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.

Provectus Pharmaceuticals publishes article on novel treatment for metastatic melanoma

Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, announces the publication of an article, entitled “A novel treatment for metastatic melanoma with intralesional rose bengal and radiotherapy: a case series," authored by Dr. Matthew C. Foote, Dr. Bryan H. Burmeister, Janine Thomas, and Dr. B. Mark Smithers, in the current issue of the peer-reviewed journal, Melanoma Research (20(1):48-51, February 2010).

10 Feb 2010

LRF's 2009 Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium report published

Highlights from the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) 2009 Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium (MCLC) Scientific Workshop will be published in the March 2010 issue of Leukemia & Lymphoma. Traditionally accessible to subscribers for period of one year, Leukemia and Lymphoma has agreed to make this report available to the public for one month -- Mantle Cell Lymphoma: Report of the 2009 MCL Consortium Workshop.

10 Feb 2010

Researchers publish findings that may lead to new standard of care for cervical cancer patients

Researchers at the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center, have published new findings that may lead to a new standard of care for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.

10 Feb 2010

U.S. PSA screening efficacy lower than in ERSPC-Rotterdam due to lower testing sensitivity

Fewer prostate cancers were detected by prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening in the U.S. than in a European randomized trial because of lower screening sensitivity, according to a new brief communication published online February 8 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

9 Feb 2010

Two U.S. insurers approve coverage of radioembolization for treatment of unresectable liver cancer

MDS Nordion, a global leader in providing products and services for medical imaging and radiotherapeutics, today announced that two of the largest health insurers in the United States have recently approved coverage of radioembolization to treat unresectable liver cancer, which includes the use of MDS Nordion's TheraSphere(R) treatment. The two insurance companies and their affiliates together serve more than one-quarter of Americans and do business in all 50 states.

6 Feb 2010

Over 12,000 courses of lung cancer treatment completed with Accuray's CyberKnife radiosurgery

Accuray Incorporated, a global leader in the field of radiosurgery, announced today that more than 12,000 courses of lung cancer treatment have been completed with CyberKnife radiosurgery. Usage of CyberKnife radiosurgery for lung cancer continues to grow, as illustrated by a 25 percent increase year over year in calendar year 2009.

6 Feb 2010

Radiation oncologists push for safety standards

The New York Times: "The leading professional organization dedicated to radiation oncology has called for enhanced safety measures in administering medical radiation, including the establishment of the nation's first central database for the reporting of errors involving linear accelerators — machines that generate radiation — and CT scanners.

5 Feb 2010

EBMT honours abstract on Defibrotide in Hepatic VOD prevention with the Van Bekkum Award

Gentium S.p.A. today announced that the abstract titled, "Defibrotide prevents hepatic VOD and reduces significantly VOD-associated complications in children at high risk: final results of a prospective phase II/III multicentre study," has been awarded the Van Bekkum Award for the best abstract submitted to the physician's program for the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation's (EBMT) 36th Annual Meeting, to be held in Vienna, March 21-24, 2010.

5 Feb 2010

San Antonio Methodist Hospital upgrades to Leksell 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 Leksell Gamma Knife® PerfexionTM system to Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. This new Perfexion system, the eighth placed by AMS to date, will replace an existing Gamma Knife supplied by AMS and is expected to begin treating patients later this year.

5 Feb 2010

ASTRO and ACR release practice guidelines for new radiation treatments

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) have released practice guidelines for image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in the February issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of ASTRO.

4 Feb 2010

ASTRO leads the way to help physicians improve safety and reduce medical errors

The American Society for Radiation Oncology has committed to a six-point patient protection plan that will improve safety and quality and reduce the chances of medical errors, ASTRO Board Chairman Tim R. Williams, M.D., said today.

4 Feb 2010

IMRT and extensive safety measures can prevent radiation injuries in cancer patients, says oncology expert

Recent media stories have reported isolated cases of cancer patients who were injured by incorrect doses from intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

2 Feb 2010

AAPM reassures safety of radiation therapy

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) has issued a statement today in the wake of several recent articles in the New York Times yesterday and earlier in the week that discuss a number of rare but tragic events in the last decade involving people undergoing radiation therapy.

