July 2024
Greetings from the KASTRO organizing committee,
I can't believe we are approaching the 2024 KASTRO annual meeting already.
2023 was a GREAT year for KASTRO!
Our annual 2023 KASTRO event in San Diego was a huge success with over 80 in attendance!
KASTRO / KOSRO jointly proposed an educational symposium for ASTRO 2024 with tremendous efforts of our Scientific Chair (Henry Park) and KOSRO Scientific Chair (Jun Won Kim at Yonsei). Although ASTRO didn't accept our proposal this year, it sets a strong foundation for collaborative efforts in the future.
We also held our very first KASTRO Dynamic Wedge golf tournament at Torrey Pines in San Diego where ~60 players participated. The turnout and post-tournament reviews were amazing! It certainly raised the KASTRO brand within the radiation oncology society both in the U.S. and internationally.
Our leadership team is also growing. We have added several new roles including, Public Relations Chair (Joseph Kim), Social Chair (Robert Kwon), and finally increased Resident Representatives to 2 members (Hye Ri Han, Patrick Oh). Also, on 5/20/2024, Our Secretary Anna Lee gave birth to future KASTRO member, Lina. Huge congrats to Anna and her family!
This year our annual KASTRO meeting will be at Saint Yves (1220 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036) and the rumor is that there will be catered Korean food! Also, the 2nd annual KASTRO Dynamic Wedge golf tournament will be held at the Army Navy Country Club (1700 Army Navy Dr, Arlington, VA 22202). Please refer to www.x.com/koreanastro for pictures from last year's annual event and golf tournament.
*HUGE HUGE thanks to Bobby Hong, who organized the golf tournament and venue for our annual meeting!
Finally, we are at a pivotal point in which we have the potential to further raise our profile in radiation oncology and grow our society in many directions. Our relationship with KOSRO is the strongest ever. Our society’s brand recognition is the strongest ever. We need to continue to add new programs, events, and awards, as well as to explore options to add more members. To this end, we need your generous support as well as donations.
Please pay your dues and support KASTRO through donations: https://www.koreanastro.org/membership
We are only limited by our imagination and our will to act. We look forward to any feedback or ideas to grow KASTRO together.
We look forward to meeting all of you at 2024 KASTRO!
Best,
Yong Cha
Newsletter Contents
KASTRO 2023 Recap
KASTRO 2024 Registration
Resident/Fellow Abstract Award is open for submissions
2nd Annual Dynamic Wedge Golf Tournament is open for registration
KOSRO 2024 Annual Meeting
Membership Dues
Connect with us
New Members
Job Opportunities
KASTRO Leadership 2024
KASTRO 2023 Recap
The 2023 KASTRO Annual Meeting was a great success, held on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at Parq in San Diego, CA. We had welcome remarks from KASTRO President Dr Nathan Kim and KOSRO President Dr Hong-Gyun Wu, followed by a great Varian sponsored session presented by Dr Sushil Beriwal. Then, our new KASTRO Scientific Chair Dr Henry Park and Dr Nathan Kim introduced our educational program.
Congratulations to the 2023 KOSRO/KASTRO Research Grant Award winner Dr Hye In Lee (Clinical Fellow, Asan Medical Center, Seoul) for “Relationships between Microbiome and Response to Chemoradiotherapy in Rectal Cancer.” Dr Lee received support to come present at the KASTRO annual meeting.
Congratulations also to the 2023 Robert Y. Kim MD Annual US Resident/Fellow Research Grant Award winner Dr Jongmyung Kim (PGY5 resident, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Jersey) for “Comprehensive Genomic Analysis Stratified by KRAS status in Patients with Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma and Its Prognostic Significance.”
Finally, congratulations to the KASTRO/KOSRO Research Grant Award winner Dr Aaron Seo (PGY4, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas) on “HPV Circulating Cell-Free DNA Kinetics in Cervical Cancer Patients Undergoing Definitive Chemoradiation.” He received support to present at the 2023 KOSRO Annual Meeting in Seoul.
