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.

Advancement in radiation oncology treatment called IMRT improves care, avoids healthy tissue

New advancements in a radiation oncology treatment called IMRT (intensity modulated radiation therapy) are proving far superior to standard radiation procedures used today in safeguarding the healthy tissues surrounding cancerous tumors, and thus improving patient care.

28 Oct 2007

Integrated approach to IMRT provides quality care for head and neck cancer patients

Results from a University of Pittsburgh study demonstrate that intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer can be uniformly delivered in a large health care system of academic and community cancer centers through a centralized planning and treatment process.

28 Oct 2007

Highly targeted radiation therapy for prostate cancer prevents damage to surrounding organs

Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researchers have found that highly targeted radiation therapy for prostate cancer can ensure that the majority of persons with this tumor will not have any long-term rectal damage.

28 Oct 2007

Education program leads to lasting improvement of cancer knowledge in African Americans

Disparities in access to health care and education hinder minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations from receiving needed cancer services and often lead to delayed cancer diagnoses.

28 Oct 2007

Cancer patients not getting live-saving flu and pneumonia shots

Although flu and pneumonia can be lethal for cancer patients, more than one quarter of patients undergoing radiation therapy are not complying with national guidelines to be vaccinated against these potentially life-threatening yet preventable illnesses, according to a study presented October 28, 2007, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 49th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.

28 Oct 2007

Inflammatory breast cancer

Everyone knows to be concerned about a lump as a sign of breast cancer. But there's another type of breast cancer – much more rare and much more lethal – that has as its primary sign redness, sometimes without any lump.

23 Oct 2007

Improving Europe's image

The European Science Foundation calls for greater collaboration across Europe on research in medical imaging.

22 Oct 2007

Breast cancer radiation does not affect women's immune system

A new study shows that neither of two commonly used radiation treatments for early-stage, node-negative breast cancer has any effect on a woman's immune system, even though women who receive five-day partial-breast radiation therapy (MammoSite brachytherapy) (PBRT) have improved energy and quality of life compared to women who undergo six weeks of whole-breast radiation therapy (WBRT).

15 Oct 2007

Breast cancer awareness calls for cardiovascular awareness

Women who overcome breast cancer have every reason to celebrate. But a heart filled with joy may also be a heart damaged by life-saving cancer therapies, a growing body of research shows.

12 Oct 2007

Aida granted new anti-cancer patent

One of mainland China's leading pharmaceutical companies, has announced that it was granted an additional patent related to its Rh-Apo2L anti-cancer drug, the second of three patents that had been applied for which Aida believes places it at the vanguard of China's pharmaceutical industry.

12 Oct 2007

Androgen deprivation therapy linked to increased risk of heart disease death

The use of androgen deprivation therapy to treat localized prostate cancer is associated with an increased risk of death from heart disease, according to a study published online October 9 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute .

10 Oct 2007

Intensity modulated radiation therapy better for sparing bladder when treating prostate cancer

When treating early-stage prostate cancer, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) spares the bladder significantly more from direct radiation when compared to 3-D conformal proton therapy (3D-CPT), but the amount of rectal sparing is similar with both treatments, according to a study released in the October issue of the International Journal for Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

10 Oct 2007

Additional biopsy-scoring data may help determine prostate cancer prognosis

Men with certain scores and patterns based on prostate cancer biopsy were found to be at higher risk of PSA-failure, suggesting that this measurement could help predict the risk of prostate cancer recurrence, according to preliminary research published in the October 3 issue of JAMA.

3 Oct 2007

Breast health and cancer prevention tips for women and men

In addition to the bright reds, oranges and yellows seen as the leaves turn this fall, pink will be everywhere during October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

2 Oct 2007

Breast cancer screening

As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, experts at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center encourage women to learn about recommended screening guidelines to improve their chances for early detection of breast cancer.

2 Oct 2007

Taxotere (docetaxel) granted FDA approval to treat locally advanced head and neck cancer prior to chemo and surgery

Sanofi-aventis announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Taxotere (docetaxel) Injection Concentrate in combination with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil for induction therapy of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) before patients undergo chemoradiotherapy and surgery.

2 Oct 2007

Pregnancy after breast cancer is possible

Once Alyssa Tushman knew her young son would not grow up motherless, her next question was whether he would be an only child.

2 Oct 2007

New chemotherapy regimen prolongs survival in difficult-to-treat childhood brainstem gliomas

Childhood brainstem gliomas (BSGs) are rare but can be very difficult to treat successfully and they tend to have poor survival rates.

26 Sep 2007

Vaginal brachytherapy improves quality of life after treatment for endometrial cancer

Quality of life after treatment for endometrial cancer can be significantly improved by the use of vaginal brachytherapy, where radiotherapy is delivered internally using a vaginal cylinder, the European Cancer Conference (ECCO 14).

25 Sep 2007

European directive will halt use of MRI scans; cancer diagnosis and treatment will suffer

Implementation of the Physical Agents (Electromagnetic Fields) Directive 2004/40/EC in all Member States could effectively halt the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), an important tool in cancer diagnosis, treatment, and research, a scientist told a press conference at the European Cancer Conference (ECCO 14) (Monday September 24).

25 Sep 2007

Radiation Therapy News and Research

Further Reading

Advancement in radiation oncology treatment called IMRT improves care, avoids healthy tissue

Integrated approach to IMRT provides quality care for head and neck cancer patients

Highly targeted radiation therapy for prostate cancer prevents damage to surrounding organs

Education program leads to lasting improvement of cancer knowledge in African Americans

Cancer patients not getting live-saving flu and pneumonia shots

Inflammatory breast cancer

Improving Europe's image

Breast cancer radiation does not affect women's immune system

Breast cancer awareness calls for cardiovascular awareness

Aida granted new anti-cancer patent

Androgen deprivation therapy linked to increased risk of heart disease death

Intensity modulated radiation therapy better for sparing bladder when treating prostate cancer

Additional biopsy-scoring data may help determine prostate cancer prognosis

Breast health and cancer prevention tips for women and men

Breast cancer screening

Taxotere (docetaxel) granted FDA approval to treat locally advanced head and neck cancer prior to chemo and surgery

Pregnancy after breast cancer is possible

New chemotherapy regimen prolongs survival in difficult-to-treat childhood brainstem gliomas

Vaginal brachytherapy improves quality of life after treatment for endometrial cancer

European directive will halt use of MRI scans; cancer diagnosis and treatment will suffer

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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