOut.Of.The.Basement podcast on the ASTRO "collaboration letter" and propagandaEdward Bernays, an American pioneer in public relations and propagandaThe Accelerators Podcast is a production of Photon Media, a division of Cold Light Legacy Company.If you'd like to support our efforts, please visit the Cold Light Legacy Company to learn more.

For the first time ever, a lost episode has been found!The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) recorded a "reaction" episode to a brief report published in December 2023 in the IJROBP shortly after it published. The article demonstrates that freestanding departments have been slightly slower to implement hypofractionation for treatment of breast and prostate cancers that hospital-based departments. The authors argue that this burdens the healthcare system and propose ROCR as an incentive to drive increased use of these techniques. In this episode, we discuss this article in detail and share our opinion that the authors examined this issue in a very disingenuous way. Yet, if you holistically analyze this issue, the data does not support the author's argument.Is the goal to help readers understand the complexities of our system or were data curated to support implementation of ROCR policy? You'll have to ask the authors. Here are some resources we feel are important complements to this episode:Out.Of.The.Basement podcast on the ASTRO "collaboration letter" and propagandaOut.Of.The.Basement podcast, a rural doctor's thoughts on The ASTRO President speaking at "The President's Cancer Panel"Out.Of.The.Basement podcast, on unaddressed significant conflicts of interest among ROCR authorsMark Storey's rebuttal to the IJROBP articleThe Accelerators Podcast is a production of Photon Media, a division of 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 new Associate Executive Director for Radiation Oncology at The American Board of Radiology (ABR), Dr. Michael Yunes!  Mike is a community radiation oncologist in Springfield, MA and long time volunteer for the ABR. The transition to his leadership comes after a turbulent period for the Rad Onc board. Communication around the 2018 score anomalies dragged trainee confidence in the ABR to new lows and, soon after, COVID forced the board to complete a rapid redesign of testing.  More than 5 years later, there are exciting signals of change. The "Orals 2.0" platform seems very well received by examiners and examinees and the board has voted to ramp up the clinical relevance of the qualifying exams in Rad Onc.Most importantly, Mike is all about transparency and communication. His door is always open, so we invited ourselves in and recorded a podcast. We discuss all things Initial Cert: the successful move to virtual oral boards, the written boards and clinical relevance, Angoff'ing, and "crisis management" and communication. We close the episode with Simul's lightning round.  Lobster, wine, informatics, 3D printing for benign radiotherapy, Mike's got hobbies!We hope you enjoy what we hope is the first of many fruitful conversations. Physician training and evaluation is a topic near and dear to our hearts; here are some prior episodes from our group related to the ABR.TAP, Beckta interviews Matt about boardsOut.Of.The.Basement, Beckta covers the contentious 2018 ABR initial certification resultsHere are some other resources discussed in the episode:Beriwal et al., Interdisciplinary debate on the physics test contentGolden, United States Radiation Oncology Curriculum Development: The Tail is Wagging the DogWarwzuta et al., The rise of negative portrayals of radiation oncology: A textual analysis of media newsChimney Rock Winery, a Yunes' family favoriteSee Mike's blog in ABR The BeamThe Accelerators Podcast is a production of Photon Media, a division of Cold Light Legacy Company.If you'd like to support our efforts, please visit the Cold Light Legacy Company to learn more.

