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.

Study suggests that radiation oncologists can and should be more aggressive in their treatment of prostate cancer

Increasing the radiation dose delivered by highly conformal external beam radiation to men suffering from early stage prostate cancer shows an advantage in terms of increased disease-free survival rates

5 Oct 2004

Boosting the blood count in conjunction with radiation therapy doesn't improve survival for head and neck cancer patients

Boosting the blood count – in effect, curing anemia – in conjunction with radiation therapy won't help patients with head and neck cancer fare any better than with radiation alone, says a national study led by Jefferson Medical College researchers.

5 Oct 2004

Prognostic factors influencing survival in patients with brain metastases identified

Allos Therapeutics has announced the presentation of new findings from its Phase 3 clinical trial of the investigational radiation sensitizer Efaproxyn (efaproxiral) in patients with brain metastases.

4 Oct 2004

Researchers show gossypol – a drug refined from cottonseed oil is a cancer treatment booster

New research has opened up the prospect that gossypol – a drug refined from cottonseed oil and previously tried and abandoned as a male contraceptive – could boost the effectiveness of treatment for prostate tumours and possibly other common cancers as well.

30 Sep 2004

Data suggests potential role of Quadramet in conjunction with chemotherapy for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia

Cytogen Corporation today announced the presentation of new data relating to its lead therapeutic product Quadramet (samarium Sm-153 lexidronam injection) during the 36th Congress of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP).

20 Sep 2004

Less radiation in a more tailored manner best for uterine cancer

Less radiation, delivered in a more tailored manner, is very effective and should be preferred over longer-term conventional radiation therapy in treating one of the most virulent forms of uterine cancer

20 Sep 2004

Study reveals what may be the earliest step in the development of prostate cancer

The finding could open the door to new tests that predict whether the cancer will become aggressive and the development of treatments to prevent the condition from progressing.

2 Sep 2004

MGI PHARMA acquires Aesgen for $32 million

MGI PHARMA today announced that they have signed a definitive merger agreement under which MGI PHARMA will acquire all outstanding equity of Aesgen for $32 million in cash.

1 Sep 2004

Surgery plus radiation therapy an effective way to treat early breast cancer in women aged 70 and older

For early breast cancer, the standard of care is surgery to remove the cancerous lump followed by radiation therapy, thereby allowing the patient to keep her breast. However, older women are not always offered this option.

1 Sep 2004

Combination therapies improve prostate cancer survival rates

The addition of six months of androgen suppression therapy (AST) to radiation therapy improves survival of patients with clinically localized prostate cancer, according to a study in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

18 Aug 2004

Immunotherapy and chemotherapy combined, slows tumor progression and extends survival of patients with glioblastoma multiforme

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute have found that the combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy significantly slowed tumor progression and extended survival of patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

17 Aug 2004

New treatment strategy for brain cancer

Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center researchers have found that combining ionizing radiation with a secreted protein that selectively inhibits tumor cell growth and survival can target cancer cells and leave healthy cells alone, perhaps presenting a new approach for treating the deadliest type of brain tumor.

9 Aug 2004

Aggressive treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer shown to be more effective

Radiation therapy (RT) has been the most important treatment modality with curative potential in treating patients with cancer of the nasopharynx, the part of the pharynx that lies above the soft palate.

9 Aug 2004

Knowledge about oral and head and neck cancer is severely lacking in the American public

Most adult Americans know how to light a cigarette and order a drink, but a great number of them are clueless about the consequence of these two destructive habits – oral and head and neck cancer.

9 Aug 2004

Physicians offer several promising and unique approaches to brain tumor treatment

An estimated 41,000 new cases of primary brain tumors are expected to be diagnosed in 2004, according to the American Brain Tumor Association.

5 Aug 2004

Moderate exercise helps beat fatigue from prostate radiation

Men who get a moderate amount of exercise during radiation for prostate cancer are better able to cope with the fatigue the treatment can cause, researchers from Scotland report in the journal Cancer.

5 Aug 2004

ASTRO and ACS join to promote cancer survivorship

As part of an initiative to give back to the cancer communities in the cities visited during its annual scientific meetings, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology is partnering with the Atlanta chapter of the American Cancer Society to raise awareness of cancer survivorship.

5 Aug 2004

Research to develop ways to inhibit head and neck cancers, the fifth most common cancer worldwide

A University of Queensland researcher has been awarded $850,000 by one of Australia’s largest private, charitable, medical foundations to develop ways to inhibit head and neck cancers, the fifth most common cancer worldwide.

29 Jul 2004

Tool that enables women with breast cancer to choose their own course of treatment

McMaster University cancer researcher, Tim Whelan, a radiation oncologist with the Juravinski Cancer Centre, has developed a tool that enables women with breast cancer to choose their own course of treatment.

29 Jul 2004

Combination of hormonal therapy, radioactive seed implant and external beam radiation therapy increases chance of cancer cure

High-risk prostate cancer patients who undergo a combination of hormonal therapy, radioactive seed implant (also called brachytherapy) and external beam radiation therapy are shown to have an increased chance of cancer cure

29 Jul 2004

Radiation Therapy News and Research

Further Reading

Study suggests that radiation oncologists can and should be more aggressive in their treatment of prostate cancer

Boosting the blood count in conjunction with radiation therapy doesn't improve survival for head and neck cancer patients

Prognostic factors influencing survival in patients with brain metastases identified

Researchers show gossypol – a drug refined from cottonseed oil is a cancer treatment booster

Data suggests potential role of Quadramet in conjunction with chemotherapy for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia

Less radiation in a more tailored manner best for uterine cancer

Study reveals what may be the earliest step in the development of prostate cancer

MGI PHARMA acquires Aesgen for $32 million

Surgery plus radiation therapy an effective way to treat early breast cancer in women aged 70 and older

Combination therapies improve prostate cancer survival rates

Immunotherapy and chemotherapy combined, slows tumor progression and extends survival of patients with glioblastoma multiforme

New treatment strategy for brain cancer

Aggressive treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer shown to be more effective

Knowledge about oral and head and neck cancer is severely lacking in the American public

Physicians offer several promising and unique approaches to brain tumor treatment

Moderate exercise helps beat fatigue from prostate radiation

ASTRO and ACS join to promote cancer survivorship

Research to develop ways to inhibit head and neck cancers, the fifth most common cancer worldwide

Tool that enables women with breast cancer to choose their own course of treatment

Combination of hormonal therapy, radioactive seed implant and external beam radiation therapy increases chance of cancer cure

E-Cigarettes and Ethanol: A forensic Perspective on Vaping

Understanding Consumer-Consented Data to Optimize Digital Health Programs

The Future is Wearable: Advancing Human Health Through Portable Spectroscopy

Latest News