ASTRO publishes first issue of Practical Radiation Oncology

Fairfax, Va., January 19, 2011 - The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is pleased to announce it has published its first issue of Practical Radiation Oncology (PRO), a new medical journal whose mission is to improve the quality of radiation oncology practice. Published by leading scientific publisher Elsevier, the issue is both available in print and online at www.practicalradonc.org.

Under the guidance of editor-in-chief W. Robert Lee, M.D., M.S., M.Ed., a professor of radiation oncology and program director at Duke University in Durham, N.C., PRO is a natural complement to the Society's primary research journal, the International Journal of Radiation Oncology•Biology•Physics (also called the Red Journal), and aims to be what Medline defines as a clinical or practice journal. These types of journals have as their dominant purpose either documenting the state of current practice, providing background for those in training or the continuing education of practitioners.

"I am very pleased with our first issue and I am humbled so many of my colleagues have taken the time to submit important manuscripts as well as volunteer their time to become reviewers," Dr. Lee said. "Highlights of the first issue include two articles on the importance of safety in radiation oncology, a timely and important topic for our specialty. We would all do well to read these articles, reflect on the content and consider improvements in our practices. Another must-read article in this issue is an excellent summary of radiation-induced optic neuropathy; an article I view as a model for future manuscripts."

source: American Society for Radiation Oncology