Cross-discipline
Cross-discipline

Radiation Oncology

Description

EORTC has a strong track record in initiating and conducting radiotherapy-based clinical trials across disease types. This follows the group’s strategy to challenge, re-define and develop standards of care for loco-regional treatments. Our scientific projects are designed and conducted to integrate disciplines such as imaging, translational research, quality of life and quality assurance.

The Radiation Oncology Group (ROG) is open to cooperative projects involving other EORTC groups and external cooperations, for example with neuro-oncology networks in Canada, Australia and the US. The group places special emphasis on recruiting and mentoring junior colleagues who are interested in pursuing an academic career in the field of radiation oncology.

In addition, EORTC runs an extensive Radiotherapy Quality Assurance programme (RTQA) to ensure the consistency and reliability of imaging data across all EORTC clinical trials involving radiotherapy.

EORTC is also building a European network of Radiation Therapy Technologists, who are involved in clinical research and quality assurance projects.

Main Achievements

EORTC research in the field of radiation oncology has resulted in many advances in the discipline and in treating certain cancers, notably:

Major improvement in overall survival for locally-advanced prostate cancer by combining radiation with three years of androgen suppression.

Reducing the risk for symptomatic brain metastases in small cell lung cancer with prophylactic cranial irradiation.

Reduced risk of relapse in early breast cancer with an additional dose of radiotherapy.

The definition of a contemporary Quality Assurance benchmark for radiation trials.

The establishment of technical guidelines to define irradiation volumes in several cancers.

Established preoperative chemoradiation as the new standard of care for the treatment of locally-advanced, resectable rectal cancer.

Research Group

Group documents
  • Chair

    Damien Weber

    Paul Scherrer Institute - Center for Proton Therapy (CPT)

    Villigen, Switzerland

  • Secretary

    Nicola Russell

    The Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni Van Leeuwenhoekziekenhuis

    Amsterdam, Netherlands

  • Treasurer

    Piet Ost

    Universitair Ziekenhuis Gent

    Ghent, Belgium

RTQA Structure - Team Members

  • N. Andratschke - Zurich, CH

    Strategic Committee Chair - Clinical

    UniversitaetsSpital Zurich

  • C. Hurkmans - Eindhoven, NL

    Group Officer (RTQA)

    Catharina Ziekenhuis

ROG - HQ Staff

  • C. Fortpied - Brussels, BE

    Lead Statistician

    EORTC Headquarters

  • B. Fournier - Brussels, BE

    Clinical Scientist

    EORTC Headquarters

  • P. Dollet - Brussels, BE

    Project Manager

    EORTC Headquarters

RTQA - HQ Staff

  • E. Clementel - Brussels, BE

    RTQA Manager

    EORTC Headquarters

  • C. Corning - Brussels, BE

    RTQA Officer

    EORTC Headquarters

  • J. Willmann - Brussels, BE

    Emmanuel van der Schueren Fellow

    EORTC Headquarters

Radiation Therapy Technologists Section

  • M. van Os - Rotterdam, NL

    Chair

    Erasmus MC Cancer Institute - location Daniel den Hoed

  • M. Walczak - Kielce, PL

    Secretary

  • I. Kristensen - Lund, SE

    Board member

  • M. Rossi - Amsterdam, NL

    Board member

    The Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni Van Leeuwenhoekziekenhuis

  • B. Speleers - Ghent, BE

    Board member

    Universitair Ziekenhuis Gent

  • H. van der Laan - Groningen, NL

    Board member

    University Medical Center Groningen

Committee(s)Close Committee(s)