Welcome to MattPAC*, a new Accelerators pilot concept!Radiation Oncologist Dr. Matt Spraker aims to introduce important healthcare policy concepts rooted in current events. Each show is designed to be efficient with your time and inspire you to get engaged with advocacy in around 30 minutes. In MattPAC #1, Matt covers quality payment programs (QPP). QPPs aim to incentivize "High Quality Care" by adjusting a portion of physician's pay according to performance on quality indicators, measures of healthcare quality. We'll discuss the rich history of care quality improvement in radiation medicine and examine how Medicare has approached the QPP with Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). After, we examine practice accreditation, the QPP approach proposed in ASTRO's ROCR and close with a brainstorm of a better QPP. Here are some good resources for further reading on these topics:Albert and Das reviews, Quality Assessment in Oncology and Quality Indicators in Radiation OncologyMedPAC report, Examining MACRA implementation and the road aheadMedPAC report, Moving beyond the MIPsGAO Report, Provider Performance and Experiences under the Merit-based Incentive Payment SystemPatel et al., Oncologist Participation and Performance in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment SystemLuh, Radiation Oncology Alternative Payment Model's Impact on Small and Rural PracticesJones et al., Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Participation in Radiation Oncology Practices — A Simple SurveyChera et al., Improving Quality of Patient Care by Improving Daily Practice of Radiation OncologyCoia and Hanks, Quality Assessment in the USA: How the Patterns of Care Study Has Made a Difference Hanks et al., Patters of Care Studies: Past, Present, and FutureVisit the CMS QPP page for a lot of info: check your participation status, MIPs guides, APMs, and moreASTRO ROCR FAQ pageThe Accelerators Podcast is a production of Photon Media, a division of Cold Light Legacy Company.*MattPAC is not a political action committee, it's just a cute name. 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 the lung cancer legend, Brendon Stiles, MD. He is a Professor of Oncology, Medicine, and Thoracic Surgery at Montfiore and Albert Einstein College of Medicine.We discuss all things lung cancer: early stage, locally advanced, staging, quality, and more.The episode is capped with Simul's Lighting Round. Good luck Brendon!We hope you enjoy this #MedEd instant classic!Here are (almost?) all the studies and materials we mentioned during the show:Brendon's "Old Slide" on patient selection and operabilityLobar or Sublobar Resection for Peripheral Stage IA Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer (CALGB 140503)Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy with or without immunotherapy for early-stage or isolated lung parenchymal recurrent node-negative non-small-cell lung cancer (I-SABR)Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy versus lobectomy for operable stage I non-small-cell lung cancer: a pooled analysis of two randomised trials (STARS-ROSEL)Measuring the Integration of Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy Plus Surgery for Early-Stage Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer (MISSILE)Stereotactic ABlative Radiotherapy Before Resection to AvoId Delay for Early-Stage LunG Cancer or OligomEts During the COVID-19 Pandemic (SABR-BRIDGE)Five-Year Survival Outcomes From the PACIFIC Trial: Durvalumab After Chemoradiotherapy in Stage III Non–Small-Cell Lung CancerPhase II Study of Accelerated High-Dose Radiation Therapy with Concurrent Chemotherapy for Patients With Limited Small-Cell Lung Cancer (RTOG 0239)Randomized Phase II Study of Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy ± Panitumumab Followed by Consolidation Chemotherapy in Potentially Operable Locally Advanced (Stage IIIa, N2+) Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (RTOG 0839)Neoadjuvant Nivolumab plus Chemotherapy in Resectable Lung Cancer (CheckMate 816)Pacific-2 Press Release, AstraZenecaStudy of Durvalumab Given With Chemoradiation Therapy in Patients With Unresectable Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (MDT-BRIDGE, in progress)Society of Thoracic Surgeons quality initiativesThe Accelerators Podcast is a production of Photon Media, a division of 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 Radiation Oncologist and prolific X'er Dr. Dave Chang for a discussion of Small Market Radiation Oncology.We wax philosophical about the work and life of docs formerly known as #LittleRadOnc: radiation oncologists often under resourced and practicing solo, working miles away from large US cities.  Dave's personal stories emphasize that the reality of radiation oncology "maldistribution" is a lot more complicated than is often described by city slicker researchers. Simul and Dave close the episode by discussing practical problems faced by Small Market Radiation Oncology and potential solutions, including... of course... supervision policy! The only link for this show is the X announcement of Dr. Glaucomflecken's medical school.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host radiation oncologists Dr. Jona Hattangadi-Gluth and PGY-5 resident Dr. Austin Hopper. Jona is a central nervous system malignancies expert, co-lead of the Central Nervous System Disease Team and Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at UC San Diego. In this episode, we discuss Jona's lab's work in understanding the link between brain tumors, radiation (and other) treatments, and neurocognitive toxicity. We start by discussing Austin's recently presented work that developed an normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) model for radiation dose and attention/processing speed. Later, we discuss specific methods used in the NTCP work. How can this work be translated to clinical counseling and practice? Also, Matt argues that building NTCP models based on neurocognitive outcomes, such as attention or fine motor control, can be more difficult to model than more simple clinical outcomes such as pneumonitis.Here are some links to things we discussed during the show:Connor et al., 2023. Fine Motor Skill Decline After Brain Radiation Therapy—A Multivariate Normal Tissue Complication Probability Study of a Prospective TrialUnnikrishnan et al., 2021. Phase II Clinical Trial of Image-Guided Cognitive-Sparing SRS in Patients With Brain MetastasesOscar's Mexican Seafood, Oncology Twitter's favorite fish tacos in San Diego.The Accelerators Podcast is a production of Photon Media, a division of Cold Light Legacy Company.If you'd like to support our efforts, please visit the Cold Light Legacy Company to learn more.

