What: ASTRO’s Annual Meeting is the premier scientific meeting in radiation oncology and is expected to attract more than 11,000 attendees including oncologists from all disciplines, medical physicists, dosimetrists, radiation therapists, radiation oncology nurses and nurse practitioners, biologists, physician assistants, practice administrators, industry representatives and other health care professionals from around the world. The theme of the 2013 meeting is “Patients: Hope • Guide • Heal” and will focus on patient-centered care and the importance of the physician’s role in improving patient-reported outcomes and the quality and safety of patient care.

For the 2013 Annual Meeting, ASTRO received a total of 2,331 scientific abstracts from researchers around the world. 1,486 studies are from researchers in the U.S., followed by 450 studies from Asia (Japan (171), China (135), Korea (66), India (42), Taiwan (24), Hong Kong (9), Thailand (2) and the Philippines (1)), and 118 studies from Canada.

The four-day scientific meeting will include presentation of up to six plenary papers, 363 oral presentations, 1,460 posters and 144 digital posters in 70 educational sessions and scientific panels for 19 disease sites/tracks. Keynote speakers include:• Darrell Kirch, MD, President and CEO, Association of American Medical Colleges• Otis Brawley, MD, Chief Medical Officer, American Cancer Society• Peter Friedl, MD, PhD, MD Anderson Cancer Center

When: Sunday, September 22 – Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Where: Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta

Press Registration: Credentialed journalists from accredited news organizations are welcome to attend and report on ASTRO’s 2013 Annual Meeting. Reporters registered by September 13 will receive the embargoed Annual Meeting Press Kit prior to the meeting. Press Policies and Registration Form Press Room: ASTRO will have a dedicated Press Room at the Georgia World Congress Center. 2013 Press Room Hours:Sunday, September 22: 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.Monday, September 23: 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.Tuesday, September 24: 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.Wednesday, September 25: 7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

2013 News Briefings Schedule, as of May 23, 2013:*Please note that the News Briefings listed below are subject to change and/or cancellation.

Sunday, September 22, Time TBA: Colleen A. F. Lawton, MD, ASTRO president and chairman of the 2013 Annual Meeting Steering Committee

Monday, September 23, Time TBA: “Plenary Papers” News Briefing Tuesday, September 24, Time TBA: Two News Briefings, Topics TBA

Wednesday, September 25, Time TBA: News Briefing, Topic TBA

For more information about ASTRO’s 55th Annual Meeting. Follow the 2013 ASTRO Annual Meeting on Twitter: #ASTRO13

ABOUT ASTROASTRO is the premier radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologist, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals that specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through professional education and training, support for clinical practice and health policy standards, advancement of science and research, and advocacy. ASTRO publishes two medical journals, International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics (www.redjournal.org) and Practical Radiation Oncology (www.practicalradonc.org); developed and maintains an extensive patient website, www.rtanswers.org; and created the Radiation Oncology Institute (www.roinstitute.org), a non-profit foundation to support research and education efforts around the world that enhance and confirm the critical role of radiation therapy in improving cancer treatment. To learn more about ASTRO, visit www.astro.org.