Oncology News and Research

RSS

Oncology, meaning bulk, mass, or tumor, and the suffix ''-logy'', meaning "study of") is a branch of medicine that deals with tumors (cancer). A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''.

Accelerated partial breast irradiation using balloon brachytherapy is an excellent option for women with early breast tumors

A new method of radiation -- accelerated partial breast irradiation using balloon brachytherapy -- makes it more convenient for breast cancer patients to receive radiation therapy after surgery and appears to be safe, offer good cosmetic results, and keep cancer from coming back, according to four-year results of an ongoing study presented October 17, 2005, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 47th Annual Meeting in Denver.

17 Oct 2005

Course of radiation after prostate cancer surgery improves cancer-free survival rates

Patients with advanced stage prostate cancer who receive radiation therapy immediately after surgery to remove their prostate live longer without their cancer returning than patients who do not receive radiation after surgery, according to a study presented October 17, 2005, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 47th Annual Meeting in Denver.

17 Oct 2005

Radiation therapy combined with hormone therapy after surgery is more effective in keeping the breast cancer from returning

The current standard of care for early-stage breast cancer is breast conserving surgery (lumpectomy) to remove the tumor followed by radiation and hormone therapy to kill any remaining cells.

17 Oct 2005

Radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy before surgery helps patients beat rectal cancer

For patients with rectal cancer, receiving radiation therapy and chemotherapy before surgery to shrink the tumor so it can be more easily removed helps keep the cancer from coming back, according to a study presented October 17, 2005, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 47th Annual Meeting in Denver.

17 Oct 2005

New findings on brain tumors called ependymomas

Brain tumors called ependymomas that occur in different parts of the central nervous system appear to arise from subpopulations of stem cells called radial glia cells (RGCs), according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The discovery explains why some identical-looking ependymomas are actually distinctly different diseases, the researchers said.

17 Oct 2005

Breast conserving surgery followed by radiation therapy is a good option for women with early-stage breast cancer who have breast implants

The new findings challenge past studies that showed delivering radiation to a breast with an implant in place causes significant problems in the implant, resulting in poor cosmetic results.

16 Oct 2005

Treatment recommendations for breast cancer should not be based on a woman's marital status

Research has shown that being single, married or divorced can influence cancer survival, but a new study shows marital status appears to have no impact on the outcome for women with breast cancer who are treated with lumpectomy and radiation.

16 Oct 2005

New radiation technique to treat cancer that has spread to the brain prevents hair loss

Patients whose cancer has spread to the brain can avoid typical hair loss (alopecia) when treated with newer radiation techniques, thereby improving their quality of life while still controlling their cancer, according to a study presented October 16, 2005, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 47th Annual Meeting in Denver.

16 Oct 2005

Gene therapy may prevent the damaging effects of radiation

Gene therapy could be used as an agent to protect normal tissues, including the esophagus and lung, from damage during a second administration of radiation therapy for non-small cell lung cancer, according to an animal study presented by University of Pittsburgh researchers at the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) in Denver.

16 Oct 2005

Possible explanation for the higher incidence of lung cancer in African Americans

Faulty cell cycle "checkpoints" that fail to respond to DNA damage effectively may contribute to the high incidence of lung cancer in African-Americans, say researchers at Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

16 Oct 2005

Aggressive management of diabetes with diet, exercise, and medications may improve the survival of cancer patients

Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center found no effects of type II diabetes on aggressiveness of prostate cancer but found that long-term survival is worse. The findings were presented at the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology in Denver, Colo.

16 Oct 2005

Largest known series of data examining the sequencing of tamoxifen and radiation

Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers say the sequence of tamoxifen and radiation following lumpectomy for early-stage breast cancer patients does not affect disease control, survival or complication rates, but administering tamoxifen concurrently with radiation has negative cosmetic results.

16 Oct 2005

New surgical option for breast cancer patients

A new surgical option for breast cancer patients combines removal of the cancerous tumor with breast reduction in one surgical procedure, called oncoplastic surgery, with benefits that include improved cosmetic outcome and reduced risk of complications.

13 Oct 2005

Discovery of agent that can suppress cancer development

In a case of basic science detective work, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have solved the puzzle of the "inconsistent biomarker" and, in the process, may have discovered an agent that can suppress cancer development.

13 Oct 2005

Cancer survivors have unique and long-term cancer-specific side effects.

Patients surviving childhood Hodgkin disease suffer strokes later in life at rates about four times that of the general population, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

13 Oct 2005

Nanobombs to eradicate cancer

University of Delaware researchers are opening a new front in the war on cancer, bringing to bear new nanotechnologies for cancer detection and treatment and introducing a unique nanobomb that can literally blow up breast cancer tumors.

13 Oct 2005

Why breast black cancer patients experience lower survival rates than other women

Black women with stage I or II breast cancer are more likely than their counterparts of other races to abandon chemotherapy before completing their full course of treatment, according to a recent Columbia University Medical Center study.

12 Oct 2005

Removing metastatic disease from the diaphragm significantly increases survival rates in ovarian cancer patients

In a retrospective study looking back at a decade of surgeries, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researchers have determined that surgery to remove metastatic disease from the diaphragm, in conjunction with other procedures to remove the primary diseased tissue in ovarian cancer patients, significantly increases survival rates.

12 Oct 2005

Novel therapies for pleural mesothelioma

Researchers at New York University School of Medicine and Wayne State University have found a molecule that reveals the early stages of pleural mesothelioma, a chest cancer caused by asbestos. The finding opens the way to a blood test for the disease, according to a new study published in the Oct. 13 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

12 Oct 2005

Important milestone towards more individually targeted and effective treatments for cancer patients

The research team has now identified crucial genes in a range of common cancers that have been reported to predict a patient's response to treatment. This follows the team's earlier success in studying a tumor suppressor gene associated with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in children.

9 Oct 2005

Oncology News and Research

Further Reading

Accelerated partial breast irradiation using balloon brachytherapy is an excellent option for women with early breast tumors

Course of radiation after prostate cancer surgery improves cancer-free survival rates

Radiation therapy combined with hormone therapy after surgery is more effective in keeping the breast cancer from returning

Radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy before surgery helps patients beat rectal cancer

New findings on brain tumors called ependymomas

Breast conserving surgery followed by radiation therapy is a good option for women with early-stage breast cancer who have breast implants

Treatment recommendations for breast cancer should not be based on a woman's marital status

New radiation technique to treat cancer that has spread to the brain prevents hair loss

Gene therapy may prevent the damaging effects of radiation

Possible explanation for the higher incidence of lung cancer in African Americans

Aggressive management of diabetes with diet, exercise, and medications may improve the survival of cancer patients

Largest known series of data examining the sequencing of tamoxifen and radiation

New surgical option for breast cancer patients

Discovery of agent that can suppress cancer development

Cancer survivors have unique and long-term cancer-specific side effects.

Nanobombs to eradicate cancer

Why breast black cancer patients experience lower survival rates than other women

Removing metastatic disease from the diaphragm significantly increases survival rates in ovarian cancer patients

Novel therapies for pleural mesothelioma

Important milestone towards more individually targeted and effective treatments for cancer patients

Industry Focus eBook - Oncology (3rd edition) eBook

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

Latest News