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.

MRIgFU ablation therapy reduces pain in 67% of patients with bone tumors

Patients with cancer that has spread to their bones are often treated with radiation therapy to reduce pain. But if that treatment doesn't work, or can't be used again, a second, effective option now exists.

3 Jun 2013

Selumetinib demonstrates clinical benefit for patients with metastatic uveal melanoma

The experimental drug selumetinib is the first targeted therapy to demonstrate significant clinical benefit for patients with metastatic uveal melanoma, according to new Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center research presented on Saturday, June 1, at the 49th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

3 Jun 2013

New clinical trial may help reduce radiation dose for patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer

Researchers from Fox Chase Cancer Center and other institutions have completed a phase II clinical trial that may help identify those patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer who do not require the full radiation dose given in a standard regimen of Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). Preliminary findings will be presented by Shanthi Marur, first author on the study and an oncologist at the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, at the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology on Sunday, June 2.

1 Jun 2013

Glioblastoma patients treated with bevacizumab have deterioration in neurocognitive function

Many glioblastoma patients treated with bevacizumab (Avastin-) have significant deterioration in neurocognitive function, symptoms and quality of life. Not only that, the changes often predict treatment outcomes, according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

1 Jun 2013

Study supports future possibility of personalized medicine for cervical cancer

Doctors at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that testing cervical tumors before treatment for vulnerability to chemotherapy predicts whether patients will do well or poorly with standard treatment.

1 Jun 2013

Study: Young women with breast cancer often choose mastectomy over surgical procedure

A new study of young women with breast cancer has found that most chose to have a mastectomy rather than a surgical procedure that would conserve the breast, researchers will report at the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, May 31-June 4, in Chicago.

31 May 2013

Porter Cancer Care Center to use new image-guided radiotherapy system for cancer treatment

Starting June 2013, the Porter Cancer Care Center at Porter Adventist Hospital becomes one of the few facilities in the country to offer highly advanced radiation therapy and radiosurgery cancer treatment options using the new Varian TrueBeam image-guided radiotherapy system.

30 May 2013

St James's Institute of Oncology orders two Versa HD systems to improve patient care

St James's Institute of Oncology, a leading radiotherapy center in the UK, recently ordered two Versa HD™ systems, an advanced linear accelerator designed to improve patient care and treat a wide range of tumors throughout the body.

From Elekta 28 May 2013

Researchers use data to identify different forms of prostate cancers and effective treatment options

Some prostate cancer patients unnecessarily undergo surgery or harsh treatments because science fails to identify the differences between slow-growing and aggressive forms of the disease. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and Johns Hopkins Medical Institutes are developing technology that allows patients to safely choose to do nothing, opt for relatively mild treatments or take drastic measures.

24 May 2013

SonaCare Medical highlights need for image-guided technologies to better identify prostate cancer

The need to add tissue preserving therapies to the prostate cancer treatment continuum was highlighted prominently at the 108th Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association, in San Diego.

24 May 2013

FDA gives Priority Review to Celgene's ABRAXANE sNDA for advanced pancreatic cancer

Celgene International Sàrl, a subsidiary of Celgene Corporation today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has assigned a Priority Review designation to the supplemental New Drug Application for the use of ABRAXANE (paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension) (albumin-bound) in combination with gemcitabine for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

23 May 2013

Research suggests that IMRT may not be more effective in patients who had prostatectomy

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy has become the most commonly used type of radiation in prostate cancer, but research from the University of North Carolina suggests that the therapy may not be more effective than older, less expensive forms of radiation therapy in patients who have had a prostatectomy.

22 May 2013

Researchers say that receiving cancer radiation therapy late in the day may minimize hair loss

Discovering that mouse hair has a circadian clock - a 24-hour cycle of growth followed by restorative repair - researchers suspect that hair loss in humans from toxic cancer radiotherapy and chemotherapy might be minimized if these treatments are given late in the day.

21 May 2013

UCLA study: Older men with multiple underlying health problems should avoid prostate cancer treatment

Older prostate cancer patients with other underlying health conditions should think twice before committing to surgery or radiation therapy for their cancer, according to a multicenter study led by researchers in the UCLA Department of Urology.

21 May 2013

Novel drug may increase the effectiveness of radiation therapy for brain cancer

A novel drug may help increase the effectiveness of radiation therapy for the most deadly form of brain cancer, report scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center. In mouse models of human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the new drug helped significantly extend survival when used in combination with radiation therapy.

15 May 2013

RaySearch Laboratories gets FDA approval for RayStation 3.5

In March RaySearch Laboratories AB announced that version 3.5 of RaySearch's RayStation treatment planning system had been released for clinical use.

15 May 2013

UNM Cancer Center to participate in Phase 3 clinical trial of novel treatment for men with prostate cancer

The University of New Mexico Cancer Center is among a few select institutions nationwide participating in a Phase 3 clinical trial studying a novel treatment for men with newly diagnosed, localized prostate cancer.

13 May 2013

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre signs research agreement to evaluate MRI-guided radiation therapy

Elekta and Royal Philips Electronics announced today that Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto, Canada) will join their growing consortium to validate the clinical potential of MRI-guided radiation therapy.

From Elekta 10 May 2013

New guidelines for radiation therapy after prostatectomy

Based on a major effort co-led by Richard Valicenti, UC Davis Department of Radiation Oncology Professor and Chair, the nation's leading urological and radiation oncology organizations today announced a new guideline for radiation therapy after prostatectomy.

8 May 2013

AUA and ASTRO release new guideline on adjuvant and salvage radiotherapy after prostatectomy

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and the American Urological Association (AUA) are pleased to announce the publication of the joint guideline on radiation therapy after prostatectomy for patients with and without evidence of prostate cancer recurrence.

7 May 2013

Radiation Therapy News and Research

Further Reading

MRIgFU ablation therapy reduces pain in 67% of patients with bone tumors

Selumetinib demonstrates clinical benefit for patients with metastatic uveal melanoma

New clinical trial may help reduce radiation dose for patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer

Glioblastoma patients treated with bevacizumab have deterioration in neurocognitive function

Study supports future possibility of personalized medicine for cervical cancer

Study: Young women with breast cancer often choose mastectomy over surgical procedure

Porter Cancer Care Center to use new image-guided radiotherapy system for cancer treatment

St James's Institute of Oncology orders two Versa HD systems to improve patient care

Researchers use data to identify different forms of prostate cancers and effective treatment options

SonaCare Medical highlights need for image-guided technologies to better identify prostate cancer

FDA gives Priority Review to Celgene's ABRAXANE sNDA for advanced pancreatic cancer

Research suggests that IMRT may not be more effective in patients who had prostatectomy

Researchers say that receiving cancer radiation therapy late in the day may minimize hair loss

UCLA study: Older men with multiple underlying health problems should avoid prostate cancer treatment

Novel drug may increase the effectiveness of radiation therapy for brain cancer

RaySearch Laboratories gets FDA approval for RayStation 3.5

UNM Cancer Center to participate in Phase 3 clinical trial of novel treatment for men with prostate cancer

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre signs research agreement to evaluate MRI-guided radiation therapy

New guidelines for radiation therapy after prostatectomy

AUA and ASTRO release new guideline on adjuvant and salvage radiotherapy after prostatectomy

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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