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.

SBRT can improve survival rates for patients with inoperable non-small cell lung cancer

Highly-focused stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) can eliminate the targeted tumor while avoiding treatment-related illness and may ultimately improve survival for patients with inoperable non-small cell lung cancer, according to early findings of a Radiation Therapy Oncology Group study published in the March 17 cancer-themed issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

18 Mar 2010

Watchful waiting is viable option for many men with low risk prostate cancer

Active surveillance, also referred to as watchful waiting, is a viable option for many men with low risk prostate cancer although the concept continues to cause distress and confusion. James L. Mohler, MD, of Roswell Park Cancer Institute and chair of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for Prostate Cancer, discussed the role of active surveillance as well as other treatment options recommended in the recently updated NCCN Guidelines™ for Prostate Cancer at the NCCN 15th Annual Conference.

18 Mar 2010

Cryotherapy may become the future treatment for cancer

Cryotherapy, an interventional radiology treatment to freeze cancer tumors, may become the treatment of the future for cancer that has metastasized in soft tissues (such as ovarian cancer) and in bone tumors.

18 Mar 2010

SBRT doubles rate of primary tumor control compared to conventional radiotherapy

Early findings suggest a radiation therapy that involves numerous highly-focused and potent radiation beams provides targeted tumor control in nearly all patients, reduces treatment-related illness, and may ultimately improve survival for patients with inoperable non-small cell lung cancer, according to a study in the March 17 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on cancer.

18 Mar 2010

SBRT improves survival in patients with inoperable non-small cell lung cancer

17 Mar 2010

SBRT may improve survival rates for lung-cancer patients: Study

A radiation therapy that uses multiple radiation beams to target tumors precisely has been shown to eliminate the primary tumor and ultimately may improve survival rates for lung-cancer patients unable to undergo surgery, according to UT Southwestern Medical Center physicians who led a national clinical trial of the treatment.

17 Mar 2010

Liver cancer: Treatment with intra-arterial yttrium-90 microspheres promising

An interventional radiology treatment-the use of intra-arterial yttrium-90 microspheres for liver cancer (also known as hepatocellular carcinoma)-shows promise in prolonging life for many patients with this devastating condition, according to researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa, Fla.

17 Mar 2010

RayStation treatment planning system receives FDA marketing clearance

RaySearch Laboratories AB has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its RayStation® treatment planning system.

17 Mar 2010

Novel procedure opens door to new and future treatment for pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer-known as the most fatal cancer with no known effective treatment-requires a radical new therapy. A promising approach may come in the form of tiny gold nanoparticles-loaded with a therapeutic agent to kill cancer-in a novel procedure called "nanoembolization," said researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa, Fla.

17 Mar 2010

MedSolutions launches oncology management program for cancer patients

MedSolutions (www.medsolutions.com), a leading provider of medical cost management services, today announced the launch of its oncology management program, which uses evidence-based guidelines to ensure appropriate use of diagnostic imaging, radiation therapy and drugs for cancer patients.

17 Mar 2010

Researchers explore new tools to mitigate risk of radiation exposure

Doctors have a clearer picture than ever before of how much radiation reaches sensitive tissues during routine X-rays and similar imaging, thanks to sophisticated models of the human body being developed at the University of Florida.

17 Mar 2010

UVA Health System offers Gamma Knife eXtend system to treat patients with head and neck cancer

A powerful new tool available at the University of Virginia Health System offers treatment to patients with some of the most challenging cancers of the head and neck.

16 Mar 2010

CPF, PFF applaud PF patients' efforts to plead with FDA Advisory Panel regarding lack of treatment options

The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis and the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation are applauding the efforts of Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) patients and family members for their work to convey to the FDA and an FDA Advisory Committee the sense of urgency and desperation regarding the disease and the lack of treatment options.

15 Mar 2010

Discovery of MiR-451 molecule may serve as a biomarker for brain tumor

Cancer cells in rapidly growing brain tumors must adjust to periods of low energy or die. When energy levels are high, tumor cells grow and proliferate. When levels are low, the cells grow less and migrate more.

15 Mar 2010

MIT researchers to use Elekta Neuromag system to study neural basis of brain disorders

Researchers at MIT are eagerly anticipating the summer delivery of Elekta Neuromag®, a system that uses magnetoencephalography or MEG to explore brain function. MEG can detect the very weak magnetic fields arising from electrical activity in the brain, and allows researchers to monitor the timing of brain activity with millisecond precision.

From Elekta 10 Mar 2010

Type of specialist that men with prostate cancer see can influence form of therapy they ultimately receive

New research published in today's issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine (Vol. 170, No. 5), by an investigator at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey and colleagues at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, shows that the type of specialist that men with localized prostate cancer see can influence the form of therapy they ultimately receive.

9 Mar 2010

Prostate cancer: Therapy depends on consulted specialty

Men who visit a radiation oncologist appear more likely to receive radiation therapy for prostate cancer, whereas men who consult with a urologist with or without a medical oncologist are treated more frequently with hormone therapy, watchful waiting or a radical prostatectomy, according to a report in the March 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

9 Mar 2010

Prostate-specific dietary supplements discouraged during radiation therapy treatments: Study

Prostate-specific dietary supplements should not be taken during radiation therapy treatments because they have been shown to increase the radiosensitivity of normal prostate cell lines, leading to normal tissue complications, according to a study in the March issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

8 Mar 2010

New QUANTEC guidelines for safe treatment of cancer with radiation therapy

The culmination of a two-year effort to review available studies and establish new guidelines for the safe treatment of cancer with radiation therapy was published today in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics.

3 Mar 2010

Starting radiotherapy as soon as possible could minimise breast cancer recurrence

The longer women wait for radiotherapy after breast cancer surgery, the more chance there is of local recurrence, concludes a study published on bmj.com today.

3 Mar 2010

Radiation Therapy News and Research

Further Reading

SBRT can improve survival rates for patients with inoperable non-small cell lung cancer

Watchful waiting is viable option for many men with low risk prostate cancer

Cryotherapy may become the future treatment for cancer

SBRT doubles rate of primary tumor control compared to conventional radiotherapy

SBRT improves survival in patients with inoperable non-small cell lung cancer

SBRT may improve survival rates for lung-cancer patients: Study

Liver cancer: Treatment with intra-arterial yttrium-90 microspheres promising

RayStation treatment planning system receives FDA marketing clearance

Novel procedure opens door to new and future treatment for pancreatic cancer

MedSolutions launches oncology management program for cancer patients

Researchers explore new tools to mitigate risk of radiation exposure

UVA Health System offers Gamma Knife eXtend system to treat patients with head and neck cancer

CPF, PFF applaud PF patients' efforts to plead with FDA Advisory Panel regarding lack of treatment options

Discovery of MiR-451 molecule may serve as a biomarker for brain tumor

MIT researchers to use Elekta Neuromag system to study neural basis of brain disorders

Type of specialist that men with prostate cancer see can influence form of therapy they ultimately receive

Prostate cancer: Therapy depends on consulted specialty

Prostate-specific dietary supplements discouraged during radiation therapy treatments: Study

New QUANTEC guidelines for safe treatment of cancer with radiation therapy

Starting radiotherapy as soon as possible could minimise breast cancer recurrence

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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