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.

Researchers report high response rate with single drug in phase I/II trial of paediatric brain cancer

A high response rate with a single drug in a phase I/II trial of paediatric brain tumour has set the stage for combination therapy with higher response and lower toxicity, researchers reported at the ESMO 2016 Congress in Copenhagen.

7 Oct 2016

Increasing incidence of thyroid cancer in past three decades

The incidence of thyroid cancer has tripled in the past three decades, yet the reason for this is not clear.

6 Oct 2016

C-11 choline PET and MRI help physicians map patterns of prostate cancer recurrence after surgery

A team of Mayo Clinic researchers has, for the first time, successfully mapped patterns of prostate cancer recurrence, following surgery. Using C-11 choline PET imaging and multiparametric MRI, researchers found an anatomically diverse pattern of recurrence, which may help optimize treatment of patients whose prostate cancer returns after surgery.

6 Oct 2016

Researchers identify new strategy to selectively sensitize cancer cells to radiation therapy

Many types of cancer become drug resistant, making them difficult to treat. Researchers with University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center have identified a strategy to selectively sensitize certain cancer cells to radiation therapy that may improve tumor control and reduce treatment-related side effects.

5 Oct 2016

Study identifies prognostic value of IDH and CIC mutations for grade II/III glioma patients

NRG Oncology investigators have identified two biomarkers that are prognostic of overall and progression-free survival for patients with lower-grade gliomas.

4 Oct 2016

IMRT linked to reduced xerostomia and feeding tube dependency in oropharyngeal cancer patients

Radiation therapy is the main treatment modality in the management of head and neck cancer.

4 Oct 2016

Researchers find better patient-reported quality of life in women who received pelvic IMRT

NRG Oncology investigators report better patient-reported quality of life measures for women who received intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for their pelvic radiation therapy (RT) than those who received standard RT.

4 Oct 2016

Immediate breast reconstruction can help avoid period of psychosocial distress linked to mastectomy

Immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) can avoid some of the psychological effects of undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer, compared to waiting for delayed breast reconstruction (DBR), reports a study in the October issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

29 Sep 2016

Study examines benefits of hormonal therapy for prostate cancer patients with prior history of heart attack

In a recent study, a Yale Cancer Center team determined that men who received hormonal therapy for prostate cancer had a net harm if they had a prior history of a heart attack.

28 Sep 2016

Single high-intensity SBRT dose can be effective in treating early stage NSCLC patients

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a specialized and highly targeted method of delivering radiotherapy, or radiation therapy, to treat cancer.

28 Sep 2016

Study helps identify optimal treatment option for NSCLC patients with brain metastases

A Yale Cancer Center team completed a multi-institutional analysis of treatment options for patients with newly diagnosed EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with brain metastases to determine the best option for treatment.

28 Sep 2016

Radiation boost provides added benefit to DCIS patients following breast-conserving surgery and WBRT

A supplemental "boost" of radiation improves local control and provides an incremental benefit in decreasing breast cancer recurrence for patients with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) who receive whole breast radiation therapy radiation (WBRT) following lumpectomy, according to research presented today at the 58th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

27 Sep 2016

Intermediate risk prostate cancer patients can achieve survival benefit with brachytherapy alone

For men with intermediate risk prostate cancer, radiation treatment with brachytherapy alone can result in similar cancer control with fewer long-term side effects, when compared to more aggressive treatment that combines brachytherapy with external beam therapy (EBT), according to research presented today at the 58th Annual Meeting the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

27 Sep 2016

Increasing adoption of SBRT improves survival rates for older patients with early stage lung cancer

Survival rates for elderly patients who received stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) rose from roughly 40 to 60 percent over the past decade, concurrent with the increasing adoption of SBRT, according to research presented today at the 58th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

27 Sep 2016

IMRT reduces risk of side effects, improves quality of life for endometrial and cervical cancer patients

Patients with cervical and endometrial cancer have fewer gastrointestinal and genitourinary side effects and experience better quality of life when treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) than with conventional radiation therapy (RT), according to research presented today at the 58th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

26 Sep 2016

CNS experts create new research-based guidelines for evaluation and treatment of NFPAs

Nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs) are common benign tumors that may be present for years before causing any symptoms.

26 Sep 2016

Addition of chemotherapy to post-surgical radiation treatment improves survival in medulloblastoma patients

In a recent study, a Yale Cancer Center team revealed that the addition of chemotherapy to postoperative treatment for adults with medulloblastoma improves survival.

26 Sep 2016

Study reveals radiosurgery as viable treatment option for patients with resected brain metastases

For patients who have cancer that has metastasized to the brain, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) results in statistically comparable survival rates, reduced cognitive decline and better quality of life (QOL), compared to whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT), according to research presented today at the 58th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

26 Sep 2016

$Hypofractionated RT can reduce treatment time by half in stage II and III NSCLC patients$

Hypofractionated RT can reduce treatment time by half in stage II and III NSCLC patients

For patients with stage II and III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) unable to receive standard treatments of surgery or chemoradiation (CRT), hypofractionated radiation therapy (RT) results in similar overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates, limited severe side effects and shorter treatment times when compared to conventional RT, according to research presented today at the 58th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

26 Sep 2016

SRS reduces likelihood of local recurrence of brain metastases in cancer patients

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for cancer patients who receive the treatment for brain metastases decreases the likelihood of local recurrence but shows no positive difference in terms of overall survival (OS) or distant brain metastases (DBMs) rates, when compared to observation alone following surgical resection of brain metastases, according to research presented today at the 58th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

26 Sep 2016

Radiation Therapy News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers report high response rate with single drug in phase I/II trial of paediatric brain cancer

Increasing incidence of thyroid cancer in past three decades

C-11 choline PET and MRI help physicians map patterns of prostate cancer recurrence after surgery

Researchers identify new strategy to selectively sensitize cancer cells to radiation therapy

Study identifies prognostic value of IDH and CIC mutations for grade II/III glioma patients

IMRT linked to reduced xerostomia and feeding tube dependency in oropharyngeal cancer patients

Researchers find better patient-reported quality of life in women who received pelvic IMRT

Immediate breast reconstruction can help avoid period of psychosocial distress linked to mastectomy

Study examines benefits of hormonal therapy for prostate cancer patients with prior history of heart attack

Single high-intensity SBRT dose can be effective in treating early stage NSCLC patients

Study helps identify optimal treatment option for NSCLC patients with brain metastases

Radiation boost provides added benefit to DCIS patients following breast-conserving surgery and WBRT

Intermediate risk prostate cancer patients can achieve survival benefit with brachytherapy alone

Increasing adoption of SBRT improves survival rates for older patients with early stage lung cancer

IMRT reduces risk of side effects, improves quality of life for endometrial and cervical cancer patients

CNS experts create new research-based guidelines for evaluation and treatment of NFPAs

Addition of chemotherapy to post-surgical radiation treatment improves survival in medulloblastoma patients

Study reveals radiosurgery as viable treatment option for patients with resected brain metastases

Hypofractionated RT can reduce treatment time by half in stage II and III NSCLC patients

SRS reduces likelihood of local recurrence of brain metastases in cancer patients

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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