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).

Oesophageal cancer patients who undergo surgery early in the week have higher chance of long-term survival

Patients who undergo surgery for oesophageal cancer early in the week - on a Monday or Tuesday - have a higher chance of long-term survival than those who have surgery at the end of the working week. This is according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the scientific journal Annals of Surgery.

18 Nov 2015

Novel immunotherapeutic approach could improve outcomes for patients with advanced bladder cancer

Noguchi explained that immunotherapy has emerged recently as a viable and attractive strategy for the treatment of advanced cancer.

18 Nov 2015

New cancer control interventions may decrease cancer burden in low- and middle-income countries

In low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where 5.5 million of the world’s 8 million cancer deaths occur each year, most people with cancer have little or no access to treatment and many die in severe pain for lack of inexpensive opioid pain medicine.

17 Nov 2015

NTU Singapore scientists harness dead bacteria to destroy colon tumours cells effectively

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University have successfully used dead bacteria to kill colorectal cancer cells. Harvesting the Clostridium sporogenes bacteria found commonly in soil, the NTU team was able to harness the bacteria in its dead form, and its secretions, to destroy colon tumours cells effectively.

9 Nov 2015

Communication network makes astrocytomas more resistant to treatment

Astrocytomas are special type of brain tumours that are difficult to treat, because they do not respond to standard forms of treatment. One reason for this resistance could be their ability to form a communication network.

5 Nov 2015

ZEISS adds INFRARED 800 to OPMI PENTERO 800 for reconstructive surgery

ZEISS is now adding INFRARED 800 to its OPMI PENTERO 800 surgical microscope for reconstructive surgery. The new enhancements are tailored to the requirements of breast reconstruction, lymph supermicrosurgery, and oral and maxillofacial surgery. Clinical specialists can benefit from the optimized package of ZEISS OPMI PENTERO 800 which provides intraoperative assessment of blood flow, higher magnification and effortless maneuverability required for complex reconstructive surgery.

4 Nov 2015

Scientists identify protein that helps map brain tumours

Scientists have discovered a protein that helps map the edge of brain tumours more clearly so they show up on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, according to new research presented at the National Cancer Research Institute Cancer Conference in Liverpool today.

3 Nov 2015

ISIBELa joint research project aims to improve cancer therapy

Some individuals experience cancer recurrence when they enter adolescence or adulthood after they have been successfully treated for cancer in childhood while others don't. But why is this? This is the core question being considered in a research project directed by the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

27 Oct 2015

DelMar reports positive data from preclinical study of VAL-083 for treatment of ovarian cancer

DelMar Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of new cancer therapies, announced that yesterday it presented positive preclinical data demonstrating the promising potential of its lead product candidate VAL-083 (dianhydrogalactitol) as a treatment for ovarian cancer.

19 Oct 2015

University of Maryland develops GammaPod system to treat early-stage breast cancer

After more than a decade of research and development, researchers in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine will begin enrolling patients in the first clinical trial of GammaPod, a new high-precision, image-guided radiation therapy system specifically designed to treat early-stage breast cancer.

19 Oct 2015

ViewRay obtains Korean regulatory approval for MRI-guided radiation therapy system

ViewRay, Inc. announced today that the company has received regulatory approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) – formerly known as the Korean Food and Drug Administration – to sell its ViewRay system in Korea. On October 13, 2015, the first patient treatments commenced less than four weeks after the system completed installation at Seoul National University Hospital, a leading healthcare facility in Korea.

18 Oct 2015

UM SOM researchers to initiate first clinical trial of GammaPod system in patients with early-stage breast cancer

16 Oct 2015

Medical experts launch crowd funding project to investigate effect of malaria drug on colorectal cancer

Medical experts investigating whether a common malaria drug could have a significant impact on colorectal cancer have launched a crowd funding project to fund their work.

16 Oct 2015

ViewRay selected as recipient of 2015 Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Leadership Award

ViewRay, Inc. announced today that the company has been selected to receive the 2015 Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Leadership Award, a prestigious recognition based on an extensive and independent Frost & Sullivan analysis of the North American Image-Guided Radiation Therapy market.

13 Oct 2015

Elekta’s high field MRI-guided linear accelerator installed at MD Anderson Cancer Center

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Elekta and Philips teams recently completed installation of the first high field (1.5 Tesla) MRI-guided linear accelerator in the United States.

From Elekta 13 Oct 2015

Varian Medical Systems' ProBeam proton therapy system receives CE Mark approval

Varian Medical Systems has received CE Mark for its latest ProBeam proton therapy system. The CE Mark allows Varian to begin installation of the newest version of its ProBeam system in the European Union.

12 Oct 2015

People in low-income countries lack access to life-saving cancer treatment

Queen's University researcher Timothy Hanna has co-authored a Lancet Oncology study that suggests as many as 90 per cent of people in low-income countries lack access to radiotherapy treatment. The lack of access to radiotherapy costs millions of lives and billions of dollars in lost economic growth in low- and middle-income countries.

8 Oct 2015

Innovative service model leads to better results for patients with advanced cancer

An innovative service model that partners radiation oncology with palliative care leads to better results for patients, according to a new analysis. The model of care, established at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, is one of only a handful in the country. The study will be presented at the upcoming 2015 Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium in Boston.

7 Oct 2015

World Scientific publishes new book that covers all aspects of cancer care

Cervical, uterine and ovarian cancers are among the most common cancers affecting women, with a total of 1,087,000 new cases diagnosed worldwide in 2012.

1 Oct 2015

Neuroendocrine sequelae common after paediatric optic gliomas

Neuroendocrine sequelae are common following paediatric low-grade gliomas affecting the optic pathway, hypothalamus and suprasellar areas and are influenced by tumour location and treatment choice, a study shows.