Welcome to MattPAC*, a new Accelerators pilot concept! Radiation Oncologist Dr. Matt Spraker aims to introduce important healthcare policy concepts rooted in current events. Each show is designed to be efficient with your time and inspire you to get engaged with #RadOnc advocacy in 30 minutes or less.  In MattPAC #1, Matt covers two current congressional bills that are currently being considered for inclusion into next year's Medicare legislation: HR 2474 and HR3674. These bills seek to link Medicare physician pay to inflation and boost practice expense reimbursement for freestanding practices. The history of Medicare, administration processes, the payment formula, and sites of service are covered for context. Here are some good resources for further reading on these topics:A paper on how Medicare drove hospital desegregation, especially in the south.Power To Heal: Medicare and The Civil Rights RevolutionHow is Medicare Funded?Information about Medicare administration and procedures, WikipediaA lot of info on the RUC, AMAThe medicare physician fee schedule payment formula, MedicalBillersAndCoders.comInteresting write up of history of conversion factors, AMAMedicare payments are not keeping up with inflation, AMAFramework for Rational Medicare, AMAAMA letter to congress about these issues, March 2023AMA commends MedPAC for recognizing challenges of inflationary environment, April 2023HR 2474A Primer On Office Based Specialty Care, USPAUSPA Letter to MedPAC about threats to free standing specialty practices, such as Rad Onc2023 survey of multi-specialty practices regarding Medicare cutsHR 3674The Accelerators Podcast is a production of Photon Media, a division of Cold Light Legacy Company.*MattPAC is not a political action committee, it's just a cute name. If you'd like to support our efforts, please visit the Cold Light Legacy Company to learn more.

Friend of the show and GI super friend Dr. Nina Sanford joins The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) to host #RadOnc luminary Dr. Robert Timmerman, MD.Our discussion concludes with a discussion of proton and adaptive radiotherapy, Wagyu beef, life advice, and Simul's Hot Seat.Here are a couple of book recommendations from the show: Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, PhDOutlive by Peter Attia, MDThe Accelerators Podcast is a production of Photon Media, a division of Cold Light Legacy Company.

Friend of the show and GI super friend Dr. Nina Sanford joins The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) to host #RadOnc luminary Dr. Robert Timmerman, MD. No notes. It's Bob Timmerman, just listen. The Accelerators Podcast is a production of Photon Media, a division of Cold Light Legacy.

