RTOG Foundation Newsletter

March 2023

Q&A with the STEEL Study Principal Investigator, Dr. Edwin Posadas

RTOG Foundation (RTOGF) recently interviewed Dr. Edwin Posadas, the Principal Investigator of the RTOG 3506 “STEEL” study for men with post-prostatectomy PSA recurrences with aggressive disease failures. Read more about Dr. Posadas’s experience with conducting his trial through RTOGF and the advice he has for investigators interesting in running their own trials with RTOGF.

RTOGF at #NRG2023 in Orlando

RTOG Foundation (RTOGF) held an in-person Investigators Meeting at the NRG Oncology Winter 2023 Meeting in Orlando, Florida. There were approximately 50 attendees in-person and 25 virtual attendees on the live-stream of the meeting. Updates were given from RTOGF leaders, including the Chairs of the recently formed RTOGF Membership, Research Strategy, Communications, and Governance Committees. Moving forward, RTOGF plans on holding its next Investigators Meeting virtually in the Fall and in-person during the 2023 winter NRG Meeting.

Stay tuned for updates as RTOGF announces the date, time, and other details of the Fall meeting.

Accepting Applications for the RTOGF Communications Internship

The RTOG Foundations Committee is searching for communications interns! We recently extended this deadline to April 1st.

This will be a 12-month internship, ideal for radiation oncology residents or medical students looking for ways to get involved with cancer research and other organizational activities. Interns will work with RTOG communications staff to create social media content around RTOG foundation trials. Interns will attend virtual meetings with the communications team, RTOG foundation board meetings, and will also have the opportunity to attend an RTOG Investigators Meeting. There will be a $1000 stipend for each intern. Please contact info@rtog.org for questions.

Please submit a cover letter and your CV to info@rtog.org by April 1, 2023.

New Investigator Spotlight:

Joseph Miccio, MD

Joseph A. Miccio, MD, was recently selected as an RTOG Foundation New Investigator Spotlight due to his various accomplishments and ongoing efforts in the oncology community. Dr. Miccio is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology and the Director of Genitourinary Radiation Oncology at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. He specializes in the management of thoracic and genitourinary malignancies and has opened two single institution prospective studies during his residency including a single arm phase II study of stereotactic body radiation therapy for oligoprogression on immune checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic renal cell carcinoma and a prospective study of patient-reported quality of life after stereotactic radiosurgery or whole brain radiation therapy for patients with small cell lung cancer receiving immunotherapy. Additionally, Dr. Miccio serves on the NRG Oncology Lung Cancer General Committee, is a member of the Radiological Society of North America, the American Society for Radiation Oncology, and the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society.

ASTRO-BCRF Emerging Investigator Award to Build a Diverse Scientific Workforce

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) launched a new Emerging Investigator Award (EIA) to Build a Diverse Scientific Workforce. This EIA aims to provide one-year support of $100,000 total (direct costs only) to one talented early-career breast radiation oncology researcher who self-identifies as a member of any of the “Underrepresented Populations in the U.S. Biomedical, Clinical, Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Enterprise” as listed in the Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity (NOT-OD-20-031). The Application Deadline is April 24, 2023; 9:00 a.m. Eastern time (GMT-5). Interested individuals can download the Program Announcement, review all the requirements, and apply by visiting the ASTRO ProposalCentral portal.

Did You Know?

There are several ways you can participate in RTOG Foundation as a member site, an industry collaborator, or by enrolling in one of our studies. Read more on our website about how you can partner with RTOG Foundation.

Learn more at www.RTOG.org/Partners