External Beam Radiotherapy News and Research

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External beam radiotherapy otherwise known as teletherapy, is the most frequently used form of radiotherapy. The patient sits or lies on a couch and an external source of radiation is pointed at a particular part of the body. Kilovoltage (also known as, superficial) x-rays are used for treating skin cancer and superficial structures. Megavoltage (or deep) X-rays are used to treat deep-seated tumours (eg bladder, bowel, prostate, lung, brain).

UWE Bristol signs up for latest version of simulated Eclipse Radiotherapy Treatment Planning System

The University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) is the first Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the UK to sign up for the very latest version of a powerful simulated Radiotherapy Treatment Planning System (RTPS), which has been futureproofed.

14 Aug 2015

Men who receive brachytherapy more likely to be cancer-free five years later

Results from a randomised controlled trial to compare the use of permanent radioactive implants (brachytherapy) with dose-escalated external beam radiotherapy in patients with prostate cancer show that the men who received brachytherapy were twice as likely to be cancer-free five years later.

27 Apr 2015

Prophage autologous cancer vaccine extends survival in patients with newly diagnosed GBM

Agenus Inc., announced final results from a single-arm, multi-institutional, open-label, Phase 2 study showing that patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) who received Agenus' Prophage autologous cancer vaccine added to the standard of care treatment, lived nearly twice as long as expected.

1 Jul 2014

Agenus' Prophage vaccine Phase 2 study hailed in Neuro-Oncology journal

Agenus Inc., a biotechnology company developing novel immune system activating treatments for cancers and infectious diseases, announced that Phase 2 results of Prophage G-200 vaccine in recurrent patients with glioblastoma multiforme were hailed as 'exciting' and a 'very promising therapy' in an editorial published in Neuro-Oncology, the leading journal of the Society of Neuro-Oncology.

21 Jan 2014

Neuro-Oncology publishes promising phase 2 results from Agenus’ brain cancer vaccine study

Agenus Inc., a biotechnology company developing novel immune system activating treatments for cancers and infectious diseases, today announced results published from a Phase 2 study demonstrated that more than 90% of the patients treated with Prophage Series G-200 were alive at six months after surgery and 30% were alive at twelve months.

17 Dec 2013

Targeted radiotherapy could offer viable alternative to current procedures for breast cancer

Two new studies, published in The Lancet and The Lancet Oncology, show that targeted radiotherapy delivered during surgery could offer a viable alternative to current procedures – which require women to attend daily radiotherapy sessions for weeks after surgery – for some women undergoing surgery for early breast cancer.

11 Nov 2013

Proton radiotherapy proves to be cost-effective in treating pediatric brain tumors

Proton therapy, an external beam radiotherapy in which protons deliver precise radiation doses to a tumor and spare healthy organs and tissues, is cost-effective in treating medulloblastomas, fast-growing brain tumors that mainly affect children, when compared to standard photon radiation therapy, according to research presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology's (ASTRO's) 55th Annual Meeting.

24 Sep 2013

Study: Image-guided brachytherapy prevents growth of cervical tumour in over 90% of patients

Two large, landmark radiotherapy studies have shown that it is possible to treat cervical cancer effectively with high doses specifically adapted to each tumour, and with fewer serious side-effects to the surrounding normal organs.

22 Apr 2013

Combination RT offers hope to late-stage esophageal cancer patients

Just over half of patients with advanced-stage esophageal cancer who are unsuitable for standard curative treatment survive for a year after receiving a combination of external beam radiotherapy and high-dose rate brachytherapy, report researchers.

7 Feb 2013

EMUC discusses current and future prospects in imaging for prostate cancer

At the 4th European Multidisciplinary Meeting on Urological Cancers (EMUC) held this weekend in Barcelona, Spain, specialists from radiology, urology, medical oncology and pathology said that new developments and research are already underway but benefits to patients would take some time due to the need for clinical trials, the high cost of funding research and the ability of cancer experts to efficiently take advantage of new insights and approaches, among other challenges.

19 Nov 2012

Radiotherapy protocol deviations: an interview with Dr Nitin Ohri

Radiotherapy is a key component of cancer therapy. A majority of cancer patients get radiotherapy in some form at some point in their disease course. It can be used in a curative setting or in a palliative setting.

12 Nov 2012

Genetic profile predicts postradiation erectile dysfunction

Scientists have identified a group of genetic markers that can predict the risk for erectile dysfunction after radiotherapy for prostate cancer.

1 Oct 2012

European Multidisciplinary Meeting on Urological Cancers to be held in Barcelona

With the goal to deliver an in-depth review of the latest multi-modal management strategies for urological cancers, the 4th European Multidisciplinary Meeting on Urological Cancers (EMUC) will be held from 16 to 18 November 2012 in Barcelona, Spain.

2 Jun 2012

European cancer experts report progress with promising new radiosurgical techniques

European cancer experts have reported their progress with promising new radiosurgical techniques for treating cancer and other conditions using new linear accelerator technology from Varian Medical Systems.

14 May 2012

German and Portuguese hospital first to use iCAD’s Xoft system in Europe

iCAD, Inc., an industry-leading provider of advanced image analysis, workflow solutions and radiation therapy for the early identification and treatment of cancer, announced the first European patients have been treated with the Xoft Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System.

11 May 2012

IGABT effective at controlling return and spread of cervical cancer

Delivering radiotherapy directly to cancer of the cervix using 3-D imaging techniques is effective at controlling the return and spread of the disease and, in most cases, avoids the need for hysterectomies, according to research presented at the World Congress of Brachytherapy today.

11 May 2012

Varian receives marketing approval for TrueBeam image-guided radiotherapy and radiosurgery system in Japan

Varian Medical Systems, Inc., the world's leading manufacturer of medical technology for treating cancer with radiotherapy, announced today it has received Shonin approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) to market the TrueBeam™ system for image-guided radiotherapy and radiosurgery in Japan.

15 Jun 2011

Leading cancer center to acquire GammaMed brachytherapy from Varian

Cancer patients in China will gain access to Varian's state-of-the-art cancer care with the announcement that a leading cancer center is acquiring a GammaMed brachytherapy afterloader from Varian Medical Systems.

17 Mar 2011

Insufficient evidence of interstitial brachytherapy's advantages for localized prostate cancer treatment

It remains an unresolved issue as to whether interstitial brachytherapy has advantages compared to other therapy options in men with localized prostate cancer, nor do newer studies provide proof in this respect. This is the result of a report published by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) on 11 January 2011.

12 Jan 2011

Calypso Medical to showcase FDA cleared Dynamic Edge Gating Technology at 52nd ASTRO

Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc., a developer of real-time localization technology used for the precise tracking of tumor targets, today announced it will showcase Dynamic Edge™ Gating Technology, recently cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), now underway at the San Diego Convention Center.

1 Nov 2010