Accelerators co-host Dr. Matt Spraker is joined by Out Of The Basement co-host and Dr. Jason Beckta. We're talking #ASTRO23 and jobs, the theme of the conference for Matt. This episode is, in part, a reaction to Jason's most recent OOTB episode: Chicken Little Strikes Back. Jason weaves 2023's "hot" job market and the workforce data into a master narrative to describe the changing market across recent years.  As this episode is heavily referenced here, you may want to listen first!  (But its not required)Matt and Jason kick off by discussing interview experiences at ASTRO 2017 in San Diego. We then share thoughts about the 2023 "workforce session", what this means for medical students and graduating residents, and a plea for Rad Onc advocacy in the broadest sense.The episode concludes with more discussion of the conference and our future.Here are links to things mentioned in the show:Dr. Susannah Ellsworth Xeet on over/under supply, and her thread on the session.Matt Xeet on the alarming SOAP data and the "12,000 RVU Poll"How Much Are Resident Physicians Worth by Dr. Carmody, an excellent read on "the economy of residents"The Accelerators Podcast is a production of Photon Media, a division of Cold Light Legacy.

It's a Photon Media crossover episode! Accelerators co-hosts Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh team up with Dr. Jason Beckta, host of the Out Of The Basement podcast, to talk about billing. We are joined by Shawna Stacey, ROCC, MBA, Coding and Billing Specialist at Radformation. The episode kicks off with a discussion about why you should care about billing and coding. Matt, Simul, and Jason discuss their (lack of training) training and experiences trying to learn on the job. Simply learning about billing and coding doesn't make you greedy, it helps you understand how you are paid for your work. A transparent and well funded clinic offers the best chance of optimizing care for your patients! Feeling overwhelmed by billing and wish you could just stick to patient care? Us too. Later in the episode, we discuss resources that help you not care, especially Radformation's QuickCode. You already know how AutoContour and ClearCheck have automated your clinic, QuickCode does it for billing and coding. Don't believe us? We close the episode by asking Jason and Simul to "break" QuickCode with a complicated billing and coding scenario that is sure to frighten even the experts. Here are some things we discussed during the show:"What is a MAC?", from CMS"What's an LCD?", from Medicare.govACROInsights Newsletter from the Goverment Relations/Economics Committee (membership required)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 billing and coding advice. Please see our website for complete information on our past and current sponsors. The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

This week, Dr. Matt Spraker hosts medical student and Rad Onc applicant Dr. Laura Flores, PhD to discuss The Rad Onc Match! With all these links there's no room for a summary, so just listen!Rank Order List: Buyers and Sellers Edition and accompanying videoThe Accelerators Podcast, Composite QoL Measure for #RadOnc HappinessThat WaPo article about physician salaries and an excellent SDN post explaining why the number reported for Rad Onc is inflatedMatt Spraker's Threads ERAS competitivenessDegree during residencyTweet from Dr. Mary Mahoney on applicant demographicsHolistic ReviewThe Accelerators Podcast, ACROPolis Live! at #ACRO2023Out Of The Basement Podcast, History of RadOnc: the "2018 exams"The Accelerators Podcast, In Conversation with Join LuhShah et al., The ASTRO Workforce StudyACGME Program Requirements for Radiation OncologyFor a deep dive, please check out the many Photon Media podcasts on the workforce.  From The Accelerators Podcast: The One About JobsFacility Volumes to Assess the Job MarketAnalyzing Job Board PostingsNew Starts: ResidentsFrom Out Of The Basement:Rad Onc Job Secrets Part 1 and Part 2ASTRO Workforce Interim (2022) and Final AnalysisSupply and Demand ImpactPodcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

On this week's episode, Accelerator Dr. Simul Parikh hosts Radiation Oncologist Dr. Daniel Koffler to discuss psychedelics in oncology!They kick off the conversation by discussing ketamine. They review it's use in head and neck and gynecologic cancers, and discuss two trials by Daniel and colleagues (see below).Later, they discuss the systemic use of psychedelics, some practical advice for incorporating psychedelics (topical and systemic) and collaborating with psychiatrists and psychologists in your local practice.Here are some things discussed during the show as well as some more stuff you should check out:Clinical trial of ketamine mouthwash by Daniel and friends (get the protocol)Clinical trial of ketamine psychotherapy (KAPTIVATED) by the sameAnalgesic effects of topical ketamine, a reviewTreatment of severe mucositis pain with oral ketamine mouthwashTopical Ketamine in the Treatment of Mucositis Pain, a dramatic case report"Finding medical value in mescaline" in NatureEfficacy of ketamine therapy in the treatment of depressionEfficacy of Esketamine Nasal Spray Plus Oral Antidepressant Treatment for Relapse Prevention in Depression(Editor's Book Recommendation! For an excellent book on the history of psychedelics research and their resurgence, check out How To Change Your Mind by Michael Pollen)Podcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

