Brachytherapy News and Research

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Brachytherapy is a minimally invasive procedure that involves the use of radioactive seeds the size of rice grains. Brachytherapy, an out-patient procedure, usually takes 45 minutes to an hour to perform. Most patients can return to their normal activities within days. The success rates of prostate brachytherapy have compared favorably with success rates of radical prostatectomy and external beam radiation. In comparison studies, prostate brachytherapy has shown to have a favorable side effect profile when compared with other modalities. Clinical studies have shown that prostate brachytherapy has a cure rate of 94% for appropriately selected patients.

Radiation therapy to combat early-stage prostate cancer does not affect sexual and urinary function

Men receiving radiation therapy to combat early-stage prostate cancer are still able to achieve an erection and face a low rate of incontinence one year following treatment, according to a new study published in the July 15, 2005 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology-Biology-Physics, the official journal of ASTRO, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

17 Jul 2005

For men diagnosed with prostate cancer, there is no risk of recurrence if external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is delayed by several months

A study published in the July 15, 2005 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, finds delays of EBRT had no harmful impact on clinical outcome or biochemical marker levels in low-, intermediate- and high-risk patients.

13 Jun 2005

pSivida moves to full development programme of pancreatic cancer product

pSivida Limited has announced that it has initiated a full development programme of its proprietary BrachySil product in a second key cancer indication. Development has commenced to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this novel brachytherapy product in pancreatic cancer, with the clinical programme scheduled to commence before the end of 2005.

7 Apr 2005

Construction will enable pSivida to increase BrachySil production

Global nanotechnology company pSivida Limited has announced that it's UK manufacturing partner, Atomising Systems Ltd ("ASL"), has reached a key milestone in the manufacture of BrachySil, its lead product, by completing construction of a state of the art dedicated cleanroom facility to GMP specifications at its Sheffield plant in the United Kingdom. ASL is a world leader in high temperature atomising technology.

30 Mar 2005

Social and cultural factors play a significant role in the treatment decisions of patients with prostate cancer

Marital status, high school education, and race/ethnicity may play a far greater role in patients' treatment decisions than previously believed.

28 Mar 2005

pSivida intensifies research activities

Following extremely encouraging Phase IIa clinical trial results showing successful tumor regression and safety in man, nanotechnology pioneer pSivida Limited is intensifying development of its fully patented invention of nanostructured bioactive, biodegradable and biocompatible silicon (BioSilicon™) for multiple potential healthcare applications.

21 Mar 2005

Demonstrating cost and clinical benefits critical to expansion of European seed brachytherapy markets

The nascent European seed brachytherapy market has been grappling with issues of high procedural and investment costs and a lack of local clinical evidence. However, growing evidence of the overall clinical and cost benefits of seed brachytherapy coupled with rising patient awareness is set to boost market expansion.

21 Mar 2005

Drug eluting stents as effective as vascular brachytherapy in preventing restenosis

After angioplasty is performed to widen clogged arteries, surgeons frequently use tiny wire-mesh tubes called stents to keep blood vessels open. But despite stenting, scar tissue can form to create new blockages -- a process called in-stent restenosis (ISR).

7 Mar 2005

New method of delivery of gene therapy may lead to safer treatment for cancer

The Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR) announced that in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) they have performed preclinical proof-of- principle studies showing how nanotechnology can be used to enhance gene therapy for cancer.

25 Jan 2005

Software translates improved diagnostic information to better target radiation at cancer cells

As diagnostic imaging and radiation treatment technologies both become more capable and precise, physicians using them face an increasingly difficult task: how to transfer information from the diagnostic systems to the treatment planning systems.

18 Oct 2004

Black men have better sexual and urinary function than white men after prostate cancer surgery

Five years after surgery for prostate cancer, African-American men reported better sexual and urinary function than non-Latino white men-yet they were also more dissatisfied with problems related to their sexual function

13 Oct 2004

Researchers bridge the gap between magnetic resonance spectroscopy and latest techniques for delivering precise doses of radiation to tumors

12 Oct 2004

Combination of hormonal therapy, radioactive seed implant and external beam radiation therapy increases chance of cancer cure

High-risk prostate cancer patients who undergo a combination of hormonal therapy, radioactive seed implant (also called brachytherapy) and external beam radiation therapy are shown to have an increased chance of cancer cure

29 Jul 2004

Partial breast radiation procedure may benefit cancer patients

Some women with breast cancer who prefer breast conserving surgery consisting of lumpectomy and radiation may choose a procedure that delivers radiation to the malignant tumor and not to the entire breast

23 Jun 2004

Quality of life for men after prostate cancer treatment

Four to eight years after men undergo treatment for prostate cancer, they continue to see changes – both positive and negative – in their quality of life because of that treatment, researchers at the University of Michigan Health System and Harvard Medical School report.

11 May 2004

Study shows prostate brachytherapy using ‘Radioactive Seeds’ is an effective alterantive to surgery or external radiation

Radiation oncologists and urologists at The Cleveland Clinic have performed their 1,000th prostate brachytherapy, a type of treatment in which radioactive seeds are implanted in the prostate to destroy cancerous cells.

28 Apr 2004

Study suggests cigarette smoking increases likelihood of death by prostate cancer

Although cure rates for prostate cancer patients who smoke cigarettes are about the same as patients who do not smoke, researchers have found that smokers were more likely to die of other causes than non-smokers, according to a new study in the March 15, 2004, issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology•Biology•Physics, the official journal of ASTRO, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

22 Mar 2004