At the 2026 American College of Radiation Oncologists (ACRO) Summit, host Brandon Mancini, MD, MBA, FACRO, sat down with Brian Lally, MD, FACRO, to chat about the latest happenings at the meeting. Throughout their discussion, they emphasized advocating for the radiation oncology field and networking with others to spread the potential impact of radiotherapy.

Lally began with an overview of his involvement with ACRO, describing his participation in the planning committee for the annual summits as well as his previous work in finance and operations. He and Mancini stressed the intimate nature of meetings like the ACRO Summit, where radiation oncologists can network and form long-lasting professional relationships and personal connections with one another.

Regarding other notable initiatives in the field, Lally brought attention to the efforts of Jessica Schuster, MD, FACRO, who serves as the editor-in-chief of Contemporary Updates: Radiotherapy Innovation & Evidence (CURiE), an ACRO-based publication highlighting new advancements in radiation oncology. He also discussed a new accreditation program that serves as a joint venture between ACRO, the American College of Radiology (ACR), and the Radiosurgery Society (RSS), which may contribute to further growth in the field.

“Advocacy is such a critical component of ACRO. It is critical that we advocate for the field and represent the college and our members in DC so that we can stay in our clinics and treat our patients,” Lally stated. “You’re not going to see a direct return on the investment you put into those programs—ACR, ACRO, and the American Society for Radiation Oncology [ASTRO]—but it’s critical that you be part of them. It’s critical that you participate.”

Mancini is director at Bold Advanced Medical Future Health, clinical associate professor in the Department of Radiology at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, and editor at large for the RadOncReview, a supplement of the journal ONCOLOGY®. Lally is president-elect of ACRO and an associate professor and vice-chair for Operations in the Department of Radiation Oncology and Hollings Cancer Center Medical University of South Carolina.

In observance of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in January, host Brandon Mancini, MD, MBA, FACRO, convened with Melissa Wylie Brackmann, MD, to highlight various advancements in cervical cancer prevention and treatment as well as critical takeaways for elevating the quality of patient care. The experts touched upon advancements in screening, preventative vaccination, surgical and systemic modalities, and other key areas in the field.

Brackmann began by noting how cervical cancer may take a long time to develop, and that detecting high-risk pre-cancers through screening may help prevent the formation of more advanced diseases. Given cervical cancer’s association with HPV infections, the discussion also focused on the role that HPV vaccination can play in limiting the risk of cervical cancer.

According to Brackmann, other potential advancements in the cervical cancer space pertain to targeted therapies, which include immunotherapeutic agents like pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and antibody drug conjugates like tisotumab vedotin-tftv (Tivdak). The experts also spoke about considerations for counseling patients on the safety of radiation and surgical modalities like hysterectomy while balancing realism with hope when developing a personalized treatment plan. Brackmann concluded by emphasizing the importance of patients undergoing screening for potential disease and seeking resources related to other preventative strategies.

“There is a tremendous amount of hope, in the community and amongst [gynecologic] oncologists, for this cancer to be better treated and better managed,” Brackmann stated during the discussion. “[It] is often curable in early stages [while] having less long-term [adverse] effects from our chemotherapies, our radiations, and our surgeries.”

Mancini is director at Bold Advanced Medical Future Health, clinical associate professor in the Department of Radiology at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, and editor-at-large for the RadOnc Review, a supplement of the journal ONCOLOGY®. Brackmann is an assistant professor of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Michigan Medical School.