This week The Accelerators (Drs. Anna Brown, Matt Spraker, and Simul Parikh) host radiation oncologist and legend Dr. Join Luh. This show is all about Join! We discuss his path through internal and emergency medicine to radiation oncology, and his experience working as a rural, community radiation oncologist. What are the joys and challenges of serving a small community? We then discuss Join's advocacy for his practice and his patients throughout his career with a special focus on his RO-APM editorial in the JCO. We close the episode with the return of Simul's Lightning Round! Texas versus California, which would you pick?Here are some other things we discussed during the show:The Peacock Radiotherapy System and Where goest the Peacock?California Assembly Bill 890 and a CalMatters review of the billThe Accelerators Podcast: ACROPolis Live! Welcome to Rad OncPodcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

Accelerators co-hosts Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh host Drs. Chris Booth and Aaron Goodman to discuss their new organization, Common Sense Oncology (CSO).Listen as Chris and Aaron describe the inspirational origin story of CSO, from an idea to a symposium to a groundbreaking movement. We discuss discomfort in speaking up against powerful voices in medicine, and how the interaction of hope and money can make this a big challenge. We then move on to discussing details of their symposium and their inclusion of patients in the formation of their organization. Finally, we discuss some future goals of CSO and how you can get involved! Sign up to become a member of CSO and consider donating today (USA or non-USA). One hundred percent of the funds go to support CSO efforts!Here are some other things we discussed during the show.Booth et al., Common Sense Oncology: Outcomes That Matter, Lancet Oncology, 2023Medical oncologist Dr. Bishal GyawaliOncology Unscripted Podcast with Julie Johnson, Katie Coleman, and Dr. Matt SprakerYou are told you have cancer: five questions you should ask your oncologist by Dr. BoothPodcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

The Accelerators co-hosts Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh hang out over lunch and discuss a potpourri of #RadOnc current events! We cover ASTRO's ROCR policy proposal, Dr. Sameer Keole's ASTRO presidential campaign and engagement on Student Doctor Network, and the recent dysphagia optimized IMRT trial. Then, Simul hypothesizes about the future of radiation oncology under case rate payment models. We close with some more thoughts about proton therapy inspired by Dr. Mark Storey's latest piece.Here are a lot of links to things we discussed on the show:The Moto ROKR Accreditation Programs by the ACR, ACRO, and ASTROASTRO ROCR Policy Page Register for the ROCR Town Hall this Friday, July 21 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM ETWhat Big Medicine Can Learn from the Cheesecake Factory by Atul GawandeOut.Of.The.Basement with Beckta, MD: The Code Bundling Conundrum: A Medicare Misadventure (the saga of 77280-77290 and 77301)ASTRO Strategic PlanNutting et al., Dysphagia Optimized IMRTKamran et al., Esophagus-Sparing IMRTOncora.aiCommon Sense OncologyThe Accelerators Podcast: Mobilize the Canadians! A Workflow EpisodeProtons 101 by Mark Storey, MDPodcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

Dear Radiation Oncology, Here are some thoughts about ASTRO's methods, and some reflections on ROCR and the updated Proton Model Policy.It is my plea for a more open and inclusive society. Love,Matt [Links coming soon]

