Radiation Therapy News and Research

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Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy, x-ray therapy, or irradiation) is the use of a certain type of energy (called ionizing radiation) to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy injures or destroys cells in the area being treated (the “target tissue”) by damaging their genetic material, making it impossible for these cells to continue to grow and divide. Although radiation damages both cancer cells and normal cells, most normal cells can recover from the effects of radiation and function properly. The goal of radiation therapy is to damage as many cancer cells as possible, while limiting harm to nearby healthy tissue.

$15 million NCI grant awarded to investigate a type of radiation therapy for hard-to-treat cancers

The Radiopharmaceutical Therapy and Dosimetry Lab at Johns Hopkins Medicine, headed by George Sgouros, Ph.D., has been awarded a $15 million grant, to be dispersed over the next five years, from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

28 Dec 2023

Unlocking radiation resistance: Missing protein key to suppressing cancer-fighting cells

A new study finds that radiation therapy (RT) suppresses a key protein called bone morphogenetic protein and activin membrane-bound inhibitor (BAMBI) and activates immune suppressive cells.

15 Dec 2023

New advance in the development of a test for early diagnosis of cancer

Blood cells reveal tumors in the body. Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute achieve an advance with the development of a test for early diagnosis of cancer.

14 Dec 2023

Lymphatic fluid from surgical drains could inform more precise treatments for head and neck cancer

Lymphatic fluid from surgical drains, which is usually tossed in the trash, is a treasure in the hands of University of Pittsburgh and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis researchers who found that this liquid could inform more precise treatments for patients with head and neck cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).

11 Dec 2023

Unmasking the culprits behind long-term arm problems in breast cancer patients

A new review paper was published in Oncotarget's Volume 14 on December 1, 2023, entitled, "Risk factors for long-term arm morbidities following breast cancer treatments: A systematic review."

11 Dec 2023

Study reveals genetic roots of hodgkin lymphoma, offering hope for new treatments

A Stanford Medicine-led, international study of hundreds of samples from patients with Hodgkin lymphoma has shown that levels of tumor DNA circulating in their blood can identify who is responding well to treatment and others who are likely to experience a disease recurrence -; potentially letting some patients who are predicted to have favorable outcomes forgo lengthy treatment.

11 Dec 2023

Study finds promising new approach to treating locally advanced pancreatic cancer

A new Phase Ib/II study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Moffitt Cancer Center found that combining sensitizing drugs with a specific form of radiation therapy may be more effective in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer, yielding a higher progression-free survival (PFS) and overall response rate (ORR).

28 Nov 2023

Radiation therapy could improve cardiac function in heart failure

Cardiologists and radiation oncologists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis pioneered the use of radiation therapy -; a strategy typically used against cancer -; to treat patients with a life-threatening abnormal heart rhythm called ventricular tachycardia.

28 Nov 2023

Pioneering collaboration aims to fight against pancreatic cancer

In a significant global initiative coinciding with World Pancreatic Cancer Day on Thursday, November 16, the soon-to-launch Botton-Champalimaud Pancreatic Cancer Centre in Portugal, in partnership with the Jreissati Pancreatic Centre at Epworth in Australia and the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre - Pancreatic Cancer Programme in the United Kingdom, announces a pioneering collaboration.

17 Nov 2023

Researchers discover genetic mechanism behind pancreatic cancer metastasis

Pancreatic cancer is tricky to manage because it spreads easily and early, and the tumors have a unique biological makeup.

15 Nov 2023

UCI researchers discover gene critical for muscle repair

University of California, Irvine researchers have identified a gene expressed during regeneration that is critical for muscle repair.

12 Nov 2023

AI-powered radiation therapy revolutionizes cancer treatment at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital

Patients undergoing radiation therapy for certain types of cancer at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital are among the first in the country with access to a cutting-edge treatment system that increases accuracy and precision, enhances patient comfort, and minimizes side effects.

8 Nov 2023

Synthetic melanin cream heals skin damage and promotes repair

Imagine a skin cream that heals damage occurring throughout the day when your skin is exposed to sunlight or environmental toxins.

2 Nov 2023

New course of treatment with existing drugs for cervical cancer reduces risk of death by 35%

A course of treatment with existing drugs prior to chemoradiation led to a 35% reduction in the risk of death or return of cancer, in trial results presented by researchers from UCL and UCLH.

25 Oct 2023

Short course of induction chemotherapy can reduce cervical cancer relapse and death by 35%

The INTERLACE phase III trial, funded by Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre, assessed whether a short course of induction chemotherapy (IC) prior to chemoradiation (CRT) could reduce the rate of relapse and death among patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.

22 Oct 2023

Lactate-producing intratumoral bacteria drive resistance to radiation therapy

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that lactate-producing intratumoral bacteria drives resistance to radiation therapy, suggesting that lactic acid-producing bacteria present in various cancers may serve as novel therapeutic targets.

19 Oct 2023

Scientists identify two promising new treatment options for men with recurrent prostate cancer

Cedars-Sinai Cancer investigators have identified two promising new treatment options for men with recurrent prostate cancer-; both of which helped patients live longer without their disease progressing than the current standard treatment.

18 Oct 2023

Novel MRI metric predicts late genitourinary toxicity after prostate cancer treatment

A new Corewell Health study suggests that men who have longer prostatic urethras, the part of the urethra that travels through the prostate, may be at a higher risk of experiencing moderate, often chronic urinary side effects after receiving radiation for prostate cancer.

18 Oct 2023

Lung chip model offers new insights into how radiation damages the lungs

The lung is one of the tissues most sensitive to radiation in the human body. People exposed to high radiation doses following nuclear incidents develop radiation-induced lung injury (RILI), which affects the function of many cell types in the lung, causing acute and sustained inflammation, and in the longer term, the thickening and scarring of lung tissue known as fibrosis.

17 Oct 2023

Tumor debulking does not impact quality of life in metastatic colorectal cancer, study finds

New research in the October 2023 issue of JNCCN-;Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds that intensive local-regional treatment to remove as much tumor as possible (known as "debulking"), in addition to standard systemic therapy, does not impact overall quality of life significantly for people with metastatic colorectal cancer.

13 Oct 2023

Radiation Therapy News and Research

Further Reading

$15 million NCI grant awarded to investigate a type of radiation therapy for hard-to-treat cancers

Unlocking radiation resistance: Missing protein key to suppressing cancer-fighting cells

New advance in the development of a test for early diagnosis of cancer

Lymphatic fluid from surgical drains could inform more precise treatments for head and neck cancer

Unmasking the culprits behind long-term arm problems in breast cancer patients

Study reveals genetic roots of hodgkin lymphoma, offering hope for new treatments

Study finds promising new approach to treating locally advanced pancreatic cancer

Radiation therapy could improve cardiac function in heart failure

Pioneering collaboration aims to fight against pancreatic cancer

Researchers discover genetic mechanism behind pancreatic cancer metastasis

UCI researchers discover gene critical for muscle repair

AI-powered radiation therapy revolutionizes cancer treatment at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital

Synthetic melanin cream heals skin damage and promotes repair

New course of treatment with existing drugs for cervical cancer reduces risk of death by 35%

Short course of induction chemotherapy can reduce cervical cancer relapse and death by 35%

Lactate-producing intratumoral bacteria drive resistance to radiation therapy

Scientists identify two promising new treatment options for men with recurrent prostate cancer

Novel MRI metric predicts late genitourinary toxicity after prostate cancer treatment

Lung chip model offers new insights into how radiation damages the lungs

Tumor debulking does not impact quality of life in metastatic colorectal cancer, study finds

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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