Radiation Therapy News and Research

RSS

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.

Avaxia Biologics receives NIH grant to develop an antibody therapeutic for oral mucositis

Avaxia Biologics, Inc., a biotechnology company developing oral antibodies for disease targets accessible via the GI tract, announced today that it has been awarded a Phase I SBIR grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research to support the development of a novel antibody therapeutic for oral mucositis.

17 Sep 2009

Premion commences cancer treatment with Varian's RapidArc radiotherapy technology

Cancer patients in Australia have gained access to advanced RapidArc(R) radiotherapy treatments from Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) with its introduction by the leading radiation oncology provider in Queensland. Premion, which operates five cancer centers in Queensland, has treated more than a dozen prostate cancer patients to date with this fast, precise and efficient technique at its Chermside treatment center in Brisbane.

16 Sep 2009

Research study conducted to understand radiation-induced bone loss

A research project looking for ways to reduce bone loss in astronauts may yield methods of improving the bone health of cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment.

16 Sep 2009

Mobetron portable radiation therapy system for breast cancer treatment

One minute of radiation in the operating room (OR) could save the lives of thousands of women being treated for breast cancer in the US today. According to a growing body of research, a 60-second course of radiation therapy delivered during surgery dramatically improves results. But, until recently, logistical and administrative difficulties prevented most patients from receiving this crucial treatment until weeks after their procedures.

16 Sep 2009

HFSA meeting highlights increased risk of heart failure among childhood cancer survivors

The 13th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) today featured a discussion titled "Cardiovascular Disease in Survivors of Childhood Cancer" presented by Dr. Ming Hui Chen, Director, Stress Echocardiography Program and Program for Cardiac Health in Cancer Survivors, Children's Hospital Boston.

15 Sep 2009

Particle beam radiation therapy for cancer cure is better than traditional radiation method

Particle beam radiation therapy, a technology used to treat several types of cancer, is considered by some clinicians to be better than traditional radiation, but there is limited evidence about its safety compared with other types of radiation therapy, according to a new comparative effectiveness report funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

15 Sep 2009

Aeolus commences second study of AEOL 10150 against Acute Radiation Syndrome

Aeolus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: AOLS) announced today the initiation of a second study, in mice, to determine the optimal length of treatment with AEOL 10150 when used as a countermeasure to Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) in the lungs. This study, led by Zeljko Vujaskovic, M.D. Ph.D. of Duke University, is designed to build on the recently completed study that demonstrated the efficacy of AEOL 10150 as a treatment for damage to the lungs due to exposure to radiation, and determine the most effective duration of delivery for treatment after exposure.

14 Sep 2009

Results from Keryx' KRX-0401 Phase 2 study to be presented at the International Kidney Cancer Symposium

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: KERX) today announced that Phase 2 data of KRX-0401 (perifosine), the Company's PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitor for cancer, as a single agent in the treatment of advanced metastatic renal cell cancer, has been selected for oral presentation at the Eighth International Kidney Cancer Symposium, to be held in Chicago from September 25-26, 2009.

14 Sep 2009

Calypso’s GPS for the Body technology installed at University Of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center

Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc., a developer of real-time localization technology used for the precise tracking of tumor targets, announced today that the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Baltimore, now offers the Calypso® System to provide accurate, precise, real-time tumor tracking for cancer patients undergoing external beam radiation therapy.

14 Sep 2009

TomoTherapy signs purchasing agreement with GNYHA Services

TomoTherapy Incorporated, maker of the TomoTherapy® treatment system for advanced, CT-guided radiation therapy, announced today that it has signed an equipment supply group purchasing agreement with GNYHA Services, Inc. Pursuant to this agreement, TomoTherapy technology will be made available at contracted rates to more than 220 member hospitals in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico.

11 Sep 2009

Medicare reimbursement cuts will affect cancer care system

The Community Oncology Alliance (COA), a national non-profit organization that represents oncologists and other cancer care providers, strongly opposes cuts in Medicare reimbursement for cancer care outlined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

11 Sep 2009

Third-quarter fiscal 2009 results announced by MDS

MDS Inc. (TSX: MDS; NYSE: MDZ), a leading provider of products and services to the global life sciences markets, today reported financial results for the three-month period ended July 31, 2009. MDS reported total revenue of $199 million, a net loss of $62 million and a loss per share of $0.51 for the third quarter of 2009, compared with $252 million in total revenue, a net loss of $10 million and a loss per share of $0.08 for the same period last year.