It's an ACROPOLIS Live! welcome party with the Accelerators (Drs. Anna Brown, Matt Spraker, and Simul Parikh). In this episode, newly matched #RadOnc residents-to-be Jazmyne Tabb, Tony Menghini, and Ashlynn Clark join the show to talk about the field. We discuss the radiation oncology learning curve, our excitement about the future of the field, the new doctors' future plans to spread the word about radiotherapy, and more. You will walk away inspired! Here are some things that were mentioned during the show:TAP Episode: I Can't Get No!... Patient SatisfactionTAP Episode: Low Dose Radiotherapy Society of Women in Radiation Oncology (SWRO)Ma et al., Patient Experience Performance at a Primary Cancer Center Versus Affiliated Community FacilitiesRadOnc Tables and RadOnc Review ConstraintseContourRadOncQuestionsROECSGRadOnc WikibooksACRO PACASTROPodcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

In anticipation of our #RadOnc Welcome Party, Accelerators co-host Dr. Simul Parikh records solo!In this episode, he shares how he thinks #RadOnc has changed since he trained many, many... many years ago. Most things are better, but a few things are worse. Podcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

The Accelerators (Drs. Anna Brown, Matt Spraker, and Simul Parikh) are joined by the hosts of the popular #RadOnc #MedEd podcast, At The Beam! Drs. Trudy Wu and Hyunsoo Joshua No are PGY-4 radiation oncology residents at UCLA and Stanford and innovators in medical education. They started their podcast to help learners in all stages of their training master work up and treatment of all types of cancers. In the show, we share the origin stories of At The Beam and The Accelerators Podcast, and discuss our thoughts about the changing landscape of medical education. We talk current unmet needs in medical education and how they might be filled: podcasts, The Accelerators Anthology, something else?We cap the episode by heating things up with the return of Simul's Lightning Round. As expected, Trudy and Josh crush it. Podcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

Accelerators co-host Dr. Matt Spraker hosts Radiation Oncologists Drs. Krish Jethwa, Neil Newman, and Jeff Ryckman for part 2 of our discussion on radiotherapy for liver tumors. We kick off with Neil reviewing his Twitter thread comparing TACE and SBRT for liver tumors. We discuss the data supporting SBRT as superior therapy, especially in patients who have recurrence after TACE. We further share some talking points for your tumor board. Then discuss one of our faves, a randomized trial of sorafenib with or without SBRT (NRG/RTOG 1112). This leads to more discussion about how to approach large/unresectable liver tumors in your tumor board and possible future studies for these patients. Here are some things we discussed in the episode:Barcelona Liver StagingSapir et al., Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy as an Alternative to Transarterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular CarcinomaComito et al., SBRT versus TACE/TAE for recurrence after TACEAkarapatima et al., TACE versus BSC for HCCXiang et al., TACE versus BSC for HCCLlovet et al., TACE/TAE versus BSC for HCC TRENDY trial., TACE versus SBRT for HCCBush et al., proton radiotherapy versus TACE for HCCVerbus et al., SBRT versus TACE as bridging therapy in HCC Hong et al., phase II trial of proton radiotherapy for unresectable cholangiocarcinomaRTOG 1112 survival curvesPodcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

Accelerators co-host Dr. Matt Spraker hosts Radiation Oncologists Drs. Krish Jethwa, Neil Newman, and Jeff Ryckman for romp through the exciting world of radiotherapy for liver tumors! In the first of this two part episode, we Krish, Neil, and Jeff explore how liver tumors are treated in practice. We learn that Jeff can tell your Child-Pugh score by looking at your finger nails and other tips that can help with patient selection. Then we have a fantastic data-driven discussion on treatment planning. We also cover motion management and delivery. Toward the end, we approach the topic that inspired this episode, comparing SBRT with catheter-based therapies. Like Krish, we all want to know: will Neil "let it fly" on why SBRT should be the therapy of choice? Tune in next week to find out.Here are some things that were discussed doing the show:Dr. Newman's epic Twitter thread on TACE versus SBRT for HCCThe liver has a body - a Cook's tour by Adrien RubenDr. Zaorsky's Liver Anatomy Explained Using Your Right FistBujold et al., phase I and II studies of SBRT for HCCRitter et al., Application of Critical Volume-Dose Constraints for SBRT in NRG TrialsDawson et al., Individualized image guided iso-NTCP based liver cancer SBRTDawson et al., Partial Irradiation of the LiverPodcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

