AuntMinnie.com Radiation Oncology Insider

Dear Radiation Oncology Insider,

As cancer treatment becomes more sophisticated and successful, more patients are surviving. But can government economics afford the cost?

Perhaps this is part of the rationale behind a proposal from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to slash payments to radiation oncologists by 15%. Click here for the details, and also read the American Society for Radiation Oncology's rapid response. Watch for our follow-up coverage of this potentially devastating blow to radiation oncology practices.

In light of the proposed cutbacks, this newsletter's Insider Exclusive is very timely. It compares outcomes and costs of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) versus brachytherapy for men with early stages of localized prostate cancer. Another interesting study compares the costs of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and IMRT. And for an article that questions if some treatments are worth the side effects, click here.

Readers have also reacted to an article about alleged Medicare billing fraud. Another article that caused a buzz is contributing writer Louise Gagnon's coverage of a survey on fears of retaliation when reporting errors. You'll want to read this coverage from the International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technologists annual meeting in Toronto.

Also from Toronto is a startling presentation about dangerous sanitation issues from filmcards used to set up procedures for radiation therapy.

In other Radiation Oncology Digital Community news, two reports focus on pediatric Hodgkin's lymphoma, one supporting the need for radiation therapy, and the other suggesting it may not be needed for some patients. And finally, researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center have found that hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation is effective for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ.

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