ASTRO recognized with three 2014 MarCom Awards

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) received three 2014 MarCom Awards. MarCom Awards were presented to ASTRO for the Summer 2014 issue of ASTROnews, the RO-ILS: Radiation Oncology Incident Learning SystemTM marketing campaign and the most recent edition of the Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer patient brochure.

The MarCom Awards, administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals, is an international creative competition recognizing outstanding achievement by marketing and communication professionals. More than 6,500 entries from the United States, Canada and 15 other countries participated in the 2014 competition.

The Summer 2014 issue of ASTROnews received a Gold MarCom Award in the Magazine/Association category. This issue focused on patient safety and included special features on APEx: Accreditation Program for Excellence, RO-ILS, the importance of peer review in radiation oncology and how international standards impact patient safety.

The RO-ILS marketing campaign received a Gold MarCom Award in the Marketing/Promotional Campaign category. The submitted campaign included promotional ads in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics, ASTRO's official scientific journal; two marketing postcards sent to members and used to promote RO-ILS during meetings and other events; and the RO-ILS brochure, which includes information on how to participate in RO-ILS.

The Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer patient brochure received an Honorable Mention in the Brochure/Educational category. This brochure was updated in June with a new look and size and expanded content that includes elements of ASTRO's Choosing Wisely® list of "Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question," a national initiative of the ABIM Foundation that aims to promote conversations between patients and providers about appropriate care. ASTRO's patients brochures, including Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer, are available on RTAnswers.org.

"ASTRO is honored to have our work recognized with these three MarCom Awards," said Laura Thevenot, ASTRO CEO. "These publications, promotional materials and patient brochures are an integral part of our continued work to keep our members informed of important programs, initiatives and research that can help them provide the best and most appropriate care to cancer patients."