Programme

Overview: The integration of immunotherapy into perioperative management of head and neck cancer presents both new opportunities and challenges. Key surgical issues include optimal timing of neoadjuvant therapy and accurate assessment of residual disease. For the radiation oncologist, safe combination of immunotherapy with radiotherapy in the adjuvant setting, particularly regarding toxicity and synergy remain a concern. Defining pathological response and its prognostic value while developing reliable predictive and dynamic biomarkers will be critical to guide patient selection and advance personalized treatment in this evolving field.

Overview: This interdisciplinary pitch session will examine the key barriers preventing biologically guided radiotherapy from moving from concept to routine clinical implementation. Starting from the clinical rationale for biologically guided dose prescription, speakers will address the current evidence, the limitations imposed by tumour and normal tissue biology, and the regulatory and practical challenges of clinical implementation. The session will then explore the role of biomarkers in biologically guided radiotherapy, with particular focus on imaging biomarkers, including their definitions, the most promising and clinically feasible candidates, and the key translational challenges related to biological validation, technical validation, and standardisation across centres. Further discussion will focus on the difficulties in defining the CTV, especially for nodal CTV-N for head and neck cancer and on the relative patient’s individual risk estimation. Finally on the RTT perspective, highlighting workflow, QA, training, infrastructure, and multidisciplinary coordination needed to make biologically guided radiotherapy clinically actionable.

Overview: In this symposium the focus will be on shared decision making in brachytherapy from both a clinical and a patient perspective. The session will first focus on the patients’ knowledge, and understanding on the topic of brachytherapy together with patient barriers for informed decision making. Afterwards the session will focus on the validation of existing shared-decision tools set in clinical scenarios from both a clinical and patient centred choice. Lastly a patient will share her personal experience with brachytherapy and with shared decision in that setting.

Overview: 4m EIVD definition, current methods and adoption 4m Limiting factors for the widespread clinical adoption of EIVD 4m The role of EIVD in Online Adaptive Radiotherapy 4m Artificial intelligence for EIVD: from Research to Clinic How in-vivo dosimetri in brachytherapy progressed from being a measurement of dose to organs at risk to becoming a tool for treatment monitoring Current concepts and dosimeters for in-vivo dosimetry in brachytherapy: point dosimeters and 2D panels Requirements for in-vivo dosimetry in brachytherapy Limitations and challenges Future prospects: how do we transform from research to clinical application?

Overview: Come discover the ESTRO Early Career Networking Orbit: this year’s speed-dating session is a playful space-themed experience designed to spark conversations, create new connections, and help members feel part of the community. Tag along, expand your orbit, and meet fellow colleagues from across the radiation oncology universe. Everyone is welcome.