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.

Sensors, a smart dose of medicine for cancer treatment

New sensor systems being developed will help treat cancer and improve the accuracy and reliability of existing radiation treatments. They should help improve patient care and outcomes. The results will go straight to commercialisation when finalised next year.

7 Nov 2005

Combination of radiotherapy and a drug named S247 as a cure for cancer

Does a combination of radiation therapy and the inhibition of integrins (key molecules in angiogenesis) improve the chance of cure in cancer?

3 Nov 2005

Functional diffusion map to help predict brain tumor outcomes

A special type of MRI scan that measures the movement of water molecules through the brain can help doctors determine halfway through treatment whether it will successfully shrink the tumor or a patient's cancer will continue to grow, a new study shows.

1 Nov 2005

Stereotactic body radiation therapy safe and effective way to treat early stage lung cancer in medically inoperable patients

Lung cancer patients with extenuating health problems may have an alternative to traditional radiation therapy through a lung-sparing procedure pioneered at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

1 Nov 2005

Benefit of combining radiation and hormone therapy in the treatment of prostate cancer

Doctors in Canada have discovered that treating high-risk prostate cancer patients with radiation therapy and adding hormone therapy for more than one year allows patients to live longer, have better control of their prostate specific antigen levels and lowers the rate of death specifically from prostate cancer

1 Nov 2005

Can strength-training exercises reduce or prevent lymphedema symptoms in breast cancer?

In a novel research study to begin this week at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor in Epidemiology, will help to determine the extent to which a slowly progressive program of strength-training exercises is safe for breast cancer survivors with and without symptoms of lymphedema.

25 Oct 2005

Physical and emotional impact of breast cancer

The psychological and physical effects of breast cancer are being examined in a first-time study that tracks women in the first five years following their diagnosis.

25 Oct 2005

Shaped-beam radiation therapy is a promising treatment for life-threatening metastatic liver tumors

...according to researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center who report an 88 percent success rate for controlling the lesions. This is the first evidence that doctors can treat these tumors with radiation, and the results doubled the average length of survival.

19 Oct 2005

Patients with head and neck cancer may be spared the risk and expense of surgery by undergoing a CT scan

Researchers with the UF Shands Cancer Center have identified criteria doctors can use to evaluate CT scans four weeks after patients undergo initial treatment. If these criteria are met, there is a 94 percent likelihood a patient's lymph nodes are cancer free, said Stanley L. Liauw, M.D., a resident in radiation oncology.

18 Oct 2005

Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer

Results from a University of Pittsburgh study evaluating intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer determined the ideal doses for lessening treatment side effects. The findings were presented today at the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) in Denver.

18 Oct 2005

Treating malignant melanoma of the uvea with radiation therapy can spare patients from significant vision loss

Treating a rare form of eye cancer with radiation therapy can spare patients from significant vision loss, according to new research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

18 Oct 2005

Possible new combination treatment regimen for patients with head and neck cancers who develop a second tumor

Few treatment options exist for patients with head and neck cancers who develop a second tumor or whose disease recurs in an area that has previously received radiation. Data from an international study reveal a possible new combination treatment regimen that offers a significant survival advantage for many of these patients.

18 Oct 2005

Treating four or more brain tumors in a single radiosurgery session resulted in improved survival

...compared to whole brain radiation therapy alone, according to a study the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine presented today at the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) in Denver.

18 Oct 2005

Single men are less likely to seek radiation re-treatment for pain caused by prostate cancer

"Patients often experience a great deal of pain if their cancer spreads to the bone," explained Andre Konski, M.D., M.B.A., M.A., F.A.C.R., director of clinical research in the radiation oncology department at Fox Chase Cancer Center and lead author of the paper on the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group study (RTOG 97-14).

18 Oct 2005

Study shows possibilities for curing patients with early-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma of their cancer

Doctors in Germany have determined that patients suffering from early-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma can receive a reduced dose of involved field radiation therapy, combined with chemotherapy, and still retain a high survival rate, 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

Researchers identify biomarker that indicates a more agressive form of prostate cancer

Staging factors for prostate cancer such as PSA and the Gleason score are extremely useful in predicting prostate cancer outcome," explained Pollack. "However, new biomarkers hold promise in strengthening our ability to predict response to treatment. By identifying the more virulent forms of prostate cancer, we may be able to tailor treatment or develop therapies to target the abnormalities identified."

17 Oct 2005

Treating breast cancer with "MammoSite" study

Treating breast cancer with MammoSite resulted in a low risk of complications and was generally well tolerated, according to a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study presented today at the 47th annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) in Denver.

17 Oct 2005

Breast magnetic resonance imaging helps doctors select best treatment for early breast cancers

Breast magnetic resonance imaging enhances patient selection for accelerated, partial breast irradiation by detecting previously unsuspected, microscopic lesions within the breast, 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

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 News and Research

Further Reading

Sensors, a smart dose of medicine for cancer treatment

Combination of radiotherapy and a drug named S247 as a cure for cancer

Functional diffusion map to help predict brain tumor outcomes

Stereotactic body radiation therapy safe and effective way to treat early stage lung cancer in medically inoperable patients

Benefit of combining radiation and hormone therapy in the treatment of prostate cancer

Can strength-training exercises reduce or prevent lymphedema symptoms in breast cancer?

Physical and emotional impact of breast cancer

Shaped-beam radiation therapy is a promising treatment for life-threatening metastatic liver tumors

Patients with head and neck cancer may be spared the risk and expense of surgery by undergoing a CT scan

Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer

Treating malignant melanoma of the uvea with radiation therapy can spare patients from significant vision loss

Possible new combination treatment regimen for patients with head and neck cancers who develop a second tumor

Treating four or more brain tumors in a single radiosurgery session resulted in improved survival

Single men are less likely to seek radiation re-treatment for pain caused by prostate cancer

Study shows possibilities for curing patients with early-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma of their cancer

Researchers identify biomarker that indicates a more agressive form of prostate cancer

Treating breast cancer with "MammoSite" study

Breast magnetic resonance imaging helps doctors select best treatment for early breast cancers

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

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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