Knowledge and competences in hematological malignancies amongst radiation oncology residents in Germany-results from a national survey.

INTRODUCTION: Radiation oncology is a pivotal modality in the treatment of hematologic malignancies. To enable state-of-the-art patient care, structured education during residency is essential. However, given the lack of detailed data, the scope of educational opportunities available to trainees remains elusive. This prompted our group to perform a national survey amongst radiation oncology residents in Germany assessing the status quo of competences in the treatment of lymphoma and leukemia patients. Furthermore, areas of potential improvement were identified to further the goal of competence-based education for residents. METHODS: A survey-based analysis was conducted to assess the knowledge and competence of radiation oncology residents in Germany regarding hematological malignancies. A decisive questionnaire covering demographics, self-assessment of competences, and areas for improvement was developed in adaption of a survey by the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology and distributed amongst 1439 members of the German Society of Radiation Oncology. Responses were collected anonymously via an online survey tool and analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. RESULTS: A total of 59 complete and 22 partial responses were collected, yielding a 5.6% response rate. Participants' competence varied, with notable experience gaps in pediatric cases, proton therapy, and large-field techniques like total-skin irradiation or pediatric total body irradiation. While participants felt confident in treatment planning and patient counseling, they showed deficiencies in the definition of the planning target volume for modern involved site radiotherapy. Resources for education included national and international guidelines, scientific reviews, and textbooks. Board-certified radiation oncologists and physicians from specialized lymphoma centers demonstrated higher overall competence levels. CONCLUSION: This survey highlights the diversity of resident education regarding hematological malignancies in German radiation oncology programs. Knowledge gaps exist in key areas, including pediatric cases and specialized techniques. Competence-based education, interactive teaching formats, and rotations to specialized centers are potential strategies to address these gaps. The study contributes to the understanding of the federal educational landscape, underscoring the need for standardized and comprehensive training to ensure optimal patient care in hematological malignancies within the context of radiation oncology. Further research and collaborations are warranted to enhance training and expertise in this critical domain.

Health Care Provider Perceptions of Using Social Media to Improve Sexual Health for Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors.

This study explored (1) health care provider (HCP) perceived barriers and facilitators to social media communication about sexual health with adolescent and young adult survivors, and (2) strategies that can help HCPs navigate social media use for this purpose. Thematic analysis of 11 semistructured HCP interviews resulted in four themes and suggests that social media platforms offer a promising avenue to foster sexual health communication but that resources and training are needed to improve HCP capacity to use this approach ethically and effectively. Future studies are needed to determine specific communication strategies and whether these strategies would lead to improved outcomes.

Identifying disparities in brachytherapy delivery for locally advanced cervical cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The standard of care for locally advanced cervical cancer is concurrent chemotherapy and external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) followed by a brachytherapy boost. Some studies show a decreased usage of brachytherapy in cervical cancer patients despite the standard of care and known survival advantage. This study aims to characterize the utilization of brachytherapy in Oregon and identify where disparities in treatment may exist. METHODS: The Oregon State Cancer Registry database was used to identify patients diagnosed with FIGO Stage IB2-IVB cervical cancer between 2007 and 2016. Patients who received initial EBRT were categorized by whether they received brachytherapy boost or not. Age at diagnosis, county of patient residence, rural-urban status of the county, race/ethnicity, and insurance payer were studied using multivariable logistic regression to identify possible underserved populations. Survival data was compared using a Cox proportional hazard survival model. RESULTS: 401 patients who received primary EBRT for FIGO stage IB2-IVB cervical cancer were identified in the 10-year span. Breakdown by stage is: 16% stage IB2, 23.9% stage II, 37.4% stage III, and 22.7% stage IV. Of those, 154 (38.4%) received brachytherapy boost treatment, 75 (18.7%) received a different boost modality, and 42.9% received no boost. Stage IV (p = 0.001) and uninsured patients (p = 0.04) were significantly less likely to receive brachytherapy. Older age was also associated with decreased brachytherapy usage, as each additional year of life decreased brachytherapy receipt by 1.8% (p = 0.04). Native American and Pacific Islander patients were the only group significantly more likely to receive brachytherapy (p=0.003). There was no significant difference in the rate of brachytherapy boost identified based on urban/rural status of the county (p = 0.63 to 0.69), other racial/ethnic categories (p = 0.66 to 0.80), or among the other stages (p=0.45 to 0.63). In Cox proportional hazard survival analysis, patients that received brachytherapy showed a 42% reduction in risk of cancer specific mortality, though this did not reach the predetermined level of statistical significance (p = 0.057). CONCLUSIONS: The brachytherapy boost rate among locally advanced cervical cancer patients was 38.4%. The data also indicated a likely reduction in cancer specific mortality in patients receiving brachytherapy. Older patients, stage IV patients, and uninsured patients were less likely to receive brachytherapy. Given the low overall brachytherapy usage, these data indicate access and delivery of brachytherapy care needs to be improved across the state. The increased brachytherapy use in the American Indian and Pacific Islander patient population should be further studied to identify facilitators to treatment completion and potentially extrapolate to other groups.

