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.

UCLA scientists discover new approach for treating glioblastoma

UCLA scientists have identified a potential new strategy for treating glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer, by reprogramming aggressive cancer cells into harmless ones.

26 Feb 2025

Tardigrade protein offers radiation protection for cancer patients

About 60 percent of all cancer patients in the United States receive radiation therapy as part of their treatment.

26 Feb 2025

New antibody-toxin conjugate designed to stimulate immune-mediated eradication of tumors

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have developed a novel antibody-toxin conjugate (ATC) designed to stimulate immune-mediated eradication of tumors.

25 Feb 2025

Study finds key p53 targets for future cancer treatment

A new research paper was published in Oncotarget, Volume 16, on February 18, 2025, titled "Robust p53 phenotypes and prospective downstream targets in telomerase-immortalized human cells."

24 Feb 2025

New clinical trial seeks alternatives for head and neck cancer patients unable to use cisplatin

A physician-scientist at the University of Oklahoma is part of an international effort seeking new options for patients with head and neck cancer who cannot receive the standard chemotherapy drug cisplatin.

21 Feb 2025

CPRIT awards nearly $23 million to MD Anderson for cancer research projects

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today was awarded nearly $23 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) in support of 20 cancer research projects to advance new breakthroughs in discovery, translational, clinical and prevention science.

20 Feb 2025

Senolytic agent ABT-263 mitigates GI cancer risk after radiation exposure

A new research paper was published by Aging (Aging-US) on January 8, 2025, in Volume 17, Issue 1, titled "Senolytic agent ABT-263 mitigates low- and high-LET radiation-induced gastrointestinal cancer development in Apc1638N/+ mice."

18 Feb 2025

Atherosclerosis detection in lung cancer patients through CT scans

Several cardiovascular risk factors, such as advanced age and smoking history, are prevalent among lung cancer patients at the time of the diagnosis and increase their risk of future heart disease, according to a new study being presented at ACC's Advancing the Cardiovascular Care of the Oncology Patient course.

14 Feb 2025

Breakthrough drug improves treatment of medulloblastoma in mice

Brain cancer is the second-leading cause of death in children in the developed world. For the children who survive, standard treatments have long-term impacts on their development and quality of life, particularly in small children and infants.

4 Feb 2025

New microscopy technique offers affordable way to study cancer cell metabolism

Understanding how tumors change their metabolism to resist treatments is a growing focus in cancer research.

3 Feb 2025

High-precision radiation therapy found to be safe for polymetastatic cancer

A new Phase I clinical trial from London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute (LHSCRI) has found high-precision radiation therapy is safe for use in patients with cancer that has spread to more than 10 spots in the body.

3 Feb 2025

Early side effects of radiation may increase long-term risk for prostate cancer patients

Men undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer who experience side effects early in treatment may face a higher risk of developing more serious long-term urinary and bowel health issues, according to a new study led by investigators from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

31 Jan 2025

New approach to treating ependymoma with leukemia drug

Rakesh Jain PhD, Director of the E.L. Steele Laboratories for Tumor Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital and A. Werk Cook Professor of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School, is senior author of a new study in PNAS, Targeting EPHB2/ABL1 Restores Anti-Tumor Immunity in Preclinical Models of Ependymoma.

23 Jan 2025

Scientists discover why cancer cells die differently after radiotherapy

Scientists at Children's Medical Research Institute have solved a big mystery in cancer research – why cells die in different ways following radiotherapy.

13 Jan 2025

Scientists discover new target for treating aggressive brain cancer

A study co-led by UCLA scientists has found targeting a protein called endocan and its related signaling pathway could be a promising new approach for treating glioblastoma, an aggressive and lethal type of brain cancer.

8 Jan 2025

Adding SBRT to sorafenib improves survival in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Recent results from the Phase III NRG-RTOG 1112 clinical study showed that the addition of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) to systemic therapy with sorafenib significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) and time-to-progression in patients with locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) when compared to sorafenib alone.

20 Dec 2024

New radiation therapy approach improves survival for older glioblastoma patients

Mayo Clinic announces the results of an innovative treatment approach that may offer improvement in overall survival in older patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma while maintaining quality of life.

17 Dec 2024

47th annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium kicks off in December

Mays Cancer Center at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), in partnership with the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), is hosting the 47th annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center on Dec. 10-13.

9 Dec 2024

Report highlights increasing use of targeted therapies before surgery for cancer treatment

Breast, bladder, and pancreatic cancers are increasingly being treated with a broad range of therapies before a patient undergoes surgery, and cancer stage at diagnosis continues to be a leading factor in determining a person's survival rate for all types of cancer, according to the first-ever annual cancer report from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Cancer Programs.

3 Dec 2024

Temozolomide and radiation combination improves survival in low-grade glioma patients

Both radiation and temozolomide, a generic chemotherapy treatment in pill form, have meaningful single-modality anti-tumor activity against slow-growing, low-grade gliomas.

25 Nov 2024