ASTRO 2016

[OTN]

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I wasn't able to make it this year...any interesting data? Anything practice-changing? I'm seeing lobster rolls on my academic friends' facebook pages but haven't heard much about new data coming out.

 

[RadOncDoc21]

I saw a newsfeed on hypofx for Stage II and III NSCLC. Based on my limited review it's safe and just as effective as standard fx.

 

[thesauce]

I did hear a rumor that a particular company (to remain unnamed and unnumbered) was on their way out. Anyone else hear this?

 

[OTN]

I saw a newsfeed on hypofx for Stage II and III NSCLC. Based on my limited review it's safe and just as effective as standard fx.

Saw that- for patients who couldn't receive concurrent chemo.

 

[scarbrtj]

I did hear a rumor that a particular company (to remain unnamed and unnumbered) was on their way out. Anyone else hear this?

who?

 

[OTN]

who?

The only company I can think of with both a name and number would be 21st Century

 

[medgator]

The only company I can think of with both a name and number would be 21st Century

Wouldn't be surprised. I believe they cancelled an ipo a few years ago because they had too much debt, plus there have been several high profile Medicare settlements in the tens of millions in both 21C rad onc and urology in the last couple of years

 

[scarbrtj]

21st Century on their way out??? That seems inconceivable. As a company they do nearly $1 billion per year in business. The DoJ (not Medicare) settlements were sort of a "price of doing business." The last one for ~$35 million involved billing basic dosimetry calculations for every field on a weekly or daily basis. As a part of the settlement, they are still allowed to do this. So. But they had a huge data breach this year and evidently a large class action lawsuit is bearing down. But hasn't it always been sort of weird that the action of a doctor seeing and talking to and treating a patient is a commodity in which one can invest??? I saw where some Canadian Pension fund had bought a lot of shares in 21st Century. It's naked commoditization of the doctor/patient relationship... and it's legal! Amazing.

 

[medicinewoman101]

I didn't hear that about 21C. For what they did to a patient with metastatic disease who I later saw for whole brain I have a hard time feeling bad for them. What would happen to their facilities

 

[Fpg1245]

Spoke to a few PGY 5 colleagues at a few programs. They went for the ASTRO interviews of course. Both described it as a pretty tight job market. No news there. Both did not have geographic constraints and yet they were very anxious about the whole process. My chief actually told said to me "IF I could do it all over again, I would not have picked this field at all. It's a dead end". He's an intelligent man and yet to hear him say that was disheartening to say the least. I have faith he will find a job but hell if he knows where or under what terms. He said about 30 apps/spot. I have no frame of reference if that's worse,better, or the same as in years past.

 

[CaesarRO]

Spoke to a few PGY 5 colleagues at a few programs. They went for the ASTRO interviews of course. Both described it as a pretty tight job market. No news there. Both did not have geographic constraints and yet they were very anxious about the whole process. My chief actually told said to me "IF I could do it all over again, I would not have picked this field at all. It's a dead end". He's an intelligent man and yet to hear him say that was disheartening to say the least. I have faith he will find a job but hell if he knows where or under what terms. He said about 30 apps/spot. I have no frame of reference if that's worse,better, or the same as in years past.

Sounds a lot like when applying to residency. Lots of nerves going through the process, constantly comparing yourself to the stellar applicants out there and wondering how you'd compare, and then it works in the end.

Is hard to generalize from anecdotes of people in the process of applying.

 

[Mandelin Rain]

I didn't hear that about 21C. For what they did to a patient with metastatic disease who I later saw for whole brain I have a hard time feeling bad for them. What would happen to their facilities

I'm sure nearby academic institutions would be licking their chops at the idea of liquidated centers at quarters on the dollar. Of course, then we'll need more residents.

 

[Mandelin Rain]

Also, if this is true... ASTRO wins.

 

[radiaterMike]

21c had a nice fancy exhibit at ASTRO (not sure why they do that every year) so can't be in too much financial trouble.


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[radiadouken]

Yeah, CEO transition was announced a couple of weeks ago: https://www.21co.com/press-releases/2016-09-09 william spaulding president announcement

 

[domestique]

21c turned to the Canadian pension fund after the IPO fell apart. In the end I think they were very lucky the IPO fell apart because it would have been a very ugly event for them had it gone forward. In the end they got a lot of dumb money, and now they don't have to comply with the regulations of a publicly traded company. I don't think they are going anywhere at least in the near future even though they are very highly levered, more than I would be comfortable with if I were running the company.

Also, no individual person's experience can really reflect much on the national job market but I did ~12 interviews at ASTRO as well as 2 onsite interviews before ASTRO. The job market seems fine if you aren't highly restricted geographically but obviously I can't speak to what the experience was like 5 - 10 years ago . . .