WeWhoCurie: An Initiative to Advocate for Those Underrepresented in Radiation Oncology.

Purpose: An initiative to advocate for those underrepresented in radiation oncology. Methods and Materials: Inspired by the success of the #ILookLikeAnEngineer and #ILookLikeASurgeon campaigns, this initiative aimed to break down stereotypes in traditionally male-dominated fields. In honor of Marie Curie's birthday, on November 7, 2018, the Society for Women in Radiation Oncology launched a social media campaign called #WomenWhoCurie day. However, as the popularity of the social media campaign increased, it become evident that members of the wider radiation community, in particular women of color, nonbinary and transgender people did not feel supported by the #WomenWhoCurie movement. In November 2021, after consultation with diversity and inclusion leaders and members of other national radiation oncology organizations, Society for Women in Radiation Oncology launched #WeWhoCurie alongside the #WomenWhoCurie campaign for women and gender minorities in radiation oncology. Radiation oncologists, physicists, dosimetrist, therapists, nurses, and other professionals from around the world gathered and shared photos and social media posts throughout the day on multiple platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Results: In the year #WeWhoCurie, #WomenWhoCurie, #_______ WhoCurie campaign launched, we saw an increase in participation across the globe from 9 countries: the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Italy, Spain, China, New Zealand, and Australia. There were over 720 tweets contributing to the campaign with over 2000 messages, representing 3,365,444 "potential impacts", or the number of times someone saw the hashtag. Conclusions: Through this campaign we aim to celebrate the incredible women, gender minorities, and allies who are "Curie-ing" patients with cancer and conducting cutting edge research to improve cancer care across the globe. As an organization we believe adding our voices to the masses will foster a culture of inclusion for everyone. Afterall, what good is the practice of radiation oncology if all are not equally welcome?

Assessment of Lymphoma and Other Hematologic Malignancies Training Needs Among Radiation Oncology Residents: a Brief Report.

The role of radiation therapy (RT) varies across hematologic malignancies (HM). Radiation oncology (RO) resident comfort with specific aspects of HM patient management is unknown. The International Lymphoma RO Group (ILROG) assessed resident HM training opportunities and interest in an HM away elective. RO residents (PGY2-5) in the Association of Residents in RO (ARRO) database (n = 572) were emailed an anonymous, web-based survey in January 2019 including binary, Likert-type scale (1 = not at all, 5 = extremely, reported as median [interquartile range]), and multiple-choice questions. Of 134 resident respondents (23%), 86 (64%) were PGY4/5 residents and 36 (27%) were in larger programs (≥ 13 residents). Residents reported having specialized HM faculty (112, 84%) and a dedicated HM rotation (95, 71%). Residents reported "moderate" preparedness to advocate for RT in multidisciplinary conferences (3 [2-3]); make HM-related clinical decisions (3 [2-4]); and critique treatment planning (3 [2-4]). They reported feeling "moderately" to "quite" prepared to contour HM cases (3.5 [3-4]) and "quite" prepared to utilize the PET-CT five-point scale (4 [3-5]). Overall, residents reported feeling "moderately" prepared to treat HM patients (3 [2-3]); 24 residents (23%) felt "quite" or "extremely" prepared. Sixty-six residents (49%) were potentially interested in an HM away elective, commonly to increase comfort with treating HM patients (65%). Therefore, HM training is an important component of RO residency, yet a minority of surveyed trainees felt quite or extremely well prepared to treat HM patients. Programs should explore alternative and additional educational opportunities to increase resident comfort with treating HM patients.

