Tailored Mentorship for the Underrepresented and Allies in Radiation Oncology: The Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology Equity and Inclusion Subcommittee Mentorship Experience.

PURPOSE: There are limited opportunities for mentorship for underrepresented in medicine (URM) trainees and physicians in radiation oncology (RO). The purpose of this study was to create and evaluate a formal mentorship program open to URMs and allies with interests in diversity, equity, and inclusion. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A mentorship program incorporating a virtual platform was designed by the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology Equity and Inclusion Subcommittee. It was structured to include 6 sessions over 6 months with matched mentor-mentee pairs based on responses to a publicized online interest form. A compilation of evidence-based guidelines was provided to optimize the mentorship relationship. Linked pre- and postprogram surveys were administered to collect demographic data, define baseline goals and level of support, and evaluate program satisfaction. RESULTS: Thirty-five mentor-mentee pairs were matched; 31 mentees completed the preprogram survey and 17 completed the postprogram survey. Preprogram, only 3 mentees (9.7%) reported satisfaction with current mentorship and 5 (16%) reported mechanisms or mentorship in place at their program to support URMs. On the postprogram survey, mentees reported high satisfaction with areas of mentorship, mentor attributes, and the program overall. Opportunities for improvement include implementation of mechanisms to enhance communication with mentor-mentee pairs and maintain longitudinal engagement. CONCLUSIONS: In the first tailored mentorship program in RO for URMs and those with diversity, equity, and inclusion interests, our results demonstrate that there is self-reported interest for better mentorship for URMs in RO, and that a nationwide structured mentorship program can address participants' goals with high satisfaction. Program expansion could provide URMs and allies in RO more opportunities for career development and promote a greater sense of community and inclusion within the field.

Consolidative Thoracic Radiation Therapy After First-Line Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy in Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Multi-Institutional Case Series.

Purpose: Survival for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) remains poor. Consolidative thoracic radiation therapy (cTRT) and upfront immunotherapy with chemotherapy have each incrementally improved patient outcomes, but have not yet been combined in clinical trials. We sought to characterize outcomes and toxicities after first-line chemotherapy and immunotherapy followed by cTRT. Methods and Materials: Patients with ES-SCLC who were treated with first-line chemotherapy and immunotherapy followed by cTRT were identified at 2 institutions. Patient outcomes including overall survival (OS), progression-free survival, local progression-free survival, distant progression free-survival, and toxicity were assessed. Results: Twenty patients were included in our data set treated from 2018 to 2021 with a median follow-up of 12 months. Median OS in this cohort was 16 months with 6-month OS of 94.7% and 12-month OS of 77.5% (comparable to historical controls). There were also low rates of toxicity, including 0% grade 3+ toxicity, 0% grade 2 pneumonitis, and 5% grade 2 esophagitis. Conclusions: Treatment of ES-SCLC with first-line chemoimmunotherapy followed by cTRT appears to be safe and to have outcomes comparable to published modern clinical trials. Further studies are warranted to determine the therapeutic effect of cTRT after chemoimmunotherapy.