The inaugural KASTRO Lifetime Achievement Award was introduced by Dr Nathan Kim, presented by the Immediate Past President Dr Isabelle Choi to Dr Chul S Ha (Professor and Chair Emeritus, UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson, Texas). After closing remarks, many enjoyed the post-dinner gathering.
KASTRO 2024 Registration
The upcoming KASTRO Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 6 pm at Saint Yves (1220 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC). Tremendous thanks to Dr Bobby Hong and Treasurer Dr Stella Yoo for coordinating this event. At the meeting, we will again announce the winners of our annual abstract competition and allow them the opportunity to present the novel research being performed by our young members. We will also provide updates on new initiatives being undertaken and other new developments. Please make sure that your Membership is up to date (https://www.koreanastro.org/membership). We hope to see all of you there!
RSVP is now open: https://forms.gle/LgjHy5kTiseBzsqt7
Resident/Fellow Research Award is open for submissions
The KASTRO Resident/Fellow Research Awards have an impressive history, since 1988 for Korean graduates and since 1995 for US graduates. View some of our past winners here (https://www.koreanastro.org/research-awards). If you know of any winners not listed on the website, please let us know. The KASTRO and KOSRO Research Awards are made possible by the generous support of KASTRO members; you can support this and other KASTRO educational initiatives by making a tax-deductible donation (https://www.koreanastro.org/membership).
We invite submissions of abstracts for the 2024 KASTRO Robert Y. Kim MD Research Award. This award will annually support a U.S. resident with $1,000 towards travel expenses to the 2004 ASTRO/KASTRO meeting. The recipient will present the chosen abstract at the KASTRO dinner meeting on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 6 pm at Saint Yves in Washington, DC. Applicants must commit to presenting this work at KASTRO in-person. The funds and certificate will be awarded immediately after the presentation is delivered.
We also invite submissions of abstracts for the 2024 KASTRO-KOSRO Research Award. This award will annually support a U.S. resident with $2,000 towards travel expenses to the 2024 KOSRO meeting as well as a certificate. The recipient will present the chosen abstract at the KOSRO dinner meeting on Friday, October 11, 2024, in Seoul, Korea (http://www.kosro.or.kr). Applicants must commit to presenting this work at KOSRO in-person. The funds and certificate will be awarded immediately after the presentation is delivered.
Eligibility for the annual resident/fellow research awards: A resident physician (MD or DO) or fellow (MD or DO) of Korean ancestry currently in a radiation oncology training program in the United States. MD/DO students applying to radiation oncology can also be considered. Physicians who completed radiation oncology residency training in the United States before 6/30/24 are still eligible if the work was completed during residency or fellowship training. The abstract should have been accepted for presentation (oral or poster) at the 2024 ASTRO meeting, and the applicant should be the first author.
Please submit your abstract using the web form by Friday, July 31, 2024: https://www.koreanastro.org/research-awards
1st Annual Dynamic Wedge Golf Tournament Recap
KASTRO held 1st Dynamic Wedge Golf tournament at renowned Torrey Pines Golf course in San Diego on 10/1/2023. We had close to 50 participants from KASTRO, KOSRO, and ASTRO, including ASTRO president elect Dr Sameer Keole. Special thanks for Dr Loren Mell from UCSD who helped organize the event!
The Winners were our own KASTRO member, Dr Robert Kwon, as well as Dr Eugene Ahn, Dr Michael Sattasiri, and Dr Robert Vontama. For their efforts, they received a winning plaque and gift certificate. We look forward to having them back for future tournament!
Thank you to all the participants and we look forward to having them back this year for 2nd Dynamic Wedge Golf Tournament.
