Radiotherapy News and Research

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Radiation therapy (in North America), or radiotherapy (in the UK and Australia) also called radiation oncology, and sometimes abbreviated to XRT, is the medical use of ionizing radiation as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells (not to be confused with radiology, the use of radiation in medical imaging and diagnosis).

New algorithm provides personalized treatment approach for patients with metastatic spine cancer

Every kind of cancer can spread to the spine, yet two physician-scientists who treat these patients describe a paucity of guidance for effectively providing care and minimizing pain.

8 Feb 2018

Scientists target tumor suppressor as a new treatment approach to 'triple-negative' breast cancer

Researchers studying “triple-negative” breast cancer have found that the loss of a specific tumor suppressor provides clues about potential new treatments.

6 Feb 2018

NCCN joins call for urgent action to reduce rate of premature cancer deaths

On Sunday February 4, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) will stand with cancer leaders, health professionals, and supporters across the world to acknowledge World Cancer Day.

2 Feb 2018

Microbubbles increase radiotherapy success against breast cancer

A new study found that injecting microbubbles filled with oxygen into breast cancer tumors makes them three times more sensitive to radiotherapy.

1 Feb 2018

Computational approach can help identify chemoresistant potential targets in cancer stem cells

In cancer, one of the most important features is the methylation of deoxycytosine to form 5-methylcytosine (5mC). DNA methylation is a process by which methyl groups (structural units of organic compounds consisting of three hydrogen atoms bonded to a carbon atom) are added to the DNA molecule.

30 Jan 2018

Shorter courses of radiation effective for treatment of slow-growing skin cancers

A recent Penn State College of Medicine physician's study review suggests that shorter courses of radiation are preferable to longer ones for older patients receiving treatment for slow-growing skin cancers.

30 Jan 2018

New palliative radiation techniques could provide better quality of life for lung cancer patients

While palliative radiation therapy is used to ease pain in patients with advanced lung cancer, it often has adverse effects on the esophagus which leads to symptoms like heartburn and difficulty swallowing.

29 Jan 2018

Researchers reveal important role of estrogen in neuroblastoma

The female sex hormone estrogen can perform an important role in neuroblastoma, a form of cancer mainly affecting young children.

29 Jan 2018

Hitachi gets FDA clearance for commercialization of Real Time Image Gating System for Proton Beam Therapy Systems

Hitachi, Ltd. and Hokkaido University announced that it has obtained U.S. Food & Drug Administration 510(k) clearance on December 26, 2017 for the commercialization of "Real Time Image Gating System for Proton Beam Therapy Systems", allowing for its systems in the United States to treat patients with cutting-edge motion management together with its advanced Spot Scanning irradiation technology.

25 Jan 2018

New gel offers protection for organs at risk during prostate cancer treatment

Radiation therapy is a popular and effective treatment for many men with prostate cancer, and now a temporary gel offers greater protection for organs at risk during treatments.

23 Jan 2018

U.S. FDA approves first drug for patients with germline BRCA-mutated metastatic breast cancer

AstraZeneca and Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved LYNPARZA (olaparib) for use in patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious germline BRCA-mutated (gBRCAm), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative metastatic breast cancer who have been previously treated with chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant or metastatic setting.

12 Jan 2018

Novel polygenic hazard score captures age variations of aggressive prostate cancer

An international team, led by researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, has developed and validated a genetic tool for predicting age of onset of aggressive prostate cancer, a disease that kills more than 26,000 American men annually.

12 Jan 2018

Radiation therapy algorithm could lessen side effects, maintain effectiveness of treatment

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a mathematical model for computing radiation therapy treatments that could substantially reduce patient side effects while delivering the same results as conventional radiation therapy.

5 Jan 2018

Supercomputers help scientists to devise cancer models for predicting individual treatment outcomes

Attempts to eradicate cancer are often compared to a "moonshot" -- the successful effort that sent the first astronauts to the moon.

3 Jan 2018

Experts report new guidelines for clinical trial design in patients with brain metastases

Clinical trials of new anti-cancer therapies have often excluded patients whose disease has spread to the brain or central nervous system (CNS) or, if such patients were allowed on trial, trials have often failed to clearly capture information on the drug's effect in the brain.

30 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

Nanobiotix receives FDA approval for first immuno-oncology trial

NANOBIOTIX, a late clinical-stage nanomedicine company pioneering new approaches to the treatment of cancer, today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its Investigational New Drug Application for NBTXR3, a first-in-class nanoparticle designed for direct injection into cancerous tumors, activated by stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and administered in combination with an anti-PD1 antibody (nivolumab or pembrolizumab).

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

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.