Dr. Indelicato Given High Honor of Becoming an ASTRO Fellow
On Oct. 1, 2024, at the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s 66th Annual Meeting awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., Daniel Indelicato, MD, was officially recognized as an ASTRO Fellow (FASTRO). He was one of 48 members awarded this year, and one of only 498 Fellows since the program began in 2006. ASTRO Fellows are nominated by past Fellows.
Three other University of Florida faculty have been honored as ASTRO Fellows. They include the late Dr. Rodney Million in 2006, Dr. Nancy P. Mendenhall in 2016 and Dr. William M. Mendenhall also in 2016. All these UF faculty are recognized for their dedication to patient care and advancing the field of radiation oncology through their education and research.
Only one year ago, Dr. Indelicato was also awarded a prestigious Honorary Fellowship by the British Royal College of Radiologists in London. The Royal College of Radiologists, established in 1975, awards Honorary Fellowships to outstanding individuals who have made notable contributions to, or promoted the interests of, clinical radiology or clinical oncology. It is the highest honor that the College can bestow to a physician who trained outside the United Kingdom. Historically, very few individuals have the distinction of serving as a Fellow of both ASTRO and the Royal College. This recognition is a credit to the University of Florida, where Dr. Indelicato has spent his entire career.
Patient Care
Dr. Indelicato is affectionately known as Dr. Danny by the children he treats and their families. When he meets with families, he takes the time to connect with them, understand their concerns and recommend a treatment plan personalized for their child. During a very frightening time, Dr. Danny is honest with the family about what to expect during cancer treatment for their child and in the years to come.
One family shared, “We shall always be grateful for the care given by yourself and the team.”
Dr. Danny said, “It is so gratifying to hear from survivors treated at UF. Their resiliency is inspiring and a testament to their family support. It’s a special aspect of my job. There are some terribly sad days when you are a pediatric cancer doctor, but at the same time I have countless uplifting stories. And it’s important we share those stories— important to our current patients as well as the staff here at the center.”
Most notably, Dr. Danny always credits his entire pediatric cancer team when he receives any praise and acknowledgement from families. Together with the leadership of the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute, he has worked hard to develop a team approach to ensure that all the needs of a patient and their family are met throughout their care. “You can buy a cyclotron and treat children with protons, but to care for children with cancer, you need a team,” said Dr. Danny. This team includes:
- Pediatric radiation oncologists
- Pediatric clinical nurses
- Pediatric anesthesiology team
- Pediatric recovery room and pediatric recovery nurses
- Child Life Specialist
- Pediatric social worker
- Pediatric medical assistant
- Radiation therapists with pediatric experience
- Ronald McDonald House
- Wolfson Children’s Hospital
- Nemours Children’s Clinic
Research
Through years of research, Dr. Indelicato has helped refine the role of radiation for pediatric cancer patients. Our pediatric radiotherapy research program incorporates long-term clinical outcome studies in children and young adults. These studies are critical because they document and quantify a baseline for tumor control and adverse events in children requiring radiation. This allows for appropriate risk stratification and technology resource utilization. We have also used this data to develop empirical dose-effect models of organ-specific pediatric radiation tolerance. For example, in less than a decade, the brainstem radiation dose guidelines developed by UF have been adopted by 75% of pediatric radiation oncologists in the United States. Another research interest involves the study of proton therapy to decrease the late side effects of radiotherapy in children. Using data obtained in clinical outcome studies of pediatric patients treated with photon-based radiation, we have identified potential areas of improvement and applied this to the design of dosimetric and clinical studies involving proton therapy.
Education
As a tenured professor at UF, Dr. Indelicato is responsible for teaching our next generation of doctors about pediatric radiotherapy. These include radiation oncology residents at UF, Moffitt Cancer Center and Mayo Clinic Jacksonville all of whom spend at least three months at the Institute working with the pediatric proton therapy team. In 2011, Dr. Indelicato started an advanced training program for doctors who completed standard radiation oncology training and wished to further subspecialize in the care of children and adolescents. This year-long program has trained over a dozen doctors that have become global leaders in the subspecialty. He also serves as an oral board examiner for the American Board of Radiology.
The expertise of Dr. Indelicato doesn’t end outside the walls of the Institute in Jacksonville. He also holds leadership roles in the UF Department of Radiation Oncology as well as many national and international pediatric oncology groups, such as the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), American Board of Radiology (ABR) and the Pediatric Radiation Oncology Society (PROS). All these groups are dedicated to furthering research to improve the survival and quality of life outcomes for children with cancer.
Thank you, Dr. Danny, for your ongoing contributions to pediatric radiation oncology. The FASTRO honor is well deserved.
Read the news release of this prestigious honor for Dr. Indelicato's FASTRO designation from ASTRO.