How Small Can We Go? Partial Bladder Radiation Therapy and Brachytherapy.

Organ preservation for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) may use trimodality therapy. This includes transurethral resection followed by radiation therapy. Radiosensitization has become one of the standard of care approaches for MIBC with high rates of local disease control and overall survival. The goal of organ preservation is to treat MIBC while preserving a well-functioning natural bladder. Debate remains over the best way to optimize radiation therapy in bladder cancer. In MIBC the role of partial cystectomy has been utilized in smaller solitary tumors with adequate local control and good urinary function. As radiation therapy techniques improve and modernize, smaller radiation volumes to a partial bladder may play an increasing role as we utilize imaging techniques coupled with adaptive radiation therapy planning and other techniques such as brachytherapy. In this review, we explore the use of brachytherapy and partial bladder fields of external beam radiation therapy in the treatment of MIBC.

Radiation Oncology Virtual Education Rotation (ROVER) 2.0 for Residents: Implementation and Outcomes.

The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed the integration of a virtual education curriculum to support radiation oncologists in training. We report outcomes from Radiation Oncology Virtual Education Rotation (ROVER) 2.0, a supplementary virtual educational curriculum created for radiation oncology residents globally. A prospective cohort of residents completed surveys before and after the live virtual webinar sessions (pre- and post-surveys, respectively). Live sessions were structured as complex gray-zone cases across various core disease sites. Resident demographics and responses were summarized using means, standard deviations, and proportions. Nine ROVER sessions were held from October 2020 to June 2021. A total of 1487 registered residents completed the pre-survey, of which 786 attended the live case discussion and 223 completed post-surveys. A total of 479 unique radiation oncology residents (of which 95, n = 19.8%, were international attendees) from 147 institutions (national, n = 81, 55.1%; international, n = 66, 44.9%) participated in the sessions. There was similar participation across post-graduate year (PGY) 2 through 5 (range n = 86 to n = 105). Of the 122 unique resident post-surveys, nearly all reported learning through the virtual structure as "very easy" or "easy" (97.5%, n = 119). A majority rated the ROVER 2.0 educational sessions to be "valuable or "very valuable" (99.2%, n = 121), and the panelists-attendee interaction as "appropriate" (97.5%, n = 119). Virtual live didactics aimed at radiation oncology residents are feasible. These results suggest that the adoption of the ROVER 2.0 curricula may help improve radiation oncology resident education.

Short-term ADT and Dose-escalated IMRT in Patients With Intermediate-risk Prostate Cancer: Benefit or Caution?

OBJECTIVES: In the era of dose-escalated prostate radiation therapy (RT), the use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is undefined for intermediate-risk (IR) prostate cancer. There is growing concern of the risk of ADT to be detrimental to quality of life. This single-institution retrospective analysis aimed to evaluate outcomes of IR patients treated with dose-escalated intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with or without concurrent/adjuvant short-term ADT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data was collected from 260 consecutive patients treated with dose-escalated IMRT with daily image-guided RT for newly diagnosed IR prostate cancer. Biochemical recurrence-free survival (BCRFS), distant metastasis-free survival, prostate cancer-specific survival, and overall survival (OS) were calculated using Kaplan-Meier methodology. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 93 months. A total of 181 patients had unfavorable IR disease, and 36.2% (N=94) received ADT, with median ADT duration of 6 months. Seven-year BCRFS was 94.1% vs. 86.2% (P=0.067), for ADT and no ADT, respectively, and no difference in distant metastasis-free survival or prostate cancer-specific survival was observed. ADT was associated with significantly worse 7-year OS (80.0% vs. 91.3%, P=0.010). Analysis of the unfavorable IR cohort alone, showed similar results; 7-year BCRFS and 7-year OS in patients who received ADT versus no ADT were 93.7% vs. 85.9% (P=0.093), and 79.0% vs. 90.6% (P=0.019), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In our 15-year experience treating IR prostate cancer with dose-escalated IMRT with daily image-guided RT, short-term concurrent ADT was associated with a statistically significant worse OS. Additional studies are needed to determine if ADT is beneficial or detrimental for patients with IR prostate cancer treated with dose-escalated radiation.