The Accelerators (Drs. Anna Brown, Matt Spraker, and Simul Parikh) host Clinical Geneticist Dr. Elizabeth Chao, Director of Medical Genetics at UC Irvine and Vice President and Clinical Diagnostics Laboratory Director at Ambry Genetics for a discussion about medical genetics in the oncology clinic and beyond!  We start by discussing practice models for clinical geneticists and then spend some time discussing the role of genetic testing in pancreatic cancer care. We then discuss genetic testing more generally and what the future holds for the field. Our discussion concludes with Liz sharing her training path, which started in #RadOnc, to a very successful career.  Here are some things that were discussed during the show: Publication of the PALB2 pancreatic cancer susceptibility geneNCCN Guidelines for genetic/familial high-risk assessment: breast, ovarian, and pancreaticUK NHS 100,000 Genomes ProjectAmbry Genetics - The Care ProgramPodcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music generously donated by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

In this episode, The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) discuss Matt's proposed composite quality of life measure for happiness of radiation oncologists. A lot is written on how to job search and evaluate the quality of a radiation oncology practice, but how to be happy practicing independently is less frequently discussed. Matt's lays out his theory for Rad Onc happiness, a composite quality measure made up of three components: technical occupational components (such as base salary and case load), fulfillment from career goals, and the "life" of work-life balance. In this discussion, Simul adds his thoughts. Creating a theory of happiness is a tall order to be sure, but at least it makes for great discussion!Here are some things mentioned during the show:Evaluating a Practice in Radiation Oncology by Drs. Zaorsky and TrifelletiOffice Space (a must see)Dark Side of the 90s on HuluJerry Springer (RIP)Podcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music generously donated by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host radiation oncology resident physician and writer, Dr. Matt Farrell, to discuss narrative medicine. We review his recent JCO publication "First Cousin Once Removed". In this piece, Matt describes his experience with a family meeting at the end of life for his cousin John, an actor and patient living with HIV and AIDS prior to the release of HAART. Matt's work sparks a discussion of family dynamics surrounding the death of a loved one, the language we use in medicine, and Matt's plans to keep writing a significant part of his life as a physician. Plus, book recommendations! Here are some things we discussed during the show:VVPN Reflections on PandemicsCutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese Thrillville, USA by Taylor KoekkoekLiberation Day: Stories by George SaundersThe Combative Language of Cancer: A Plea for an Armistice by Dr. Matt FarrellPodcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music generously donated by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

Accelerator Dr. Matt Spraker hosts the first ever live #RadOnc podcast! Drs. Todd Scarborough, Emma Fields, and Alexis Schutz join for this very special episode, recorded from the #ACRO2023 Afterparty in Orlando, Florida. We first discussed our love of ACRO, informal and collegial poster sessions, and our favorite parts of day 1 of the conference. Then, we explored the elephant in the room, the radiation oncology workforce and job market. Todd reveals himself as part of Graypeace, authors of An Inconvenient Truth, a narrative that likens workforce trends in radiation oncology to global warming. We find that, recently, graduating residents are perceiving a strong job market. But is this just a cold day masking a larger trend of global warming? Emma shares her thoughts on how the 2018 ABR initial certifying exam debacle may have initiated concerns that are driving decreased numbers of medical student applications to our field. Will programs commitment to cleaning without soap correct forecasts of radiation oncologist oversupply?  We close our session with Q&A and, of course, a discussion of our favorite radiation oncologists. We would like to extend a special thanks to the American College of Radiation Oncology for allowing us to record during their event and supporting our quest to produce balanced editorial content about the field of radiation oncology. Check out the ACROPOLIS Content Channel to check out all their supported digital properties.  Podcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music generously donated by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

