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.

Blueberry extract can enhance effectiveness of cervical cancer treatment

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 12,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year.

29 Dec 2017

Novel GammaPod system receives FDA clearance to treat early stage breast cancer

The GammaPod - a first-of-its kind stereotactic radiotherapy system to treat early stage breast cancer - has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, paving the way for the manufacturer to bring the system to market for the treatment of breast cancer patients.

26 Dec 2017

Novel radiotherapy system receives FDA clearance for treating early stage breast cancer

The GammaPod – a first-of-its kind stereotactic radiotherapy system to treat early stage breast cancer – has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, paving the way for the manufacturer to bring the system to market for the treatment of breast cancer patients.

22 Dec 2017

Proton therapy center for treating cancer patients coming to Utah

A new cancer treatment technology is one step closer to Salt Lake City. Today Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah announced a plan to add a proton therapy center to its Cancer Hospital.

22 Dec 2017

RayStation chosen for new ultra-modern cancer center in Quebec

CRIC (Centre régional intégré de cancérologie) is an initiative to create a new ultra-modern cancer center in Levis, close to Quebec City. The facility will serve the Chaudière-Appalaches region. It will have the capacity to treat up to 1,700 patients per year, with the first treatments expected to take place in April 2019.

20 Dec 2017

Study explores use of radiosurgery in lung cancer patients with multiple brain metastases

Although targeted therapies have produced dramatic advances in our ability to control some types of advanced lung cancer, growth of the disease in the brain remains a major problem.

19 Dec 2017

Study finds racial, socioeconomic barriers to accessing life-saving treatment for metastatic cancer

Increasing use of a potentially life-saving treatment for metastatic cancer is leaving too many vulnerable patients behind, according to a new study from Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital published in JNCCN – Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

19 Dec 2017

Cancer survivors have shorter lifespan finds new study

A large study has found that people who have survived cancer and its treatment are more likely to die sooner and have a shorter lifespan compared to those who have never had cancer.

18 Dec 2017

Offering lifesaving treatment for cervical cancer results in a net loss for hospitals

The evidence is clear: Cervical cancer is best treated with brachytherapy, a form of radiation therapy. Yet the use of this potentially lifesaving treatment has been declining, and a new study from the University of Virginia School of Medicine may explain why.

15 Dec 2017

Radiation therapy can be used to treat patients with life-threatening heart rhythm

Radiation therapy often is used to treat cancer patients. Now, doctors at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that radiation therapy - aimed directly at the heart - can be used to treat patients with a life-threatening heart rhythm.

14 Dec 2017

Study provides new insights into mechanism of tumor survival in glioblastoma

A Northwestern Medicine study, published in the journal Cancer Cell, has provided new insights into a mechanism of tumor survival in glioblastoma and demonstrated that inhibiting the process could enhance the effects of radiation therapy.

11 Dec 2017

Two immunotherapy approaches for multiple myeloma show hope

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center have developed two experimental immunotherapy methods that include one chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for the treatment of multiple myeloma patients who were not responding to other treatments.

11 Dec 2017

Shorter course of radiation may be preferred treatment for men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among males in the United States. Approximately, 180,000 men are diagnosed each year, and approximately 95 percent of these men have localized disease that is potentially curable.

5 Dec 2017

New treatment aims to target abnormally shaped protein in deadly childhood brain cancer

Children with an extremely deadly form of brain cancer might benefit from a new treatment that aims to direct an immune response against an abnormally shaped protein found exclusively on cancer cells, according to a new study led by UC San Francisco researchers.

4 Dec 2017

'Aggressive' surgery for early stage lung cancer provides better outcomes

Patients with early stage lung cancer live longer when they receive a lobectomy- the most common type of operation for the disease- rather than a less extensive operation or radiation treatment, according to a study published online today in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

30 Nov 2017

Study uncovers key mechanism by which tumors develop resistance to radiation therapy

A Ludwig Cancer Research study has uncovered a key mechanism by which tumors develop resistance to radiation therapy and shown how such resistance might be overcome with drugs that are currently under development.

23 Nov 2017

UVA scientists working to find end-around method to stop triple-negative breast cancer

So-called "triple-negative" breast cancer is a particularly aggressive and difficult-to-treat form. It accounts for only about 10 percent of breast cancer cases, but is responsible for about 25 percent of breast cancer fatalities.

20 Nov 2017

UNT professor develops alternative to anesthesia for pediatric cancer patients undergoing radiation

While radiation therapy is the most common cancer treatment for children under age 10, preparation for it may cause great stress for a child and his or her family.

16 Nov 2017

CMS report on radiation oncology alternative payment model provides viable path to better cancer care

The American Society for Radiation Oncology today called on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to move forward urgently with the development of a radiation oncology alternative payment model following a new report to Congress from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

3 Nov 2017

Researchers show how changes along lining of mammary ducts can lead to breast cancer

Breast cancer researchers have mapped early genetic alterations in normal-looking cells at various distances from primary tumors to show how changes along the lining of mammary ducts can lead to disease.

1 Nov 2017