Education in gynecological brachytherapy.

Brachytherapy is an essential component in the curative treatment of many gynecological malignancies. In the past decade, advances in magnetic resonance imaging and the ability to adapt and customize treatment with hybrid interstitial applicators have led to improved clinical outcomes with decreased toxicity. Unfortunately, there has been a shift in clinical practice away from the use of brachytherapy in the United States. The decline in brachytherapy is multifactorial, but includes both a lack of exposure to clinical cases and an absence of standardized brachytherapy training for residents. In other medical specialties, a clear relationship has been established between clinical case volumes and patient outcomes, especially for procedural-based medicine. In surgical residencies, simulation-based medical education (SBME) is a required component of the program to allow for some autonomy before operating on a patient. Within radiation oncology, there is limited but growing experience with SBME for training residents and faculty in gynecological brachytherapy. This review includes single institutional, multi-institutional and national initiatives using creative strategies to teach the components of gynecological brachytherapy. These efforts have measured success in various forms; the majority serve to improve the confidence of the learners, and many have also demonstrated improved competence from the training as well. The American Brachytherapy Society launched the 300 in 10 initiative in 2020 with a plan of training 30 competent brachytherapists per year over a 10 year period and has made great strides with a formal mentorship program as well as externships available to senior residents interested in starting brachytherapy programs. Moving forward, these curricula could be expanded to provide standardized brachytherapy training for all residents. SBME could also play a role in initial certification and maintenance of certification. Given the burden of disease, it would be valuable to develop similar training for providers in low and middle income countries.

Female erectile tissues and sexual dysfunction after pelvic radiotherapy: A scoping review.

Sexual function is a vital aspect of human health and is recognized as a critical component of cancer survivorship. Understanding and evaluating the impacts of radiotherapy on female sexual function requires precise knowledge of the organs involved in sexual function and the relationship between radiotherapy exposure and sexual tissue function. Although substantial evidence exists describing the impact of radiotherapy on male erectile tissues and related clinical sexual outcomes, there is very little research in this area in females. The lack of biomedical data in female patients makes it difficult to design studies aimed at optimizing sexual function postradiotherapy for female pelvic malignancies. This scoping review identifies and categorizes current research on the impacts of radiotherapy on normal female erectile tissues, including damage to normal functioning, clinical outcomes of radiation-related female erectile tissue damage, and techniques to spare erectile tissues or therapies to treat such damage. An evaluation of the evidence was performed, and a summary of findings was generated according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Articles were included in the review that involved normal female erectile tissues and radiotherapy side effects. The results show that little scientific investigation into the impacts of radiotherapy on female erectile tissues has been performed. Collaborative scientific investigations by clinical, basic, and behavioral scientists in oncology and radiotherapy are needed to generate radiobiologic and clinical evidence to advance prospective evaluation, prevention, and mitigation strategies that may improve sexual outcomes in female patients.

Implications of Medical Board Certification Practices on Family Planning and Professional Trajectory for Early Career Female Radiation Oncologists.

PURPOSE: Our purpose was to evaluate the effect of the current structure and schedule of the American Board of Radiology (ABR) radiation oncology initial certification (RO-IC) examinations, with a primary focus on implications for family planning and early professional barriers among female radiation oncologists. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A survey was conducted of crowdsourced ABR candidates and diplomates for radiation oncology between June and July of 2020. The primary study cohort was early career female radiation oncologists of the 2016 through 2021 graduating classes. RESULTS: The survey response rate of early career female radiation oncologists was 37% (126 of an estimated 337). Among this cohort, 58% (73 of 126) reported they delayed or are currently delaying/timing pregnancy or adoption to accommodate the annual schedule of the 4 qualifying and certifying examinations required to achieve board certification in radiation oncology. One in every 3 respondents who had attempted to become pregnant reported experiencing infertility (25 of 79, 32%). Women who reported intentionally delaying pregnancy to accommodate the ABR RO-IC examination schedule were significantly more likely to experience infertility (46% vs 18%, P = .008). Seven women (6%) reported at least a 1-year delay in sitting for a RO-IC examination due to an unavoidable scheduling conflict related to childbirth and/or the peripartum period. A majority reported that full board certification had a significant effect on achieving academic promotion or professional partnership (52%), annual compensation (54%), and nonclinical professional commitments (58%) - these rates mirror those of surveyed early career male counterparts (n = 101). CONCLUSIONS: The current structure and scheduling of the ABR RO-IC examinations imposes noteworthy hurdles for many female radiation oncologists when entering the workforce. The recent transition to virtual examination platforms creates an important opportunity to increase flexibility in the structure and scheduling of the board examination process to improve equitable board certification practices.

