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.

Adult-onset inflammatory bowel disease tied to higher mortality

While the onset of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease) in adulthood is tied to a higher mortality, the actual number of deaths has been falling, a Swedish study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Gut reports.

17 May 2019

Researchers describe the impact of chronic hepatitis D on parts of the immune system

Approximately one out of every ten people with hepatitis B are coinfected with hepatitis D, which is among the most serious liver conditions.

15 May 2019

Innovative transplantation technique helps find early signs of type 1 diabetes

By the time type 1 diabetes is diagnosed, most of the insulin-producing beta cells have already been destroyed.

15 May 2019

Radiation-induced vascular damage could be treated with IL-1 inhibitors

Radiation therapy against cancer can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease much later in life, as the radiation causes chronic inflammation of the exposed blood vessels.

14 May 2019

Promising radioisotope couple for cancer diagnosis and therapy

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in ACS Omega a promising combination of radioisotope-carrying molecules for use in radiotheranostics — a diagnosis-and-treatment approach based on the combination of medical imaging and internal radiation therapy with radioactive elements.

9 May 2019

Updated ASTRO/AUA Guideline on adjuvant and salvage radiotherapy after prostatectomy

The American Society for Radiation Oncology and the American Urological Association today announced updates to their joint clinical guideline on adjuvant and salvage radiotherapy after prostatectomy in patients with and without evidence of prostate cancer recurrence to include new published research related to adjuvant radiotherapy.

1 May 2019

Angiotensin receptor blockers could improve response to cancer immunotherapy

A research team led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has found that combining a specialized version of an antihypertension drug with immune checkpoint blockers could increase the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies.

30 Apr 2019

Prior radioprotection via EGLN inhibitor improves survival in mouse model of pancreatic cancer

Administration of the EGLN inhibitor FG-4592 prior to ablative radiotherapy provided protection against fatal gastrointestinal bleeding and improved survival in a mouse model of unresectable pancreatic cancer.

30 Apr 2019

Working to advance accuracy of radiation therapy for pediatric cancer patients

Doctors at Children's Hospital Los Angeles continue to lead the field of radiation oncology by pushing the leading edge of technological advances. A new report by Arthur Olch, PhD, highlights use of specialized software that could advance treatment accuracy for pediatric cancer patients.

26 Apr 2019

Study: Prior authorization practices cause unnecessary delays and interference in care decisions for cancer patients

Restrictive prior authorization practices cause unnecessary delays and interference in care decisions for cancer patients, according to a new survey of nearly 700 radiation oncologists -- physicians who treat cancer patients using radiation-- released today by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

26 Apr 2019

Magic mouthwash effectively reduces mouth sore pain caused by radiation therapy

"Magic mouthwash," an oral rinse containing diphenhydramine, lidocaine and antacids, significantly reduced pain from oral mucositis, mouth sores, in patients receiving radiation therapy for cancers of the head and neck when compared to plaecbo.

16 Apr 2019

Study finds wide variations in Medicaid reimbursements for radiation therapies

A new study finds wide state-by-state variations in Medicaid reimbursements to physicians who treat cancer patients with radiation therapies.

12 Apr 2019

New surgical guideline reduces re-operation rates for breast cancer patients

A UBC medical student has determined that a new surgical guideline is making a difference for breast cancer patients.

10 Apr 2019

Proton therapy shows excellent outcomes, minimal side effects in high-risk neuroblastoma patients

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania analyzed the largest cohort to date of pediatric patients with high-risk neuroblastoma treated with proton radiation therapy, finding both that proton therapy was effective at reducing tumors and demonstrated minimal toxicity to surrounding organs.

10 Apr 2019

New technology provides clearer picture to clinicians treating gynecological cancer

New technology developed at Western University is providing an improved way for radiation oncologists to deliver treatment to women with gynecological cancers, including vaginal, cervical and uterine cancer.

9 Apr 2019

Cancer vaccine injected into tumour could kill all cancer cells

Researchers have developed an experimental cancer vaccine that when injected into a single tumour can help trigger the immune system to kill the cancer cells circulating within the body. The results of the study titled, “Systemic clinical tumor regressions and potentiation of PD1 blockade with in situ vaccination,” were published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Medicine, this week, Monday.

9 Apr 2019