Dear Colleagues
With this issue we start our third year of publishing a brachytherapy journal. Seven manuscripts are published in this issue. Five are clinical investigations – two concerning prostate cancer and three articles concerning cervical cancer, soft tissue sarcoma and base of tongue cancer. The other two are physics contributions. Manuscripts were send from USA (3), Sweden (1), Spain (2) and India (1). This show that our Journal is truly a global one.
We welcome Dr Sadiq R. Malik, MSBS, MS & PhD from Dhaka, Bangladesh as a new Co-Editor. Dr Malik worked for more than 40 years in USA and now started to organize Radiotherapy Department in his home country, Bangladesh. In accordance with his wishes, he will try to promote our Journal in South-East Asia. Now 70 scientists from 28 countries lead this Journal.
This issue of the Journal of Contemporary Brachytherapy consist of two parts: the first contains prepared manuscripts and the second – materials from recent “International HDR Brachytherapy Meeting”, organizing by IBt Bebig International Brachytherapy, which was held in Pattaya, Thailand, 18-20 February 2011. For the second time we publish materials from a scientific convention. We are open for a cooperation with any scientific society, a research team or a company which patronize a scientific meetings. You are most welcome to cooperate. Publishing of this materials does not mean in any matter a company preference.
Most of us will probably come to London, for GEC-ESTRO Meeting (07-12.05.2011). It will be a very special Meeting, connected with ESTRO 30th Anniversary. I think that it will be a good possibility to meet together and talk to each other about brachytherapy and his place in cancer treatment at all. We can discuss about improvement of our Journal and proposed detailed themes: contents, profiles, publishing house, finances, distribution, advertisement politics, cooperation with GEC-ESTRO, etc.
Interesting, but very controversial article was published in the “Washington Post” on February 28. For the second time in major American newspaper critical material about radiotherapy was published. It’s title: “Doctor-owned centers spark criticism, scrutiny”. The author (Michael Temchine from the Washington Post) describes how urologists try to treat prostate cancer using IMRT with connection of pathological funding procedures. They write that in the case of IMRT, critics argue that urologists are exploiting the allure of the latest therapy to profit from federal reimbursements and private insurance. One of the most famous radiotherapist, dr Peter D. Grimm, executive director of the Prostate Cancer Treatment Center in Seattle said: “I think it’s one of the biggest scandals in America today, do you want your dad going to somebody who has a very highly incentivized reason to give him one particular treatment that is not necessarily in his best interest?”. Author wrote: “Instead of referring their patients to independent radiation oncologists or hospitals, some urologists began to lease or buy IMRT facilities, which officials say can cost at least $3 million, and hire or partner with radiation oncologists. As a result, they can receive at least $30,000 and as much as $95,000 per patient for IMRT, compared with only about $1,500 to $7,000 for surgery or an older form of radiation known as brachytherapy, or radioactive “seeds,” according to Daniella Perlroth, an academic research associate at Stanford University’s Center for Health Policy/Primary Care and Outcomes Research”. Interesting, huh? This example shows how easily money can decide on the treatment of patients and not the curability or quality of life after treatment. And in Europe, we have a lot of problems with fair and effective financing of brachytherapy procedures. I recommend everyone see the article, it is easy to find on the internet.
I believe that with the great support of the members of the Editorial Board and our new readers the coming 2011 year will bring success to our Journal. I trust, that our constant effort to improve the scientific level of published articles will be noticed by the authors. Editorial Board will constantly work to improve the quality of the manuscripts printed in the Journal to meet the authors and readers expectations.
Sincerely yours,
Editor-in-Chief
Janusz Skowronek, MD, PhD, Ass. Prof.