10 Sep 2009

AOLS to initiate clinical study for testing the efficacy of AEOL 10150

Aeolus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has initiated a study to confirm the efficacy of AEOL 10150 as a countermeasure to nuclear and radiological exposure in non-human primates.

9 Sep 2009

Prostate cancer treatment options discussed in a study

A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) appears to support the theory outlined in earlier studies that men with more advanced forms of prostate cancer don't benefit from a combination of hormone and radiation therapy.

9 Sep 2009

New technique for tumor therapy under study

In the scientific journal PLoS ONE, Sara Bartels and Siegfried Weiss of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, Germany now show how the bacteria migrate into tumours. A messenger substance from the immune system is the door opener: It makes blood vessels in the cancerous tissue permeable; enabling the bacteria to conquer and destroy the tumour.

9 Sep 2009

New procedure used for breast cancer surgery

Breast cancer surgeons and radiation oncologists at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange performed a new procedure combining removal of a patient’s breast tumor with the power of electron beam radiation in the operating room.

8 Sep 2009

DOR's Phase 1/2 clinical trial for prevention of radiation enteritis receives NIH grant

DOR BioPharma, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: DORB) (DOR or the Company), a late-stage biotechnology company, announced today that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded DOR a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to support the conduct of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating DOR201, a time-release formulation of oral beclomethasone dipropionate (oral BDP), for the prevention of acute radiation enteritis.

8 Sep 2009

Victim’s longevity with the deadly disease inspires thousands of dying patients

When Jerry Lewis takes the stage again on Labor Day 2009 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon, thousands of people who suffer from the same lung disease as he will be watching - and not just to hear the funny things he'll say. They'll be looking for inspiration from the funny man who suffers from a not-so-funny and little known fatal lung disease.

5 Sep 2009

CARO and Elekta award $75,000 fellowship for lung cancer research

The Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology (CARO), along with international medical-technology group Elekta, are pleased to award the 2009 CARO-Elekta Research Fellowship to Radiation Oncologist, Dr. David Palma.

From Elekta 5 Sep 2009

Proton Therapy facility in Prague to implement Elekta's information management systems

Elekta (STO:EKTAB) will provide treatment planning and information management systems for a major Proton Therapy facility in Prague, Czech Republic. The software solutions will facilitate the highest quality of patient care and lead to improved clinical efficiency.

From Elekta 5 Sep 2009

Radiation Therapy News and Research

Further Reading

Avaxia Biologics receives NIH grant to develop an antibody therapeutic for oral mucositis

Premion commences cancer treatment with Varian's RapidArc radiotherapy technology

Research study conducted to understand radiation-induced bone loss

Mobetron portable radiation therapy system for breast cancer treatment

HFSA meeting highlights increased risk of heart failure among childhood cancer survivors

Particle beam radiation therapy for cancer cure is better than traditional radiation method

Aeolus commences second study of AEOL 10150 against Acute Radiation Syndrome

Results from Keryx' KRX-0401 Phase 2 study to be presented at the International Kidney Cancer Symposium

Calypso’s GPS for the Body technology installed at University Of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center

TomoTherapy signs purchasing agreement with GNYHA Services

Medicare reimbursement cuts will affect cancer care system

Third-quarter fiscal 2009 results announced by MDS

AOLS to initiate clinical study for testing the efficacy of AEOL 10150

Prostate cancer treatment options discussed in a study

New technique for tumor therapy under study

New procedure used for breast cancer surgery

DOR's Phase 1/2 clinical trial for prevention of radiation enteritis receives NIH grant

Victim’s longevity with the deadly disease inspires thousands of dying patients

CARO and Elekta award $75,000 fellowship for lung cancer research

Proton Therapy facility in Prague to implement Elekta's information management systems

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

Latest News