Transitioning Roles from Residency to Attending Physician in Radiation Oncology.

Moving from the role of resident into that of a young attending is one of the most anticipated transitions in a medical trainee's career path. Radiation oncology residency training is typically apprentice-style focused in the outpatient setting, which carries additional unique challenges. Twenty-seven junior attendings at academic institutions within their first 5 years of practice were sent an online open-ended questionnaire in 2018 regarding aspects of their practice using a snowball sampling method. Responses were collected, and a thematic analysis was conducted in which two independent reviewers coded the responses. Nineteen junior attendings (70%) from 18 institutions completed the questionnaire. General themes included the importance of cultivating relationships for peer support and to be professional and polite as confidence was gained to enable them to be seen as an attending. All respondents felt that bringing an open mind, balance, and adaptability was crucial in their transition. Respondents stayed up to date on literature and practices by subscribing to journals, courses, and participation in resident education. Forty-two percent of young attendings were matched with a mentor at their new institution through a formal mentor-mentee relationship. Respondents wished that they had more autonomy during residency to prepare for independent practice. Transitioning from residency to a junior attending provides unique stressors and challenges. Allowing for residents to have more autonomy during their training, such as a senior resident clinic, may help improve this transition by providing an opportunity for independent decision-making with guidance as appropriate.

Does obesity influence the preferred treatment approach for early-stage cervical cancer? A cost-effectiveness analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Abdominal radical hysterectomy in early-stage cervical cancer has higher rates of disease-free and overall survival compared with minimally invasive radical hysterectomy. Abdominal radical hysterectomy may be technically challenging at higher body mass index levels resulting in poorer surgical outcomes. This study sought to examine the influence of body mass index on outcomes and cost effectiveness between different treatments for early-stage cervical cancer. METHODS: A Markov decision-analytic model was designed using TreeAge Pro software to compare the outcomes and costs of primary chemoradiation versus surgery in women with early-stage cervical cancer. The study used a theoretical cohort of 6000 women who were treated with abdominal radical hysterectomy, minimally invasive radical hysterectomy, or primary chemoradiation therapy. We compared the results for three body mass index groups: less than 30 kg/m2, 30-39.9 kg/m2, and 40 kg/m2 or higher. Model inputs were derived from the literature. Outcomes included complications, recurrence, death, costs, and quality-adjusted life years. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of less than $100 000 per quality-adjusted life year was used as our willingness-to-pay threshold. Sensitivity analyses were performed broadly to determine the robustness of the results. RESULTS: Comparing abdominal radical hysterectomy with minimally invasive radical hysterectomy, abdominal radical hysterectomy was associated with 526 fewer recurrences and 382 fewer deaths compared with minimally invasive radical hysterectomy; however, abdominal radical hysterectomy resulted in more complications for each body mass index category. When the body mass index was 40 kg/m2 or higher, abdominal radical hysterectomy became the dominant strategy because it led to better outcomes with lower costs than minimally invasive radical hysterectomy. Comparing abdominal radical hysterectomy with primary chemoradiation therapy, recurrence rates were similar, with more deaths associated with surgery across each body mass index category. Chemoradiation therapy became cost effective when the body mass index was 40 kg/m2 or higher. CONCLUSION: When the body mass index is 40 kg/m2 or higher, abdominal radical hysterectomy is cost saving compared with minimally invasive radical hysterectomy and primary chemoradiation is cost effective compared with abdominal radical hysterectomy. Primary chemoradiation may be the optimal management strategy at higher body mass indexes.

Why an Increasing Number of Unmatched Residency Positions in Radiation Oncology? A Survey of Fourth-Year Medical Students.

