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.

BARDA awards contracts for development of drugs for radiation injury to the GI tract

The first two contracts for advanced development of drugs to treat gastrointestinal (GI) tract injuries associated with acute radiation syndrome were awarded today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

2 Aug 2011

Accuray to showcase CyberKnife, TomoTherapy systems at AAPM/COMP meeting

Accuray Incorporated, the premier radiation oncology company, announced today that it will showcase the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System and the TomoTherapy Radiation Therapy Treatment System in the company's booths at the 2011 Joint American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM)/Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP) Meeting.

1 Aug 2011

Cancer patients should stick to basic sun-protection guidelines, experts say

Summer often brings with it fun in the sun, but for cancer patients it also presents new challenges and the need for additional protection.

30 Jul 2011

MR-guided focused ultrasound prior to radiation therapy could treat cancer

Hypoxic tumor cells usually resist radiation and chemotherapy, making them a key challenge in treating cancer. Researcher Xin Chen, Ph.D. believes that MR-guided focused ultrasound could reduce this problem, benefiting patients with malignant solid tumors in areas such as the liver, prostate and breast.

27 Jul 2011

Hormone therapy may be hazardous in men with pre-existing heart conditions

Adding hormone therapy to radiation therapy has been proven in randomized clinical trials to improve overall survival for men with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer. However, adding hormone therapy may reduce overall survival in men with pre-existing heart conditions, even if they have high-risk prostate cancer according to a new study just published online in advance of print in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology·Biology·Physics, the official scientific journal of ASTRO.

26 Jul 2011

Two genetic variations can identify children at higher risk of radiation-induced second cancers

A genome-wide association study published in the August issue of Nature Medicine has found two tiny genetic variations that can predict which patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma are most likely to develop radiation-induced second cancers years after treatment.

25 Jul 2011

Researchers examine benefits of hyperbaric oxygen in treatment of aggressive brain cancer

In a unique study, researchers at The Long Island Brain Tumor Center at Neurological Surgery, P.C. are examining whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy - breathing pure oxygen while in a pressurized chamber - may prove a useful addition to the current standard of care for patients newly diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer.

22 Jul 2011

Five physicians receive ASTRO grants for radiation oncology research

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has awarded five physicians with one of two grants-the Junior Faculty Career Research Training Award and the Residents/Fellows in Radiation Oncology Research Seed Grant Award.

21 Jul 2011

Possible new drug targets for treating diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have discovered a novel interaction between two proteins involved in regulating cell growth that could provide possible new drug targets for treating diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the most common type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

20 Jul 2011

ASTRO develops white paper on safe use of intensity modulated radiation therapy

As part of the Target Safely initiative, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has developed a white paper, the first of a series of such papers, on the safe use of integrating intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) into the radiation oncology clinic.

15 Jul 2011

Men with early-stage prostate cancer can benefit from short-term ADT, radiation therapy

Short-term hormone therapy given in combination with radiation therapy for men with early-stage prostate cancer increases their chance of living longer and not dying from the disease, compared with that of those who receive the same radiation therapy alone, according to a Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) study published in the July 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

14 Jul 2011

Patients with brain cancer may benefit from stem cell therapy

Stem cell therapy may restore cognition in patients with brain cancer who experience functional learning and memory loss often associated with radiation treatment, according to a laboratory study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

14 Jul 2011

U.S. Senators introduce Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Enhancement Act

The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) announced today the Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Enhancement Act has been introduced in the Senate by Senators Chris Coons and Mike Crapo in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Erik Paulsen and Rep. Tammy Baldwin.

13 Jul 2011

New method allows for concurrent treatment of spinal tumors and stabilization of the spine

The Orthopedic Clinic and Policlinic at the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz has recently deployed a new system for the treatment of spinal tumors for the first time.

11 Jul 2011

CMC hospital Ludhiana upgrades to MLCi2-equipped Elekta Compact linear accelerator

Christian Medical College & Hospital (CMC) Ludhiana is the site of the first Elekta Compact™ linear accelerator in the world to be field-upgraded to an MLCi2-equipped Elekta Compact, completing the transformation in less than a week. MLCi2 shapes treatment beams, enabling doctors to provide more accurate delivery to the target, while limiting radiation exposure to surrounding structures.

From Elekta 11 Jul 2011

New radiofrequency ablation system for treating spinal tumors

The Orthopedic Clinic and Policlinic at the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) has recently deployed a new system for the treatment of spinal tumors for the first time.

11 Jul 2011

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital offers two new treatment options for cancer patients

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has two new treatment options for patients with brain tumors and other cancers -- a next-generation radiosurgical Gamma Knife and linear accelerator.

From Elekta 11 Jul 2011

Research targets malignant glioma stem cells

Cleveland Clinic researchers have identified a cellular pathway that cancer stem cells use to promote tumor growth in malignant glioma, an aggressive brain tumor.

11 Jul 2011

Transplants with half-matched bone marrow or cord blood are comparable to fully matched tissue

Identifying a suitable donor for leukemia and lymphoma patients who need bone marrow transplants may be far easier now that results of two clinical trials show transplant results with half-matched bone marrow or umbilical cord blood are comparable to fully matched tissue, thanks in large part to the availability of effective antirejection drugs and special post-transplant chemotherapy.

8 Jul 2011