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.

Peptide vaccine targets H3K27M mutation in midline gliomas, shows promise in early trials

Tumor vaccines can help the body fight cancer. These vaccines alert the patient's immune system to proteins that are carrying cancer-typical alterations.

22 Sep 2023

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy reduces radiation exposure to heart and lungs in NSCLC patients

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) should be the preferred choice when treating patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as it reduces radiation exposure to the heart and lungs, according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

12 Sep 2023

Study provides new hope for patients with stage III EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer

The immunotherapy drug, durvalumab, has been the standard of care for patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) to improve survival, when prescribed after chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

11 Sep 2023

Elekta and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) partner to improve access to cancer care in underserved countries

Dr. Laurent Leksell, Elekta’s Founder and Chairman of the Board, and IAEA’s Director General, Dr. Rafael Mariano Grossi meet in Stockholm to discuss reducing the global cancer burden

From Elekta 8 Sep 2023

Mississippi’s cervical cancer deaths indicate broader health care problems

Shementé Jones knew something wasn't right. Her back hurt. She felt pain during sex.

5 Sep 2023

Study challenges the use of biochemical recurrence as prostate cancer predictor

A UCLA-led study found treatments that reduce the risk of being diagnosed with a cancer recurrence based on rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels after radiotherapy, commonly referred to as biochemical recurrence, do not necessarily improve a patient's long-term overall survival.

28 Aug 2023

Some early-stage, low-risk breast cancer patients may not need radiotherapy after surgery

Some women with early-stage, low-risk breast cancer may not need radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery according to new research led by McMaster University, BC Cancer, Hamilton Heath Sciences, and the University of British Columbia.

16 Aug 2023

Two new subtypes of HPV+ head and neck cancers identified

Cases of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers of the head and neck, known as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), are rapidly increasing throughout the United States.

31 Jul 2023

Researchers discover potential new treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma

Researchers from the Leibniz Institute on Aging in Jena and the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg have discovered a novel treatment approach for soft tissue tumors, which are frequently occurring in children and are often malignant.

26 Jul 2023

New technique can make radiation therapy safer for patients with prostate cancer

A technique that uses imaging technology as a guide can make radiation therapy safer for patients with prostate cancer by helping clinicians accurately aim radiation beams at the prostate while avoiding nearby tissue in the bladder, urethra, and rectum.

24 Jul 2023

Breast cancer treatment linked to faster biological aging

Women diagnosed and treated for breast cancer have increased biological aging compared to women who remain free of breast cancer, according to a new study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and their collaborators.

19 Jul 2023

Cetuximab plus radiotherapy effective in treating locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell cancer

A new research paper was published in Oncotarget's Volume 14 on July 7, 2023, entitled, "Effectiveness and toxicity of cetuximab with concurrent RT in locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell skin cancer: a case series."

12 Jul 2023

New technique shows potential to generically treat several kinds of cancer

Researchers led by Katsunori Tanaka at the RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research (CPR) in Japan and Hiromitsu Haba at the RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science (RNC) have developed a new technique that has the potential to generically treat several kinds of cancer, with fewer negative side effects than currently available methods.

27 Jun 2023

UTHSC team poised to make a real-world impact on vulnerable cancer patients

A University of Tennessee Health Science Center research team is poised to make a real-world impact on vulnerable cancer patients, thanks to new support from the State of Tennessee.

27 Jun 2023

Adagrasib shows promise for the treatment of patients with KRAS G12C-mutated non-small cell lung cancer

Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found the KRAS G12C inhibitor adagrasib showed promising activity suppressing cancer growth not only within the lungs but also in brain metastases for patients with KRAS G12C-mutated non-small cell lung cancer.

16 Jun 2023

No improvement in freedom from progression rates for patients: Study

Results from the NRG Oncology NRG-RTOG 0232 clinical trial adding external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) to brachytherapy (BT) in men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer indicate that there was no improvement in freedom from progression (FFP) rates for patients.

16 Jun 2023

Study suggests possible new treatment option for people with slow-growing but deadly brain tumor

In an international study co-led by UCLA, scientists have shown that a new targeted therapy drug can extend the amount of time people with a subtype of glioma are on treatment without their cancer worsening.

4 Jun 2023

SWOG Cancer Research Network clinical trial reveals potential new therapy for Stage 3 or 4 classic Hodgkin lymphoma

A Phase 3 trial has demonstrated that patients with advanced stage (3 or 4) classic Hodgkin lymphoma who underwent initial treatment with nivolumab, a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor, and AVD chemotherapy (N-AVD) had a significantly lower risk of their cancer getting worse than patients treated with brentuximab vedotin, a monoclonal antibody, and AVD (BV-AVD) a year after starting treatment.

4 Jun 2023

Novel treatment targets against natural killer/T-cell lymphoma identified

A team of researchers from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at the National University of Singapore has discovered that a transcription factor, TOX2, was aberrantly increased in patients with Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTL).

29 May 2023

Phase 3 studies for rectal, brain, and kidney cancers to be presented by Dana-Farber researchers at ASCO 2023

Several phase 3 studies conducted by researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute show promising results for patients with rectal, brain, and kidney cancers. The results of these studies, along with dozens of others led by Dana-Farber researchers, will be presented at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago.

26 May 2023