PURPOSE: The number of US fourth-year medical students applying to radiation oncology has decreased during the past few years. We conducted a survey of fourth-year medical students to examine factors that may be influencing the decision to pursue radiation oncology. METHODS AND MATERIALS: An anonymous online survey was sent to medical students at 9 participating US medical schools. RESULTS: A total of 232 medical students completed the survey. Of the 153 students who stated they were never interested in radiation oncology, 77 (50%) reported never having been exposed to the specialty as their reason for not pursuing radiation oncology. The job market was the most commonly cited factor among students who said they were once interested in but ultimately chose not to pursue radiation oncology. Conversely, the recent low pass rates for board examinations and a perception of a lack of diversity within radiation oncology had the least influence. CONCLUSIONS: Despite discussion of potential measures to address this disquieting trend, there have been minimal formal attempts to characterize and address potential causes of a decreasing interest in radiation oncology. This study's data are consistent with previous research regarding the trend of decreased medical student interest in radiation oncology and may be used as part of ongoing introspective assessment to inform future change within radiation oncology.

Integrating Radiation Oncology Into Undergraduate Medical Education.

Cancer is one of the most important public health problems. However, medical education has not advanced at the same rate when it comes to cancer education. Currently, the United States Medical Licensing Examination subject examinations do not cover radiation oncology, prevention, and survivorship planning in its assessment model. Incorporating medical oncology and radiation oncology training into the undergraduate medical education curriculum can have a significant benefit in training future physicians. In this paper, we review current literature and propose some ideas that can help incorporate oncology, and specifically radiation oncology, into undergraduate medical education.

Interprofessional Image Verification Workshop for Physician and Physics Residents: A Multi-Institutional Experience.

PURPOSE: Verification of patient position through pretreatment setup imaging is crucial in modern radiation therapy. As treatment complexity increases and technology evolves, physicist-physician collaboration becomes imperative for safe and successful radiation delivery. Despite the importance of both, residency programs lack formal interprofessional education (IPE) activities or structured training for image verification. Here we show the impact of an interprofessional image verification workshop for residents in a multi-institutional setting. METHODS: The workshop included a lecture by the attending physicist and physician, and hands-on image registration practice by learners (medical physics residents, MP; and radiation oncology residents, RO). All participants filled out pre- and postactivity surveys and rated their comfort from 1 to 10 in (A) selecting what type of imaging to order for a given case and (B) independently assessing the setup quality based on imaging. A paired 1-tailed t test (α = 0.05) was used to evaluate significance; Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used to assess correlation of ratings and RO postgraduate year (PGY). Surveys had free-response questions about IPE and image verification activities in residency. RESULTS: A total of 71 residents from 7 institutions participated between 2018 and 2020. Pre- and postsurveys were completed by 50 residents (38RO, 12MP) and showed an increase in (A) from 5.5 ± 2.2 to 7.1 ± 1.6 (P < .001) and in (B) from 5.1 ± 2.3 to 6.8 ± 1.5 (P < .001), with significant increases per subgroup (AΔ, RO = 1.8 ± 1.7, P < .001; BΔ, RO = 1.9 ± 1.8, P <. 001; AΔ, MP = 1.1 ± 1.4, P = .012; BΔ, MP = 1.2 ± 1.6, P = .016). RO confidence scores moderately correlated with PGY. Survey responses indicated that image verification training is mostly unstructured, with extent of exposure varying by program and attending; most with little-to-no training. Time constraints were identified as the main barrier. IPE was noted as a useful way to incorporate different perspectives into the process. CONCLUSIONS: Formal image verification training increases resident comfort with setup imaging review and provides opportunities for interprofessional collaboration in radiation oncology residency programs.

Risk factors for atypical hyperplasia and endometrial cancer in the infertility population: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence and identify risk factors for atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AH) and endometrial cancer (EC) in American women undergoing infertility evaluation. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Academic reproductive endocrinology and infertility practice. PATIENTS: Female patients (18-50 years) seeking infertility evaluation from January 1, 2009 to December 1, 2018. Patients with known genetic predisposition to cancer or prior cancer diagnosis were excluded. Cases were defined as patients diagnosed with AH or EC during infertility workup (n = 22). Controls without AH or EC were randomly selected in a 10:1 ratio (n = 220) from all women undergoing infertility evaluation in the same year. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of AH or EC and odds of AH or EC accounting for age, race, body mass index (BMI), and ovulatory dysfunction. RESULTS: Twenty-two cases of AH or EC were identified among 11,569 women undergoing infertility evaluation (incidence 2 per 1,000 women, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-2.9 per 1,000). Of these women, 68% had a BMI ≥30 kg/m2 compared with 25% of controls. In multivariable analyses, women with a BMI ≥30 kg/m2 were 5.9 times more likely to be diagnosed with AH or EC (adjusted odds ratio 5.9, 95% CI 2.0-17.2). Women with ovulatory dysfunction were 3.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with AH or EC (adjusted odds ratio 3.4, 95% CI 1.1-10.1). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of AH and EC in a population of women undergoing infertility evaluation is 10 times that in the general population of premenopausal women. Obesity is the strongest independent risk factor for AH and EC in women with infertility.

