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.

Carl Zeiss Meditec to invest in Oraya Therapy for treatment of wet AMD

Carl Zeiss Meditec AG and Oraya Therapeutics, Inc. jointly announced today that the companies have entered into a collaboration agreement under which Carl Zeiss Meditec will provide funding to Oraya over a period of up to two years for the implementation of Oraya’s growth strategy, and in turn receive rights in the company reaching up to a majority stake after two years.

8 Jan 2015

Many breast cancer patients undergoing lumpectomy surgery benefit from new intra-operative technology

Many patients undergoing lumpectomy surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center for the removal of an early detected breast tumor - the surgical option of choice for this diagnosis -- are benefitting from new intra-operative technology that detects microscopic amounts of cancer cells on removed tumor tissue not visible during or following surgical intervention.

6 Jan 2015

Holding breath during radiation therapy can reduce radiation exposure to the heart

Women who have breast cancer on their left side present a particular challenge to radiation oncologists. Studies have shown that the risk of heart disease is higher in this group of women after radiation treatment because it can be difficult to ensure that a sufficient dose of radiation is delivered to the left breast while adequately shielding the heart from exposure.

5 Jan 2015

New treatment approach may improve survival rates for certain patients with stage 4 lung cancer

A clinical trial that combined stereotactic body radiation therapy with a specific chemotherapy regimen more than doubled survival rates for certain stage 4 lung cancer patients, UT Southwestern Medical Center cancer researchers report.

2 Jan 2015

OncoGenex executes initial agreement with Teva to regain rights to custirsen

OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has executed an initial agreement with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. to regain rights to custirsen, an investigational compound currently being evaluated in Phase 3 clinical development as a treatment for prostate and lung cancers.

31 Dec 2014

New therapeutic approach shows potential for treating cancer

Case Western Reserve researchers have identified a two-pronged therapeutic approach that shows great potential for weakening and then defeating cancer cells.

31 Dec 2014

Radiation/chemotherapy increases risk of leukemia in early-stage breast cancer patients

The risk of developing leukemia after radiation therapy or chemotherapy for early stage breast cancer remains very small, but it is twice as high as previously reported, according to results of a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

23 Dec 2014

Elekta's Flexitron brachytherapy afterloading platform approved in China

Elekta announces that the China Food and Drug Administration has approved Elekta's Flexitron brachytherapy afterloading platform for sale and marketing in China.

From Elekta 18 Dec 2014

Tel Aviv University study throws spotlight on gene mutation responsible for premature ovarian failure

Premature ovarian failure, also known as primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), affects 1% of all women worldwide. In most cases, the exact cause of the condition, which is often associated with infertility, is difficult to determine.

18 Dec 2014

ASTRO's education programs recognized with ACCME accreditation

The American Society for Radiation Oncology's education credentials have been recognized and upgraded by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education from Accreditation to Accreditation with Commendation, approved at the ACCME's December 2014 meeting.

14 Dec 2014

Two-thirds of U.S. women with early-stage breast cancer receive longer radiation therapy

Two-thirds of women treated for early-stage breast cancer in the U.S. receive longer radiation therapy than necessary, according to a new study published in JAMA this week from Penn Medicine researchers Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD, and Justin E. Bekelman, MD.

11 Dec 2014

$Using Refractory Metals in Cancer Treatments$

Using Refractory Metals in Cancer Treatments

This interview discusses how refractory metals can be used in cancer treatments.

From H.C. Starck Solutions 10 Dec 2014

Use of HF-WBI for patients with early-stage breast cancer increases 17.4%, study finds

The use of hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation (HF-WBI) for patients with early-stage breast cancer increased 17.4 percent from 2004 to 2011, and patients are more likely to receive HF-WBI compared to conventionally fractionated whole-breast irradiation (CF-WBI) when they are treated at an academic center or live ≥50 miles away from a cancer center, according to a study published in the December 1, 2014 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

10 Dec 2014

Revolutionary new approach uses advanced technology to remove head and neck cancer tumors

In a groundbreaking new study, UCLA researchers have for the first time advanced a surgical technique performed with the help of a robot to successfully access a previously-unreachable area of the head and neck.

10 Dec 2014

Findings open new avenues for research to predict risk of therapy-related AML

For a small percentage of cancer patients, treatment aimed at curing the disease leads to a form of leukemia with a poor prognosis. Conventional thinking goes that chemotherapy and radiation therapy induce a barrage of damaging genetic mutations that kill cancer cells yet inadvertently spur the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a blood cancer.

8 Dec 2014

Most elderly women with early-stage breast cancer still receive radiation therapy despite less benefit

Women over the age of 70 who have certain early-stage breast cancers overwhelmingly receive radiation therapy despite published evidence that the treatment has limited benefit, researchers at Duke Medicine report.

8 Dec 2014

Baylor-led researchers identify gene linked to familial glioma

An international consortium of researchers led by Baylor College of Medicine has identified for the first time a gene associated with familial glioma (brain tumors that appear in two or more members of the same family) providing new support that certain people may be genetically predisposed to the disease.

8 Dec 2014

Novel targeted therapies and treatment combinations for leukemia

Recognizing that leukemia cannot be conquered with a "one-size-fits-all" approach, researchers are pursuing novel targeted therapies and combinations of existing treatment regimens with new agents for patient populations with historically poor prognoses, according to data presented today during the 56th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition.

7 Dec 2014

Researchers identify new targets for future CLL therapies

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is among the most frequent leukemias affecting adults in Western countries. It usually occurs in older patients, does not cause any symptoms for a long time and is often only discovered by accident. Despite treatment, relapses frequently occur. The immunologists Dr. Kristina Heinig and Dr. Uta Höpken (Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, MDC, Berlin-Buch) and the hematologist Dr. Armin Rehm (MDC and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin) have now discovered why this is so.

7 Dec 2014

ASTRO recognized with three 2014 MarCom Awards

The American Society for Radiation Oncology received three 2014 MarCom Awards. MarCom Awards were presented to ASTRO for the Summer 2014 issue of ASTROnews, the RO-ILS: Radiation Oncology Incident Learning SystemTM marketing campaign and the most recent edition of the Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer patient brochure.

7 Dec 2014

Radiation Therapy News and Research

Further Reading

Carl Zeiss Meditec to invest in Oraya Therapy for treatment of wet AMD

Many breast cancer patients undergoing lumpectomy surgery benefit from new intra-operative technology

Holding breath during radiation therapy can reduce radiation exposure to the heart

New treatment approach may improve survival rates for certain patients with stage 4 lung cancer

OncoGenex executes initial agreement with Teva to regain rights to custirsen

New therapeutic approach shows potential for treating cancer

Radiation/chemotherapy increases risk of leukemia in early-stage breast cancer patients

Elekta's Flexitron brachytherapy afterloading platform approved in China

Tel Aviv University study throws spotlight on gene mutation responsible for premature ovarian failure

ASTRO's education programs recognized with ACCME accreditation

Two-thirds of U.S. women with early-stage breast cancer receive longer radiation therapy

Using Refractory Metals in Cancer Treatments

Use of HF-WBI for patients with early-stage breast cancer increases 17.4%, study finds

Revolutionary new approach uses advanced technology to remove head and neck cancer tumors

Findings open new avenues for research to predict risk of therapy-related AML

Most elderly women with early-stage breast cancer still receive radiation therapy despite less benefit

Baylor-led researchers identify gene linked to familial glioma

Novel targeted therapies and treatment combinations for leukemia

Researchers identify new targets for future CLL therapies

ASTRO recognized with three 2014 MarCom Awards

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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