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.

New genetic discovery in Pulmonary Fibrosis

A new discovery in a deadly lung disease may change the direction of research while uncovering increased risk for many patients and families. The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis and the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation applaud the efforts of scientists that led to the discovery of a genetic variation associated with the MUC5B gene which may increase the risk of developing Pulmonary Fibrosis.

25 Apr 2011

Saint Vincent Hospital to build new cancer center in downtown Worcester

Saint Vincent Hospital today announced it has signed a purchase and sale agreement with the CitySquare II Development Co. LLC , to build a medical office building that will house a new comprehensive cancer center in Worcester's CitySquare development. The new center, which represents a $21 million capital investment by Saint Vincent Hospital, is expected to open in January 2013.

22 Apr 2011

Acupuncture offers long-lasting relief for patients after prostate cancer treatment

Acupuncture provides long-lasting relief to hot flashes, heart palpitations and anxiety due to side effects of the hormone given to counteract testosterone, the hormone that induces prostate cancer, according to a study published in the April issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology-Biology-Physics, an official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

22 Apr 2011

MRG: Radioembolization is expected to grow from $50M in sales in 2011 to $128M in 2015

According to Millennium Research Group (MRG), the global authority on medical technology market intelligence, embolization particles will show the most significant growth, both in procedure volume and in revenue, among all devices in the transcatheter embolization and occlusion (TEO) market. Radioembolization is expected to grow from $50 million in sales in 2011 to $128 million in 2015, while drug-eluting beads will grow from $11 million to $28 million over the same period.

21 Apr 2011

Lovelace Medical Center upgrades to Gamma Knife Perfexion system

AMERICAN SHARED HOSPITAL SERVICES, a leading provider of turnkey technology solutions for advanced radiosurgical and radiation therapy services, announced today that it has entered into a contract to supply a Gamma Knife® Perfexion™ system to Lovelace Medical Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

21 Apr 2011

Genetic variation associated with MUC5B gene may increase risk of developing Pulmonary Fibrosis

A new discovery in a deadly lung disease may change the direction of research while uncovering increased risk for many patients and families. The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) and the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) applaud the efforts of scientists that led to the discovery of a genetic variation associated with the MUC5B gene which may increase the risk of developing Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF).

21 Apr 2011

Nutlin-3a molecules stimulate signal to induce cell death and senescence in brain cancer

Researchers of Apoptosis and Cancer Group of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) have found that a small molecule, Nutlin-3a, an antagonist of MDM2 protein, stimulates the signalling pathway of another protein, p53.

21 Apr 2011

BSD Medical sells hyperthermia systems to a U.S. Government medical facility

BSD Medical Corporation (NASDAQ:BSDM) (the "Company" or "BSD") announced today that a U.S. Government medical facility has purchased a BSD-500 Hyperthermia System (BSD-500).

21 Apr 2011

U.S. DOD awards $4.5M to NYU Langone Medical Center for novel breast cancer research

NYU Langone Medical Center announced today the U.S. Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program of the Office of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs has awarded Silvia Formenti, MD, the Sandra and Edward Meyer Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology a $4.5 million Multi-Team Award to conduct novel breast cancer research.

21 Apr 2011

Cancer Centers of North Carolina buys WROS from Wake Radiology

Cancer Centers of North Carolina (CCNC), an affiliate of the United Network of US Oncology and the first practice to offer community-based outpatient cancer care in the Triangle with locations in Raleigh, North Raleigh, Cary, Dunn and Clayton, has purchased Wake Radiology Oncology Services (WROS) from Wake Radiology, the oldest and largest multi-site radiology group in central North Carolina.

21 Apr 2011

Minimizing neurological side effects in high-grade glioma patients may improve survival

Minimizing neurological side effects in patients with high-grade glioma from chemoradiation may result in improved patient survival, a new study from radiation oncologists at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson suggests. These findings were reported in the April issue of the British Journal of Cancer.

20 Apr 2011

Swinburne University of Technology acquires Elekta's Neuromag TRIUX MEG system

Certain brain processes happen in the blink of an eye – and even faster – which has made pinpointing these events virtually impossible. The advent of magnetoencephalography (MEG) changed all that, enabling researchers to capture brain electrical activity measured in milliseconds, and offering the potential to reveal the nature of innumerable brain disorders and diseases.

From Elekta 20 Apr 2011

RaySearch receives order for its RayStation system from RISO

RaySearch Laboratories AB has received an order for its RayStation treatment planning system from RISO, the Radiotherapeutic Institute in Deventer, the Netherlands.

19 Apr 2011

Bedford Labs launches cancer drug Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection

Bedford Laboratories, a division of Ben Venue Laboratories, Inc., is pleased to announce the addition of Topotecan Hydrochloride for Injection, 4 mg (base)/vial to its diverse portfolio. Topotecan is AP Bioequivalent to the reference listed drug Hycamtin® (topotecan HCl) for injection by GlaxoSmithKline.

19 Apr 2011

Novocure receives FDA approval for NovoTTF-100A System to treat GBM

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the NovoTTF-100A System, a new device to treat adults with glioblastoma multiforme that recurs or progresses after receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

15 Apr 2011

Alliance HealthCare Services acquires 24/7 Radiology

Alliance HealthCare Services, Inc., a leading national provider of outpatient diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy services, announced the acquisition of 24/7 Radiology, a professional radiology services company, which provides both preliminary and final professional radiology interpretation services for MRI, CT, ultrasound, X-Ray and other imaging modalities in 18 states.

15 Apr 2011

EPO grants patent to OncoGenex OGX-427 for prostate cancer treatment

OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced that the European Patent Office has granted European Patent Number EP1545561 entitled "Oligonucleotides for Treatment of Prostate and other Cancers."

15 Apr 2011

Study finds SAVI applicator for breast brachytherapy safe for women with breast implants

The SAVI® applicator for breast brachytherapy was used to safely deliver post-lumpectomy radiation therapy to a woman with breast implants, according to a newly published paper in a peer-reviewed journal. The case study showed that SAVI produced an "optimal" clinical outcome and "excellent cosmetic results that pleased the patient," wrote the authors.

12 Apr 2011

Hypericin may treat recurrent malignant brain tumors

Researchers have found that a synthetic version of hypericin, a compound naturally found in St. John's wort, may be a promising treatment for patients with recurrent malignant brain tumors. Their findings were published online on March 31, 2011 in the journal Cancer.

12 Apr 2011