Accelerator Dr. Simul Parikh and Dr. Jason Beckta of the out.of.the.basement / radiation.medicine podcast team up to "simul-cast" their reaction to the radiation oncology workforce study commissioned by ASTRO and completed by Health Management Associates. Simul and Jason are joined by friend of the show and #RadOnc workforce guru Dr. Todd Scarborough. They discuss the "supply side" of the model, hiring consultants, and the folly of forecasting the past. Podcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music generously donated by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

School is in session! The Accelerators (Drs. Anna Brown, Matt Spraker, and Simul Parikh) sit down for a radiation oncologist and colorectal specialist Dr. Nina Sanford for an informal lesson on the state of radiotherapy for rectal cancer in 2023.  We work our way through an informal discussion of total neoadjuvant therapy, sequencing of therapies, radiotherapy techniques, and my favorite new #RadOnc concept, PULSAR. We close the show by peer reviewing Simul's case and discussing the finer points of rectal cancer contouring.Here are other some things we discussed during the show:We talked about a lot of rectal studies, just check out Rad Onc Tables GI TabTodd's Twitter poll on IMRT for rectal cancer Bob Timmerman's excellent editorial about his SBRT constraintsTzeng sarcoma study referenced for bowel constraintsThe Janus StudyWax Lips and Fun Dip CandyPodcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music generously donated by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

The Accelerators (Drs. Anna Brown, Matt Spraker, and Simul Parikh) are back with Drs. Alison Tree (The Royal Marsden NHS, UK), Vedang Murthy (Tata Memorial Centre Mumbai, India), and Himanshu Nagar (New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell and Brooklyn Methodist, NYC). We pick up our international discussion of prostate cancer by further discussing Radiation Oncology training and research in India, the UK, and the US. Then we move to discuss more practical matters, such as the remarkable variation in prostate SBRT techniques across the world. We also discuss the future. We close this episode with a discussion of our favorite Indian dishes. Podcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music generously donated by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

The Accelerators (Drs. Anna Brown, Matt Spraker, and Simul Parikh) have gone global! We host Drs. Alison Tree (The Royal Marsden NHS, UK), Vedang Murthy (Tata Memorial Centre Mumbai, India), and Himanshu Nagar (New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell and Brooklyn Methodist, NYC) for a two-part exploration of prostate cancer care around the world!In part 1, we discuss PSA screening, costs of care, selection of radiotherapy treatment techniques and androgen deprivation therapies, and the radiotherapy research efforts of the UK, India, and the US.  Podcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music generously donated by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

Accelerators co-host Dr. Simul Parikh takes a very special trip to India and visits Tata Memorial Hospital! In this episode, he shares his experiences in their radiation oncology clinics as well as thoughts on patient care, clinical trials, education, and more. Here are some papers from Tata Memorial that were mentioned during the show:The POP-RT Trial Phase III trial of docetaxel for advanced head and neck cancerContouring guidelines for penile cancerPodcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music generously donated by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production. 

The Accelerators (Dr. Anna Brown, Matt Spraker, and Simul Parikh) host radiation oncologist Dr. Amar Kishan and Brett Sloman, Product Sales Director at Viewray, Inc.On this episode, we discussed the newly resulted MIRAGE trial, a single-center phase III study of prostate target reduction using MR-guided stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) versus standard CT-guided SBRT.Amar kicks off this in depth interview by reviewing the results, then we cover a range of topics and critiques that arose on the release of this trial. What is the impact of industry influence? Can we shrink prostate target size using other technologies? Given that the outcomes included quality of life measures, should this have been a blinded study?  Are commutes in LA really easier if you listen to The Accelerators Podcast? Here are some things that were mentioned during the show:Siva et al. editorial on the MIRAGE TrialThe SMART Trial for locally advanced pancreas cancerParikh et al. SMART Trial ASCO resultsViewray multi-center LAP-ABLATE trial for locally advanced pancreas cancerPodcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music generously donated by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.The Accelerators Podcast is a Photon Media production.