Mack Roach, III, MD, FASTRO '75, has been chosen by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) to receive its 2024 Gold Medal Award. Roach is being recognized with ASTRO’s highest honor for his outstanding contributions to the field of radiation oncology.
Roach is a radiation oncologist, UCSF professor of a Radiation Oncology, and Urology, and an internationally renowned expert on treating and managing prostate cancer. Roach's major research interest involves new techniques for treating prostate cancer, such as three-dimensional (3D) conformal radiation therapy and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). His achievements in devising predictive equations and leading significant phase III trials in prostate cancer have positioned him as a key figure in the field with a profound impact on patient treatment protocols. Roach is also considered a foremost authority in disparities in outcomes from cancer treatment in underserved populations.
He has gained recognition as an authority on treatment planning for prostate cancer and served as senior author for the guidelines for treatment planning by the American College of Radiology. He has begun to pioneer intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), in combination with Online Portal Imaging, and improved dose calculation algorithms that should allow UCSF Radiation Oncology to provide leadership in the field of radiotherapy for many years to come.
"This award is an incredible honor and I thank ASTRO for recognizing the work I have been involved with in treatment, research and heath equity,” said Roach. “I also want to thank my colleagues and my inspiring patients who provide the strongest motivation for advancing our field."