Radiotherapy News and Research

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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).

OncoGenex commences enrollment in OGX-427 Phase II trial for bladder cancer

OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has initiated patient enrollment in a randomized, Phase II clinical trial evaluating OGX-427, an inhibitor of heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27), in patients with advanced bladder cancer.

21 Oct 2011

RAZCER (Rapid Astrazeneca and CARO Evaluation of Radio-modifiers) awards announced - five Canadians win

Five leading Canadian radiation oncologists receive RAZCER Awards of $22,727 each for novel studies of radiation-drug interactions that have the potential to either protect normal tissues or sensitize tumours, and thus to enhance the effectiveness of radiation therapy for cancer patients. A selection committee of members of the Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology (CARO) selected the 2011 recipients from among a field of 12 applicants. Astrazeneca provides the funds for the RAZCER Award as an educational grant.

13 Oct 2011

Breast-reconstruction procedure can preserve mammary artery for future cardiac surgery

Doctors at Johns Hopkins have shown that during an increasingly popular type of breast-reconstruction surgery, they can safely preserve the internal mammary artery, in case it is needed for future cardiac surgery.

13 Oct 2011

DARA BioSciences' KRN5500 reduces neuropathic pain in patients with cancer

DARA BioSciences, Inc. today announced the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, an internationally respected, peer-reviewed journal, has published results of a Phase II safety and efficacy study of KRN5500 for the treatment of neuropathic pain in patients with cancer.

11 Oct 2011

First patient treated with MagForce's NanoTherm therapy for recurrent glioblastoma

Nanostart-holding MagForce AG, a leading medical technology company focusing on nanomedicine in oncology, announced today the treatment of a recurrent glioblastoma patient with the company's NanoTherm therapy.

11 Oct 2011

Scientists discover new metabolic pathway which makes gliomas more aggressive

A research alliance of Heidelberg University Hospital and the German Cancer Research Center, jointly with colleagues of the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in Leipzig, have discovered a new metabolic pathway which makes malignant brain tumors (gliomas) more aggressive and weakens patients' immune systems.

7 Oct 2011

Fear of trouble and embarrassment a reason for avoiding online error-reporting systems

"Too busy," and "too complicated." These are the typical excuses one might expect when medical professionals are asked why they fail to use online error-reporting systems designed to improve patient safety and the quality of care. But, Johns Hopkins investigators found instead that the most common reason among radiation oncologists was fear of getting into trouble and embarrassment.

4 Oct 2011

New research uses Tilman model to study metastasis of prostate cells into bone

The invasion of a new species into an established ecosystem can be directly compared to the steps involved in cancer metastasis. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Theoretical Biology and Medical Modelling uses the Tilman model of competition between invasive species to study the metastasis of prostate cells into bone.

3 Oct 2011

Study compares treatment plans for CyberKnife treatment delivery system

Radiosurgery is a non-invasive medical procedure in which focused beams of high-energy X-rays target tumors and other abnormalities in the body. A single large dose of radiation is capable of ablating a lesion that might not be amenable to surgical removal. However, some radiosurgery systems, such as the CyberKnife (CK), can be relatively time-consuming because the treatment planning requires the delivery of up to several hundred cone-shaped beams to adequately cover an irregularly shaped tumor.

3 Oct 2011

FDA clears Nucletron's new VCMC Applicator for gynecologic cancers

During the first day of the annual conference for the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) in Miami, Nucletron, an Elekta company, today announced that it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its new Vaginal CT/MR Multi Channel (VCMC) Applicator, offering a brachytherapy solution that enables very precise dose delivery for gynecologic cancers.

From Elekta 3 Oct 2011

IBA offers full line of Proton Therapy solutions for cancer specialty centers

IBA Particle Therapy now offers a range of Proton Therapy solutions for cancer specialty centers planning to treat from 250 to 2,000 patients annually with protons.

From Elekta 3 Oct 2011

Concord Medical Services Holdings' directors approve share repurchase program

Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited, the operator of the largest network of radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging centers in China, today announced that its board of directors approved a share repurchase program, effective immediately.

1 Oct 2011

New research on public perceptions about cancer

New research on public perceptions about cancer reveals that 50-year-old ideas still hold sway while many current lifestyle messages are not getting through.

28 Sep 2011

No link between chemotherapy during pregnancy and children's cognitive development

Children born after their mothers were treated with chemotherapy during pregnancy appear to be unaffected by the experience in terms of the development of their mental processes and the normal functioning of their hearts, according to new research presented at the 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress.

27 Sep 2011

Ibandronate controls pain in prostate cancer patients with bone metastases

Many prostate cancer patients develop bone metastases, and controlling the pain these cause can be difficult. Now the first large randomised Phase III trial of a bisphosphonate drug in these patients has shown that a single dose of the drug is as good for pain relief as single dose radiotherapy, the standard treatment for bone metastases. Results of the trial were presented at the 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress.

26 Sep 2011

Study shows substantial differences in use of rectal cancer therapies across Europe

First results from an international comparison of the care of patients with rectal cancer have shown there are substantial differences in the use of chemotherapy and radiotherapy between European countries.

26 Sep 2011

Combination of chemo and radiotherapy in breast cancer: Trial

Breast cancer patients who are given radiotherapy and chemotherapy at the same time have a lower the risk of their tumors coming back and this should be considered as a new treatment approach across the world, cancer experts said on Sunday.

26 Sep 2011

Impotence after prostate cancer treatment

According to researchers patients undergoing treatment for prostate cancer could be at a risk of impotence. According to the new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association there may be a formula to help gauge those risks for three common types of treatment, including surgery and radiation.

21 Sep 2011

Prediction models may effectively identify erectile function after prostate cancer surgery

The development of prediction models that included variables such as pretreatment sexual function, patient characteristics and treatment factors appear to be effective at predicting erectile function 2 years after prostatectomy, external radiotherapy, or brachytherapy for prostate cancer, according to a study in the September 21 issue of JAMA.

21 Sep 2011

Elekta acquires Nucletron

Elekta AB today announced it has successfully completed its acquisition of Nucletron, the world leader in brachytherapy treatment planning and delivery. Through the combination Elekta will offer a complete range of radiotherapy planning and delivery technologies.

From Elekta 15 Sep 2011