Pelvic Radiation Therapy: Strides and Strategies

Welcome to the fall edition of Applied Radiation Oncology! This issue features the theme of pelvic radiation therapy in the female patient, offering two comprehensive review articles on this important, yet challenging, topic.

In the first review, Special Considerations of Pelvic Radiation Therapy in the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Female Population, the authors help bridge the communication gap between providers and patients regarding the long-term effects of pelvic radiation treatment on physical, sexual, and mental health. Unfortunately, this communication has historically been lacking, compromising patient satisfaction and outcomes. The CME-approved article also examines the often overlooked but highly valuable resources and subspecialist interventions that can aid this vulnerable group by mitigating side effects and improving quality of life.

The second review, Late Effects of Pelvic Radiation Therapy in the Female Patient, offers a thorough, well-written summary of late side effects in this patient population, including gastrointestinal, urinary, gynecologic organ, skin, bone, hematologic/bone marrow, and peripheral nerve toxicities. Understanding these late effects is paramount to creating strategies that can minimize the risk of long-term and life-altering complications.

We are also pleased to present two research articles: A Novel Framework to Define and Prognosticate Visual Outcomes Following Fractionated Radiation Therapy for Optic Nerve Sheath Meningiomas and A Practical Method to Prolong Expiratory Breath Holds (EBHs) for Abdominal Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT).

The former article provides groundwork to predict individualized risk of blindness or worsened visual outcomes caused by radiation treatment of this rare meningioma. The results help develop a new standard to guide decision-making and manage expectations for visual outcomes.

The latter research article describes the experience of the first patients treated with abdominal SBRT using a supplemented EBH technique with supplemental oxygen and mild hyperventilation. The authors discuss how this simple, inexpensive, and safe intervention may improve breath-hold times, reduce treatment time, and ultimately increase the number of patients eligible for EBHbased abdominal SBRT.

An enlightening case report is featured as well: Radiation Therapy-Induced Toxicity in a Breast Cancer Patient with Variance of Unknown Significance in Ataxia Telangiectasia Gene. We hope you benefit from these novel findings, which help move the field forward bit by bit.

Finally, we are proud to feature this month’s thought-provoking Resident Voice Editorial, Public Relations and Collaborative Support: Claiming a Seat at the Table When No One Else Is Buying It. The authors shed light on how misconceptions, historical precedents, and financial biases in radiation oncology can obstruct optimal treatment choices.

In other news, we are working diligently behind the pages to bring on-demand publishing to ARO, significantly reducing acceptance-to-publication time. Stay tuned for updates, and please enjoy the issue as well as our many online offerings designed to expand education and enrich collaboration throughout the field and beyond the vault.

As always, thank you for your continued support! We wish you a beautiful, bountiful autumn.