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Cancer
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers will present findings on emerging technologies, precision treatments and new radiation therapy techniques at the 2026 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting, Sept. 26–30 in Boston.
Mayo Clinic experts will participate in nearly 65 poster, education, quick-pitch, scientific, oral, plenary and presidential sessions and present 45 abstracts. Their presentations will cover topics ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technologies in radiation therapy to clinical outcomes of precision treatments and novel techniques.
Meeting highlights include:
Presidential Symposium: Data to Dialogue: Communicating Radiotherapy’s Value to Advance Care – Session II: Challenges and Opportunities in Scientific Knowledge Creation and Dissemination
Presentation time: Sunday, Sept. 27, 9:49–9:53 a.m. EDT
Description: This session will explore how today’s science and healthcare information will be disseminated tomorrow, and look at the roles of journals, websites, online platforms and AI-powered content.
Panelist: John D. Halamka, M.D., Dwight and Dian Diercks president, Mayo Clinic Platform
Scientific Session: Clinical Trials Session
Presentation time: Sunday, Sept. 27, 2:10–2:20 p.m. EDT
Presentation title: Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) and Comprehensive Metastasis-Directed Therapy for Ewing Sarcoma Patients Enrolled on AEWS1221: A Report from the Children’s Oncology Group (COG)
Description: The study examines the feasibility and safety of SBRT and comprehensive metastasis-directed therapy for patients with metastatic Ewing sarcoma. Researchers report the highest event-free survival to date in cooperative-group trials of metastatic Ewing sarcoma.
Presenter: Nadia Laack, M.D., radiation oncologist, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Rochester
Education Session: Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Emerging Technologies in Gynecologic Radiation Oncology: From Automation to Precision Delivery
Presentation time: Sunday, Sept. 27, 3:02–3:17 p.m. EDT
Presentation title: AI-Driven Automation in Pelvic Radiation Therapy: From Contouring to Plan Optimization
Description: The presentation explores prediction-guided care, including the use of artificial intelligence to identify each patient’s risk of side effects and help physicians make more personalized treatment decisions.
Presenter: Andres Portocarrero Bonifaz, Ph.D., radiation oncology medical physicist, Mayo Clinic in Florida
Quick Pitch: Neurocognition and Novel Therapies in Glioma
Presentation time: Monday, Sept. 28, 8:25–8:30 a.m. EDT
Presentation title: Patterns of Failure After 18F-DOPA PET and MRI–Guided Hypofractionated Proton Therapy in Older Adults with Glioblastoma
Description: Researchers will present patterns of radiographic failure at the first progression of glioblastoma in older adults treated with hypofractionated proton therapy guided by 18F-DOPA PET and MRI.
Presenter: Diego Santos Toesca, M.D., radiation oncologist, Mayo Clinic in Arizona
Education Session: Spatially Fractionated Radiation Therapy (SFRT): Biological Mechanisms and Clinical Translation
Presentation time: Monday, Sept. 28, 8:32–8:47 a.m. EDT
Presentation title: Delivering Minibeam Radiotherapy: Clinical Workflow and Translational Insights
Description: The presentation will share results from Mayo Clinic’s first-in-human clinical translation of minibeam radiotherapy. Read the news release.
Presenter: Michael Grams, Ph.D., radiation oncology medical physicist, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Rochester
Oral Session: Patient Reported Outcomes/QoL/Survivorship
Presentation time: Monday, Sept. 28, 8:32–8:47 a.m. EDT
Presentation title: Comparative Prognostic Value of Disease Specific Patient Reported Outcomes in Prostate Cancer
Description: The study compares how well patient-reported outcome measures predict overall survival, with the goal of informing evidence-based selection of these measures in prostate cancer.
Presenter: Minji Lee, Ph.D., scientist in radiation oncology, Mayo Clinic in Rochester
Scientific Session: Some crHEME with Your Coffee? A Winning Blend of Radiation and Systemic Therapy in Hematologic Malignancies
Presentation time: Monday, Sept. 28, 11:15–11:25 a.m. EDT
Presentation title: Safety of Maintenance Pembrolizumab (Pembro) and Concurrent Radiotherapy (RT) in Pediatric Participants with Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL) and Slow Early Response (SER) to Front-Line Chemotherapy (Chemo): Post Hoc Analysis of the KEYNOTE-667 Study
Description: Researchers evaluated the safety of concurrent immunotherapy and radiation therapy in pediatric patients with Hodgkin lymphoma who were treated as part of a chemo-immunotherapy study.
Presenter: Brad Hoppe, M.D., radiation oncologist, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Florida
Plenary Session
Presentation time: Monday, Sept. 28, 2:04–2:13 p.m. EDT
Presentation title: Alliance A071801 Phase III Trial Postoperative Single Fraction Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) vs. Fractionated SRS (fSRS) for Resected Brain Metastasis
Description: Researchers report findings from a randomized trial comparing fSRS with single-fraction SRS for resected brain metastases.
Principal investigator: Paul D. Brown, M.D., radiation oncologist, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Rochester
Scientific Session: Optimizing Therapy, Toxicity, and Supportive Care in Head and Neck Cancers
Presentation time: Tuesday, Sept. 29, 12:57–1:06 p.m. EDT
Presentation title: First Report from the Headlight Trials: Postoperative Hypofractionated Proton Therapy for Head and Neck Cancers Unrelated to HPV
Description: Researchers will report results from clinical trials evaluating a shorter course of proton therapy for head and neck cancer.
Presenter: Scott Lester, M.D., radiation oncologist, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Rochester
Scientific Session: The Automated Clinic: AI-Powered Contouring, Monitoring, and Data Extraction
Presentation time: Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2:25–3:35 p.m. EDT
Presentation title: Personalizing PSA Follow-Up after Prostate Radiation Therapy: Developing a Patient-Specific AI-Powered Predictive Model for Clinically Meaningful Recurrence
Description: Researchers developed a machine-learning model that uses patient-specific clinical data and prostate-specific antigen kinetics to predict prostate cancer recurrence after definitive radiation therapy.
Presenter: Mariana Borras-Osorio, M.D., research fellow in radiation oncology, Mayo Clinic in Rochester
Learn more about ASTRO 2026.
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About Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center
Designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center is defining the cancer center of the future, focused on delivering the world’s most exceptional patient-centered cancer care for everyone. At Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, a culture of innovation and collaboration is driving research breakthroughs in cancer detection, prevention and treatment to change lives.
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