2025 Midwest Radiation Oncology Symposium

At the conclusion of this activity, the participants should be better able to:

1. Identify the benign conditions for which radiation therapy (RT) is an appropriate treatment option and compare RT with surgical and medical alternatives.
2. Describe modern radiation techniques—including stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), and proton therapy—for treating benign diseases with high precision and minimal toxicity.
3. Review the radiobiologic principles and dose–response relationships specific to benign tissue targets, including implications for hypo- or ultra-hypofractionation (e.g., FLASH RT).
4. Evaluate treatment outcomes, quality-of-life metrics, and long-term safety data for RT in benign disease contexts.
5. Apply evidence-based criteria for patient selection, treatment planning, and follow-up in the use of RT for benign diseases such as vestibular schwannoma, thyroid eye disease, and osteoarthritis.
6. Discuss the role of multidisciplinary collaboration—including neurosurgery, ophthalmology, cardiology, orthopedics, and rehabilitation—in the management of benign conditions using RT.
7. Discuss the evolving regulatory, ethical, and reimbursement considerations for RT in non-malignant indications.
8. Explore future directions and ongoing research, including proton FLASH therapy and digital twin modeling in radiation therapy for benign disease.

 In support of improving patient care, University of Nebraska Medical Center is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physicians

The University of Nebraska Medical Center designates this live activity for a maximum of 16.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurses

The University of Nebraska Medical Center designates this activity for up to 16.5 ANCC contact hours. Nurses should only claim credit for the actual time spent participating in the activity.

Medical Physicists​​

This activity has applied to CAMPEP and has been approved for 16.29 MPCEC hours.

Radiation Therapists​​

This activity has been approved by the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) for 19.75 Category A continuing education credits.​​​

Dosimetrists​​

This activity is approved by the Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board (MDCB) for 15.75 MDCB continuing education credits.

Complimentary parking for registered symposium participants is available in Lot 17. Enter the lot via 45th & Leavenworth (next to LaCasa) or Saddle Creek & Jones (by QuikTrip). Stairs from Lot 17 provide access to Emile Street.

Download the campus map (PDF) showing Lot 17 parking, entrance routes, and walking access to the UNMC Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center.

If you are an employee/student of UNMC/Nebraska Medicine, please park in your regularly assigned parking area. UNMC CCE is not liable for any parking citation a participant may incur while attending this symposium.

Read the UNMC CCE Disclosure Declaration Policy 

Disclosures

The accredited provider has mitigated and is disclosing identified relevant financial relationships for the following faculty, planners, and others in control of content prior to assuming their roles.

FACULTY

The following have disclosed relevant financial relationships:

• Jeremy Brownstein, MD
  Consultant: Varian Medical Systems
  INVESTIGATIONAL/OFF-LABEL USE OF DRUGS DISCLOSURE:
  Linear Accelerator for Cardiac Radioablation

• Rao V. Chundury
  Advisory Board: Genentech

• James Glazier, PhD
  Advisory Board: Aevum Labs, LLC
  Contracted Research: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, National Institutes of General Medical Science, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Procter & Gamble
  International Patent Protection Applicant: Therapies under development for Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) and Diabetic Retinopathy
  President: Apoptocys, LLC; PKD Advances, LLC; Virtual Tissues for Health, LLC
  Shareholder: Gilead Sciences, Inc.

• Curtis W. Hartman, MD
  Consultant: Smith+Nephew
  Owner: NeAT Surgical LLC
  Research Support: Smith+Nephew

• Eric J. Lehrer, MD
  Advisory Board, Consultant: Les Laboratoires Servier (relationship has ended)

• Michael Prusator, PhD
  OFF LABEL DRUG DISCLOSURE: Linear Accelerator for treatment of Ventricular Tachycardia

• Ehsan Samei, PhD, DABR, FAAPM, FSPIE, FAIMBE, FIOMP, FACR
  Advisory Board: GE HealthCare, Siemens
  Board and Owner: Metis Health
  Board and Co-Owner: Silomedics
  Scientific Advisor: Imalogix

• Robert Stewart, PhD
  Nuclear Engineer: Nusano

• Benjamin A. Teply, MD
  Consultant: Exelixis, Inc.
  Principal Investigator: Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; Merck & Co., Inc.; Pfizer Inc.; Seagen
  Educational Speaker: Clinical Care Options / NCCN
  Scientific Review Committee: Pfizer Inc.

• William E. Thorell, MD
  Consultant: Progressive Neuro

• Elizabeth Wellsandt, PT, DPT, PhD
  Consultant: Arthritis Foundation (Biomechanics and Functional Outcomes Core, Osteoarthritis Clinical Trials Network)

• Chi (Kevin) Zhang, MD, PhD*
  Grant: AstraZeneca, BioMimetix Pharma
  Co-Founder: ZCure

The following faculty members have nothing to disclose:

• Josue M. Avecillas-Chasin, MD, PhD
• Michael Baine, MD, PhD*
• Breann Bowar, MD
• Elizabeth Bradford Bell, MD
• Joseph Carmicheal, MD, PhD
• Lisa Chaiken, MD
• Charles A. Enke, MD, FASTRO, FACR*
• Serdar Charyyev, PhD
• Carol Gaebler, MS, CCC-SLP
• Sam Hendley, PhD, DABR
• Chase Jablon
• Kurtis Johnson, MD
• Minglei Kang, PhD, DABR
• Qateeb Khan, MD
• Yang Lei, PhD
• Erik E. Lewis, MD
• Chi Lin, MD, PhD *
• Liyong Lin, PhD, FAAPM, DABR
• Ruirui Liu, PhD, CHP, DABR*
• Lindsey A. McAlarnen, MD, MSc, FACOG
• Mikayla Morrow, BSN
• Lauren A. O’Neill, MD
• Kyuhak Oh, PhD
• Morgan Scheen, RDN, LMNT
• John W. Schleifer, MD
• Jared Schober, MD
• Jason Shen, PhD
• Andrew Wahl, MD
• Ying Yan, PhD
• Xiandong Zhao, PhD
• Weining (Ken) Zhen, MD, FACR, FASTRO
• Sumin Zhou, PhD

PLANNING COMMITTEE

The following planning committee members have nothing to disclose:

• Dinah Clark
• Valeta Creason-Wahl, MMP
• Missy Edwards
• Kyle Gallagher, PhD, DABR
• Julie Huglin
• Heidi Keeler, PhD, MSN/MBA, RN
• Renee Paulin, MSN, RN, CWOCN
• Brenda Ram, CMP, CHCP
• Charlene Rhodd, CMD, RT, (R)(T) (CT) (ARRT)
• Hongmei Ren, BSN  

*Faculty and planning committee member