The Role of the Radiation Oncologist in Systemic Therapy - an Australian and New Zealand Perspective

There has been considerable recent interest in radiation oncologists becoming more involved in prescribing systemic therapy. Radiation oncology and medical oncology have been very distinct disciplines with little overlap in Australia and New Zealand. However, the Faculty of Radiation Oncology identified systemic therapy as a priority to be investigated. The subsequent workforce survey in 2010 found that although the majority of radiation oncologists and trainees were not interested in becoming more involved in systemic therapy, there was still considerable interest. This manuscript identifies the key issues to consider if radiation oncologists are contemplating being more involved with systemic therapy.