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Three discipline collaborative radiation therapy (3DCRT) special debate: The single most important factor in determining the future of SBRT is immune response

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Radiation Oncology is a highly multidisciplinary medical specialty, drawing significantly from three scientific disciplinesmedicine, physics, and biology.As a result, discussion of controversies or changes in practice within radiation oncology involves input from all three disciplines.For this reason, significant effort has been expended recently to foster collaborative multidisciplinary research in radiation oncology, with substantial demonstrated benefit.1,2 In light of these results, we endeavor here to adopt this "team-science" approach to the traditional debates featured in this journal.This article is part of a series of special debates entitled "Three Discipline Collaborative Radiation Therapy (3DCRT)" in which each debate team will include a radiation oncologist, medical physicist, and radiobiologist.We hope that this format will not only be engaging for the readership but will also foster further collaboration in the science and clinical practice of radiation oncology. | INTRODUCTIONWhile stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has demonstrated considerable success in providing local tumor control, regional and systemic progression remains a problem.Overcoming this problem by harnessing the immune response is an intriguing possibility and there is hope for synergism when combining SBRT and immunotherapy that may result in a clinical benefit for some patients.However, immunotherapy when combined with radiotherapy has thus far met with mixed success.Will a greater understanding of the immune response and abscopal effect allow us to unlock an even greater potential future for SBRT?The topic of this month's 3DCRT debate is whether immune response is the most important factor determining the future of SBRT.

Source: Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics

DOI: 10.1002/acm2.12728