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.

Five physicians receive ASTRO research grants to promote advancement of radiation therapy

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has awarded five physicians with research grants to promote the continued advancement of radiation therapy-the Junior Faculty Career Research Training Award and the Residents/Fellows in Radiation Oncology Research Seed Grant Award. Recipients were selected by ASTRO's Research Evaluation Committee.

28 Jul 2012

Short-course palliative RT shows promise

A 2-day course of three-dimensional radiotherapy delivered in twice-daily fractions up to 18 Gy resulted in no dose-limiting toxicities, and high rates of symptom relief in patient with pelvic cancer, especially those with bleeding, report researchers.

26 Jul 2012

Virginia Hospital Center offers new Calypso System for patients with prostate cancer

Virginia Hospital Center is among the few hospitals along the east coast to offer the new Calypso® System featuring GPS for the Body technology and Beacon electromagnetic transponders for patients with certain types of cancer.

26 Jul 2012

Bioniche receives U.S. and Canadian approval for first of two canine oncology products

Bioniche Life Sciences Inc., a research-based, technology-driven Canadian biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the first of two canine oncology products has received approval by regulators in both the U.S. and Canada.

24 Jul 2012

Book details minimum recommended guidelines for radiation oncology practices

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is proud to announce the publication of Safety is No Accident: A Framework for Quality Radiation Oncology and Care, a comprehensive book detailing minimum recommended guidelines for radiation oncology practices.

19 Jul 2012

UCSF Medical Center acquires BSD-2000 Hyperthermia System

BSD Medical Corporation announced today that the prestigious University of California San Francisco Medical Center (UCSF Medical Center) has purchased a BSD-2000 Hyperthermia System (BSD-2000).

19 Jul 2012

MSU nursing researcher’s Wii-Fit program helps lung cancer patients reduce fatigue

With the support of a $379,741 grant from the National Cancer Institute and the Nintendo Wii game system, nursing researcher Amy Hoffman aims to help lung cancer patients reduce fatigue and get more exercise as they transition from the hospital to the home after surgery.

17 Jul 2012

NOXXON commences Spiegelmer NOX-A12 Phase IIa trial in CLL

NOXXON Pharma today announced the treatment of the first cohort of three chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients in a Phase IIa clinical trial of its NOX-A12 anti-CXCL12/SDF-1 (CXC Chemokine Ligand 12 / Stromal Cell-Derived Factor-1) Spiegelmer.

12 Jul 2012

UMHC acquires MicroThermX Microwave Ablation System

BSD Medical Corporation, a leading provider of medical systems that utilize heat therapy to treat cancer, announced today that the Company has sold a MicroThermX Microwave Ablation System to the University of Miami Hospital and Clinics to include the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and the University of Miami Hospital.

9 Jul 2012

Novel treatment for cancer based on protein from HIV-1 virus

Yissum, Research and Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, introduces a novel method for treating cancer based on Vif, a protein isolated from the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1). The method was invented by Professor Emeritus Moshe Kotler and Dr. Roni Nowarski from the Department of Immunology and Cancer Research at the Hebrew University.

9 Jul 2012

New optical microscope identifies rare breast cancer cells

The ability to distinguish and isolate rare cells from among a large population of assorted cells has become increasingly important for the early detection of disease and for monitoring disease treatments.

7 Jul 2012

NewYork-Presbyterian/WCMC first in N.Y. City to offer INTRABEAM radiotherapy

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center is the first and only hospital in the five boroughs of New York City to offer women with early stage breast cancer INTRABEAM radiotherapy, an innovative radiation treatment delivered in a single dose at the time of surgery.

6 Jul 2012

The Center for Cancer Support and Education in Arlington to receive $10,000 ASTRO grant

As part of an initiative to give back to cancer communities in the cities visited during its annual scientific meetings, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is recognizing The Center for Cancer Support and Education (The Center) in Arlington, Mass., for its efforts to empower and support people touched by cancer, their caregivers and loved ones.

6 Jul 2012

Single dose breast cancer treatment helps forego 6-7 week radiation regimen

5 Jul 2012

EMR improves physicians' compliance with portal image review

The use of an electronic medical record (EMR) for reviewing portal images dramatically improves compliance with timeliness and record keeping, according to a study in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

3 Jul 2012

Prostate cancer patients with CVD are 52% more likely to regret their treatment choices

Prostate cancer patients with cardiovascular disease were 52 per cent more likely to regret their treatment choices than men without problems with their heart or veins, according to a study published in the July issue of the urology journal BJUI International.

3 Jul 2012

SAMFund, ASTRO partner to raise awareness of cancer survivorship issues

As part of an initiative to give back to the cancer communities in the cities visited during its annual scientific meetings, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is partnering with the Surviving And Moving Forward: The SAMFund for Young Adult Survivors of Cancer to raise awareness of cancer survivorship issues.

3 Jul 2012

Prostate Cancer Center of New Jersey earns ACR-ASTRO accreditation in radiation oncology

The Prostate Cancer Center of New Jersey, a partnership between AKSM/Oncology and the Urology Group of New Jersey (UGNJ), is the latest in a rapidly growing list of prostate-only treatment centers to earn the high honor of a three-year term of accreditation in radiation oncology.

2 Jul 2012

Sosei completes SO-1105 Phase I trial for oropharyngeal candidiasis in Japan

Sosei Group Corporation, the biopharmaceutical company, today announces that its wholly owned Japanese subsidiary, Sosei Co., Ltd., has successfully completed a Japanese Phase I trial for SO-1105 for the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis.

2 Jul 2012

Blocking AXL protein may prevent resistance to lung cancer drug

People with lung cancer who are treated with the drug Tarceva face a daunting uncertainty: although their tumors may initially shrink, it's not a question of whether their cancer will return—it's a question of when. And for far too many, it happens far too soon.

2 Jul 2012