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.

Study reveals impact of physician financial incentives and highlights importance of patient education

According to a new study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, prostate cancer patients of urologists who own expensive radiation equipment are more likely to receive radiation treatment in lieu of surgery than patients treated by urologists without an ownership stake in the equipment.

13 Mar 2013

Nearly two-thirds of women with ovarian cancer do not receive guideline-adherent care

Women are 30 percent less likely to die of ovarian cancer if they have guideline-recommended treatment, yet nearly two-thirds of those with the disease do not receive it, often because they are cared for at hospitals that treat a small number of ovarian cancer patients.

12 Mar 2013

Sosei commences SO-1105 Phase III trial in oropharyngeal candidiasis

Sosei Group Corporation, the biopharmaceutical company, today announces that its Japanese subsidiary, Sosei Co., Ltd., has initiated a Phase III trial for SO-1105 for the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis.

12 Mar 2013

IP chemotherapy increases survival in patients with advanced ovarian cancer

Patients with advanced ovarian cancer who undergo intensive treatment with chemotherapy that bathes the abdomen are significantly more likely to live longer than those who receive standard intravenous (IV) chemotherapy, according to a study that analyzed long-term follow-up from two landmark Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) trials comprising 876 patients.

11 Mar 2013

SGO's 44th Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer to be held in Los Angeles

Ovarian cancer treatment, health care reform, the impact of obesity on gynecologic health and the delivery of high quality gynecologic cancer care highlight the Society of Gynecologic Oncology's (SGO) 44th Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer March 9-12 in Los Angeles.

6 Mar 2013

IMRIS fourth quarter total revenues increase 37% to $20.1 million

IMRIS Inc. today reported its results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2012. All figures are reported in US dollars.

5 Mar 2013

Children with low-risk retinoblastoma do not need postoperative chemotherapy

New results from a prospective clinical trial conducted in France show that children with low-risk retinoblastoma do not need postoperative (adjuvant) chemotherapy to prevent disease recurrence or metastasis; the results also suggest that certain patients with intermediate-risk disease can receive less aggressive adjuvant treatment, or perhaps forego it altogether. Avoiding chemotherapy spares patients from treatment side effects and long-term health risks, such as cardiovascular disease and development of a second cancer.

5 Mar 2013

Elekta launches Versa HD system to treat cancers

During a live global event, Elekta announced the launch of Versa HD, an advanced linear accelerator system designed to improve patient care and treat a broader spectrum of cancers.

From Elekta 2 Mar 2013

Oraya Therapy safe and effective for patients with wet AMD

Oraya Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that one of the patients who successfully was treated for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with Oraya Therapy during the INTREPID clinical trial has released data showing he has experienced significant, sustained vision improvement more than two years after treatment in his right eye, without any subsequent anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections or other treatment.

1 Mar 2013

Radiation, surgery offer best survival possibilities for metastatic gastric cancer patients

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center studied patients with metastatic gastric cancer and found that those who have both surgery and radiation have better survival than those who receive one or no form of treatment.

28 Feb 2013

First study ever to analyze 25 years of data after radiation therapy for prostate cancer patients

The March 2013 issue of The Journal of Urology, the official journal of The American Urological Association, includes a study conducted by four physicians from Radiotherapy Clinics of Georgia (RCOG), a Vantage Oncology affiliate.

28 Feb 2013

Abell Foundation to award $50,000 to 3 Johns Hopkins researchers for medical inventions

Johns Hopkins' John Wong, Ph.D., has won a BioMaryland LIFE Award, and Ronald Berger, M.D., Ph.D., and Hien Nguyen, M.D., were awarded funds from the Abell Foundation, the researchers learned last week. Each of the winners will receive $50,000 to help develop their discoveries for clinical use.

27 Feb 2013

Follow up evaluations necessary for 15 years after radiation therapy for prostate cancer patients

27 Feb 2013

Radial forearm free flap shows worth in mandibular reconstruction

The osteocutaneous radial forearm free flap should be used for mandibular reconstruction because of the low rate of long-term donor and recipient site complications, particularly with prophylactic plating of the donor radius, say US scientists.

26 Feb 2013

New UM technology could provide five-minute diagnostic test and vaccine for Staph infections

New technology from the University of Maryland (UM) could potentially provide a five-minute diagnostic test and a vaccine for tough-to-treat Staphylococcus aureus infections, including the antibiotic-resistant MRSA, often called a "super bug," says inventor Mark Shirtliff, PhD, an associate professor at the UM School of Dentistry in Baltimore.

26 Feb 2013

Wiley launches Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences

John Wiley & Sons, Inc., today announced the launch of Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences (JMRS), combining The Radiographer (now in its 60th volume) from the Australian Institute of Radiography (AIR) and Shadows (in its 56th Volume) from the New Zealand Institute of Medical Radiation Technology (NZIMRT).

24 Feb 2013

Therapy to ease QOL issues improves patients' sense of well-being during cancer treatment

Therapy to ease stress, fatigue and other quality of life issues significantly improves patients' sense of well-being during cancer treatment, new Mayo Clinic research shows. Patients who kept to their standard routines showed a decline in quality-of-life measures, the study found. The findings are published this month in Cancer.

19 Feb 2013

iCAD fourth quarter total revenue increases 18% to $7.8 million

iCAD, Inc., an industry-leading provider of advanced image analysis, workflow solutions and radiation therapy for the early identification and treatment of cancer, today reported financial results for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2012.

19 Feb 2013

Researchers identify mechanism through which mitochondria control breast tumor aggressiveness

Doctors currently struggle to determine whether a breast tumor is likely to shift into an aggressive, life-threatening mode-an issue with profound implications for treatment. Now a group from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has identified a mechanism through which mitochondria, the powerhouses of a cell, control tumor aggressiveness.

16 Feb 2013

Tumor texture analysis has prognostic potential

Tumor texture analysis, determined by computed tomography, holds promise as a prognostic biomarker in patients with esophageal cancer, research indicates.

15 Feb 2013