2nd Annual Dynamic Wedge Golf Tournament is open for registration
KASTRO has a long history (https://www.koreanastro.org/news/kastro-meeting-1997) of getting together to play golf at ASTRO meetings. This year, we are excited to announce the 2nd Annual Dynamic Wedge Golf Tournament is now open for registration! This event would not be possible without help from Dr Bobby Hong. The $300 registration fee includes 18 holes at Army Navy Country Club includes cart fees and prizes – register by 8/1/24 for a discounted rate of $260! Club rentals are extremely limited and first-come-first-served. Limited spots available for purchase online (https://www.koreanastro.org/golf-2024).
KOSRO 2024 Annual Meeting
The KOSRO Annual Meeting will be held on Friday, October 11, 2024, in Seoul, Korea. Their website will show instructions for submitting abstracts soon. Please contact Dr Yong Cha with any questions.
KOSRO: http://www.kosro.or.kr
Membership Dues
We would like to invite you to pay your annual KASTRO membership 2024 dues of $150 before ASTRO begins ($175 after the KASTRO Annual Meeting begins).
Your membership dues will help support the KASTRO program and KASTRO Research Awards. We can all fondly remember our days as radiation oncology residents, and this is an important way for each of us to continue to foster our relationship with the next generation. KASTRO does not charge radiation oncology residents a membership fee due to the generosity of its members.
Over the years, KASTRO has been an excellent organization in providing scholarships to deserving U.S. and Korean residents, mentorship of residents and young attending physicians, and fostering fellowship among the Korean radiation oncology community. It is a unique organization that has served its members well. We look forward to making this organization grow and continuing to meet the needs of its members.
You can pay your dues online (https://www.koreanastro.org/membership). You could also bring a check for the annual dues to the KASTRO dinner. If you need to mail a check, need a receipt for tax purposes, or have any other questions regarding dues payments, please email Dr Stella Yoo stella.yoo@med.usc.edu.
Membership Dues
Residents, fellows, medical students: Free
Member: $150 (tax deductible) prior to the beginning of the 2024 KASTRO Annual Meeting; $175 after September 28, 2024
Board Member and Executive Committee Members: $200 (tax deductible)
Donations: flexible (tax deductible)
https://www.koreanastro.org/membership
Connect with us
KoreanASTRO is on X/Twitter. Follow us and we can follow you back and help to amplify the voices of KASTRO members! https://twitter.com/KoreanASTRO
We’re also still on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/groups/koreanastro
New Members
Please continue to tell your colleagues and trainees about KASTRO and our upcoming Annual Meeting! If you have graduated or moved to a new job, please submit an update using the Registration form here: https://www.koreanastro.org/membership with your new information.
Job Opportunities
One of the primary missions of KASTRO is to provide a network of support for our residents and attendings throughout their career journeys. To this end, if you are aware of any available job positions, please email Dr Ellen Kim at ekim64@bwh.harvard.edu for distribution to the appropriate list.
KASTRO Leadership 2024
President Yong Cha, MD
Vice President Nathan Kim, MD
Secretary Anna Lee, MD
Treasurer Stella Yoo, MD
Membership Director & Webmaster Ellen Kim, MD
Public Relations Chair Joseph Kim, MD
Scientific Chair Henry Park, MD
*Resident Representatives Hye Ri Han, MD, & Patrick Oh, MD
*Social Chair Robert Kwon, MD
*New positions: Please welcome Drs Hye Ri Han, Patrick Oh, and Robert Kwon to our leadership team 2024!
The 2024 Leadership Team would like to express sincere gratitude to our Board of Directors and Executive Committee for your service to KASTRO!
Board of Directors
Chung-Taik Chung
Seung Shin Hahn
Robert Y. Kim
Chul S. Ha
Hak Choy
Joseph Song
Young Chan Ahn (ex-officio member)
Executive Committee
Isabelle Choi
John Suh
Sung Kim
Sara Kim
Song Chu Arthur Ko
Julia Oh
Song Kang (nominating committee chair)
Hak Choy
Joseph Song
Song Chu Arthur Ko