Steven E. Finkelstein, MD, FACRO, presented “Updates in Radiation Oncology: A View From ACRO” during the 31st International Prostate Cancer Update in July 2021 in Snowbird, Utah.
How to cite: Finkelstein, Steven E. “Updates in Radiation Oncology: A View From ACRO.” July 2021. Accessed Nov 2024. https://grandroundsinurology.com/updates-in-radiation-oncology-a-view-from-acro/
Updates in Radiation Oncology: A View From ACRO
Steven E. Finkelstein, MD, FACRO, a radiation oncologist with Florida Cancer Affiliates in Panama City, Florida, discusses the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO) and their goals for leadership, education, advocacy, and recognition in their field. He explains that they want to be the most inclusive physician-driven organization in radiation oncology and want to drive professional and personal development for their members. He then outlines ACRO’s leadership-focused committees and their accomplishments. Dr. Finkelstein states that ACRO’s education goals are being reached by providing cutting-edge educational programming at a reasonable cost. He then lists the involved committees and shares some of the accomplishments of the organization in education, including free self-assessment modules sufficient to reach maintenance of certification requirements and inclusion of administrators in a business track during conferences. Dr. Finkelstein then explains that, through advocacy, ACRO aims to make the practice of radiation oncology better for physicians. He discusses ACRO’s advocacy-oriented committees, and then cites the development of an alternative payment model, and addressing widespread concern with the eviCore treatment guidelines as some of ACRO’s advocacy-based accomplishments. Dr. Finkelstein then looks at ACRO’s progress in getting recognition for radiation oncology, explaining that recognizing professional success helps advance practice excellence. He goes over some of ACRO’s accomplishments in this area, including the development of a comprehensive physics review and a robust and modern virtual medical chart review that eliminates reviewer bias. He concludes with a list of 10 reasons why a practice should undergo accreditation that includes improving practice quality by external review, ensuring that the most up-to-date question and answer techniques and standards as well as the most up-to-date policies are in place, and more.
About The 31st Annual International Prostate Cancer Update:
The International Prostate Cancer Update (IPCU), founded in 1990, is a multi-day CME conference focused on prostate cancer treatment updates with expert, international faculty. It is led by expert physicians and is designed for urologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and other healthcare professionals involved in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. Dr. Finkelstein delivered this educational activity during the 31st iteration of the meeting in July 2021 in Snowbird, Utah.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steven E. Finkelstein, MD, FACRO, is the Director of the Center of Advanced Radiation Excellence, and Director of Radiation Oncology Research for Associated Medical Professionals in Syracuse, New York. His interests include the research of a variety of cancers, busting radiation driven, and personalized systemic therapy. He holds three international patents in the field of cutting edge technologies.
Dr. Finkelstein received his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School, graduating cum laude eruditions causa. He then joined the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health as Clinical Associate. He completed both Surgical Oncology Fellowship as well as Clinical Immunotherapy Fellowship, and an additional radiation oncology residency.
He served a residency in General Surgery at Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri, Dr. Finkelstein also served fellowships in Biologic Immunotherapy, Clinical Cancer, and Surgical Oncology at the Surgery Branch of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. He is a member of the American College of Radiation Oncology, the American Medical Association, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, the Radiological Society of North America, and the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group.
He has served as a Co-Chair on the NRG Immunotherapy Committee, Co-Chair of the 2018-2019 ACRO Scientific Program Committee, and Chair of the SWOG Radiation STG Committee. He currently serves on the Board of Chancellors for ACRO. Dr. Finkelstein has also served as National Director of Translational Research Consortium (TRC), the cutting-edge therapy arm of 21st Century Oncology in Scottsdale, Arizona. Inspired by his grandmother, a cancer patient, he became a dedicated cancer surgeon who found that radiation therapy could sometimes do for his patients what surgery could not.