30 Jan 2010

Northwestern Memorial HealthCare completes its formal plans to affiliate with Lake Forest Hospital

Northwestern Memorial HealthCare has completed its formal plans to affiliate with Lake County's Lake Forest Hospital. Northwestern's health system has obtained both federal and state approvals to proceed with an affiliation agreement that will make Lake Forest Hospital a wholly owned entity of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare along with Northwestern Memorial Hospital on February 1, 2010.

30 Jan 2010

New mathematical model helps in predicting treatment outcomes for cervical cancer patients

Cervical cancer is highly curable when caught early. But in a third of cases, the tumor responds poorly to therapy or recurs later, when cure is much less likely.

29 Jan 2010

ECRI Institute publishes Health Devices guidance article for hospitals

Electronic health records (EHRs) are the future of medical record keeping. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) includes incentive payments for hospitals that adopt an EHR, but the timetable for implementation is especially tight.

29 Jan 2010

Children with cancer are treated with proton therapy at ProCure Proton Therapy Center

Children with cancer are now being accepted for treatment at the ProCure Proton Therapy Center in Oklahoma, where a wide range of tumors are treated with proton therapy, an alternative to X-ray radiation that spares healthy tissue and results in far fewer short- and long-term treatment side effects.

28 Jan 2010

Researchers join in a three-year project to pursue novel applications of HPC in radiotherapy

Researchers from the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at UC San Diego have joined forces with the Department of Radiation Oncology in the university's School of Medicine, its Department of Mathematics, and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in a three-year, $1.5 million project to pursue novel applications of high-performance computing (HPC) in radiotherapy.

27 Jan 2010

Mayo Clinic achieves new levels of excellence in service to humanity

Mayo Clinic announced today that it raised $1.35 billion in its first comprehensive fundraising campaign, surpassing the goal of $1.25 billion.

27 Jan 2010

Radiation therapy safe and effective for cancer treatment

In response to the issues raised by the Jan. 24 New York Times article, "Radiation Offers New Cures and Ways to Do Harm," US Oncology, Inc. wants to ensure that cancer patients and the general public understand that the benefits received from radiation therapy in cancer care far outweigh the risks, and that cancer patients fighting their disease with help from the US Oncology physician network, and their loved ones, can rest assured that extensive quality control measures are put in place to minimize risks.

27 Jan 2010

Radiation Therapy News and Research

Further Reading

Provectus Pharmaceuticals publishes article on novel treatment for metastatic melanoma

LRF's 2009 Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium report published

Researchers publish findings that may lead to new standard of care for cervical cancer patients

U.S. PSA screening efficacy lower than in ERSPC-Rotterdam due to lower testing sensitivity

Two U.S. insurers approve coverage of radioembolization for treatment of unresectable liver cancer

Over 12,000 courses of lung cancer treatment completed with Accuray's CyberKnife radiosurgery

Radiation oncologists push for safety standards

EBMT honours abstract on Defibrotide in Hepatic VOD prevention with the Van Bekkum Award

San Antonio Methodist Hospital upgrades to Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion system

ASTRO and ACR release practice guidelines for new radiation treatments

ASTRO leads the way to help physicians improve safety and reduce medical errors

IMRT and extensive safety measures can prevent radiation injuries in cancer patients, says oncology expert

AAPM reassures safety of radiation therapy

Northwestern Memorial HealthCare completes its formal plans to affiliate with Lake Forest Hospital

New mathematical model helps in predicting treatment outcomes for cervical cancer patients

ECRI Institute publishes Health Devices guidance article for hospitals

Children with cancer are treated with proton therapy at ProCure Proton Therapy Center

Researchers join in a three-year project to pursue novel applications of HPC in radiotherapy

Mayo Clinic achieves new levels of excellence in service to humanity

Radiation therapy safe and effective for cancer treatment

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