Radiotherapy News and Research RSS Feed - Radiotherapy News and Research

Radiation therapy (in North America), or radiotherapy (in the UK and Australia) also called radiation oncology, and sometimes abbreviated to XRT, is the medical use of ionizing radiation as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells (not to be confused with radiology, the use of radiation in medical imaging and diagnosis).

Research suggests that IMRT may not be more effective in patients who had prostatectomy

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy has become the most commonly used type of radiation in prostate cancer, but research from the University of North Carolina suggests that the therapy may not be more effective than older, less expensive forms of radiation therapy in patients who have had a prostatectomy. [More]

No significant benefit differences between IMRT and CRT therapies after prostatectomy

Use of the newer, more expensive intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and use of the older conformal radiotherapy (CRT) after surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland were associated with similar morbidity and cancer control outcomes, according to a study published Online First by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. [More]
Researchers say that receiving cancer radiation therapy late in the day may minimize hair loss

Researchers say that receiving cancer radiation therapy late in the day may minimize hair loss

Discovering that mouse hair has a circadian clock - a 24-hour cycle of growth followed by restorative repair - researchers suspect that hair loss in humans from toxic cancer radiotherapy and chemotherapy might be minimized if these treatments are given late in the day. [More]
Researchers develop new mouse model to discover gene pathways that drive MPNST

Researchers develop new mouse model to discover gene pathways that drive MPNST

University of Minnesota Medical School researchers from the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, in partnership with the University's Brain Tumor Program, have developed a new mouse model of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors that allow them to discover new genes and gene pathways driving this type of cancer. [More]
Loss of Merlin protein leads to abnormal growth of tumours

Loss of Merlin protein leads to abnormal growth of tumours

A study led by researchers from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry has for the first time revealed how the loss of a particular tumour suppressing protein leads to the abnormal growth of tumours of the brain and nervous system. [More]
Bayer HealthCare to present new data on oncology portfolio at ASCO meeting

Bayer HealthCare to present new data on oncology portfolio at ASCO meeting

Bayer HealthCare announced today that new data on the oncology portfolio, including Nexavar (sorafenib) tablets, Stivarga (regorafenib) tablets and the recently U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved product Xofigo (radium Ra 223 dichloride) injection will be presented at the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, May 31 – June 4, in Chicago, IL (USA). [More]
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre signs research agreement to evaluate MRI-guided radiation therapy

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre signs research agreement to evaluate MRI-guided radiation therapy

Elekta and Royal Philips Electronics announced today that Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto, Canada) will join their growing consortium to validate the clinical potential of MRI-guided radiation therapy. [More]
Researchers discover novel mechanism of tumor hypoxia

Researchers discover novel mechanism of tumor hypoxia

An article published recently in Tumor Microenvironment and Therapy - an open access journal by Versita, defines a novel mechanism of tumor hypoxia induced by the longitudinal gradient of residual oxygen along tumor vessels as they transverse the tumor. [More]

New guidelines for radiation therapy after prostatectomy

Based on a major effort co-led by Richard Valicenti, UC Davis Department of Radiation Oncology Professor and Chair, the nation's leading urological and radiation oncology organizations today announced a new guideline for radiation therapy after prostatectomy. [More]

AUA and ASTRO release new guideline on adjuvant and salvage radiotherapy after prostatectomy

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and the American Urological Association (AUA) are pleased to announce the publication of the joint guideline on radiation therapy after prostatectomy for patients with and without evidence of prostate cancer recurrence. [More]

Tonsil resection prior to radiation improves survival

Performing tonsillectomy before radiotherapy in patients with stage I/II tonsil cancer is associated with improved survival, an analysis of US data indicates. [More]
Palliative radiotherapy for bone metastases can improve quality of life in elderly patients

Palliative radiotherapy for bone metastases can improve quality of life in elderly patients

Giving palliative radiotherapy to elderly patients with painful bone metastases can significantly improve their quality of life, a Dutch researcher told the 2nd Forum of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) today (Monday). [More]
Unavoidable damage to heart and lungs can be limited by using CVD drug

Unavoidable damage to heart and lungs can be limited by using CVD drug

Unavoidable damage caused to the heart and lungs by radiotherapy treatment of tumours in the chest region can be limited by the administration of an ACE inhibitor, a drug commonly used in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, a group of Dutch researchers have found. [More]
NKI-AVL joins research consortium to develop MRI-guided radiation therapy system for cancer care

NKI-AVL joins research consortium to develop MRI-guided radiation therapy system for cancer care

Elekta and Royal Philips Electronics announced today that The Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital has signed an agreement to join a research group to advance the development of ground-breaking image-guided treatment technology for cancer care. [More]

IMRT gives better results in patients with early breast cancer

Intensity modulated radiotherapy gives better results than standard radiotherapy in patients with early breast cancer, according to results from a randomised trial presented today (Sunday) to the 2nd Forum of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology. [More]

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. [More]
Synta completes GALAXY-2 trial evaluating ganetespib inhibitor in non-small cell lung cance

Synta completes GALAXY-2 trial evaluating ganetespib inhibitor in non-small cell lung cance

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. announced today that the first patients have been treated in the randomized GALAXY-2 Phase 3 trial designed to evaluate docetaxel plus ganetespib, its investigational Hsp90 inhibitor, versus docetaxel alone for the second-line treatment of non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma. [More]
Indoor tanning increases risk of non-melanoma skin cancer

Indoor tanning increases risk of non-melanoma skin cancer

The widespread liking for sunbeds continues to place a huge amount of individuals at risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancer. [More]

IMRT reduces feelings of dry mouth in patients with head and neck cancers

Geneva, Switzerland: Researchers have shown for the first time that it is possible to reduce the distressing symptoms of dry mouth in patients treated with radiotherapy for head and neck cancers if the radiation dose to a salivary gland (called the submandibular gland) on the opposite side to the tumour is kept to the minimum. [More]

Study shows brachytherapy is underused in the UK

Better outcomes can be achieved for prostate cancer patients using brachytherapy, a highly targeted form of radiotherapy, compared to surgery - this is the finding of a new study conducted by PANAXEA, The University of Twente, Netherlands. [More]