Where Are the Women in Radiation Oncology? A Cross-Sectional Multi-Specialty Comparative Analysis.

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the growth of women within the general radiation oncology (RO) workforce in comparison to the growth among other medical specialties. We also sought to create a predictive model for gender diversity to guide future recruitment efforts. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We identified 16 medical specialties, including RO, for analyses. We used data from the Association of American Colleges and assessed female representation at 4 time points (2006, 2011, 2016, and 2020). Additionally, we determined characteristics of medical specialties that were predictive of increased gender diversity. We performed univariate statistical analysis with linear regression to evaluate factors predictive of greater gender diversity among the medical specialties in our cohort. RESULTS: The proportion of women within the represented specialties increased over time. Obstetrics/gynecology (14,750 [2006], 23,921 [2020]; 18.7% absolute growth) and dermatology (3568 [2006], 6329 [2020]; 15.1% absolute growth) experienced the highest absolute growth in female representation between 2006 and 2020. When assessing changes between various time points in RO, the absolute change in female physicians increased by 1.5% between 2006 and 2011, by 2.2% between 2011 and 2016, and by only 0.4% between 2016 and 2020, which was the lowest growth pattern relative to the other 15 specialties. Factors predictive of gender diversity among specialties were lower average step 1 scores (P = .0056), fewer years of training (P = .0078), fewer work hours (P = .046), the availability of a standard third year clerkship for a given specialty (P = .0061), and a high baseline number of female physicians within a specialty (P = .0078). Research activities (P = .099) and interest among matriculating medical students (P = .28) were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of women in RO lags behind other medical specialties and has been notably low in the last few years. Interventions that incorporate novel initiatives proposed within this study may accelerate current recruitment milestones.

Current Social Media Use Among Radiation Oncology Trainees.

PURPOSE: Resident physicians use social media (SM) for many reasons. We sought to characterize current SM use by radiation oncology (RO) trainees for education and professional development. METHODS AND MATERIALS: An anonymous 40-question survey was sent by e-mail to RO residents in the 2018 to 2019 academic year. SM platform use, time spent on SM, professional use, and opinions regarding SM use were assessed. Descriptive statistics and a univariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify factors associated with perceptions of SM and spending >25% of SM time for academic or professional purposes. RESULTS: Of the 615 residents surveyed, 149 responded (24% response rate). Facebook (73%), theMednet (62%), Instagram (59%), Twitter (57%), and Doximity (50%) were the top SM platforms used. Most respondents (53%) reported <25% of overall SM time on professional/academic purposes, and 21% reported using SM >60 minutes per day over the past week. Residents with an RO mentor on SM (n = 35; 24%; odds ratio [OR]: 2.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29-6.08; P = .010), those participating in RO discussions on SM (n = 71; 48%; OR: 2.85; 95% CI, 1.42-5.72; P = .003), and those interacting with professional societies (n = 69; 46%; OR: 7.11; 95% CI, 3.32-15.24; P < .001) were more likely to spend >25% of their SM time on professional/academic purposes. The vast majority of respondents agreed that SM exposed them to novel educational content (82%) and was helpful for career development (65%). In addition, 69% agreed that SM can improve clinical skills and knowledge. A substantial minority agreed that SM distracts them from studying (38%) or they felt pressure to have a SM presence (29%). CONCLUSIONS: Most RO residents reported that SM provides novel educational content and can help with career development. Potential disadvantages of SM for trainees may include distraction and pressure to maintain a SM presence. SM use by RO trainees merits further research to optimize its potential for education and professional development.