Radiotherapy News and Research

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Radiation therapy (in North America), or radiotherapy (in the UK and Australia) also called radiation oncology, and sometimes abbreviated to XRT, is the medical use of ionizing radiation as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells (not to be confused with radiology, the use of radiation in medical imaging and diagnosis).

High dosage brachytherapy obtains excellent results in head and neck tumors

High-dosage perioperative brachytherapy (applied within the surgical process) obtains excellent results in the treatment of head and neck tumours, at the same time as reducing the period of radiation.

29 Mar 2009

Belfast gets new cancer centre

Belfast joins a unique chain of Cancer Research UK Centres that are being launched across the UK.

23 Mar 2009

Study finds biological clue in brain tumor development

Scientists at The University of Nottingham have uncovered a vital new biological clue that could lead to more effective treatments for a children's brain tumour that currently kills more than 60 per cent of young sufferers.

20 Mar 2009

Promising results for 5-day stereotactic body radiation therapy in early stage prostate cancer

Preliminary results show that a shortened course of radiation therapy for prostate cancer called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) provides good PSA response for early-stage prostate cancer and has the same side effects as other treatments, according to a March 15 study in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics , the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

16 Mar 2009

Metastatic bone disease patients can walk in Lazarus' footsteps

Osteoplasty - a highly effective minimally invasive procedure to treat the painful effects of metastatic bone disease by injecting bone cement to support weakened bones - provides immediate and substantial pain relief, often presenting individuals who are suffering terribly with the miraculous so-called "Lazarus effect," according to researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 34th Annual Scientific Meeting.

10 Mar 2009

Male lumpectomy - first line treatment for prostate cancer

The so-called "male lumpectomy" - a minimally invasive interventional radiology treatment for prostate cancer - is as effective as surgery in destroying diseased tumors and can be considered a first-line treatment for patients of all risk levels and particularly those who have failed radiation, according to studies released at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 34th Annual Scientific Meeting.

10 Mar 2009

Drug therapy for brain tumors shows promise

The combination of two drugs produces a critical improvement in the treatment of certain brain tumours.

8 Mar 2009

European Commission and US FDA approve intravenous formulation of temozolomide

Schering-Plough Corporation (NYSE:SGP) today announced that the European Commission and the US FDA both approved the intravenous (IV) formulation of temozolomide as an alternative to the already approved oral form of the drug.

5 Mar 2009

Launch of new cancer equipment

A new piece of equipment which has been installed at the University of Hertfordshire to train radiotherapy students to treat cancer patients will be launched at a Science and Engineering Week event on Tuesday (10th March).

5 Mar 2009

Stereotactic body radiotherapy doubles survival in lung cancer

Countless people have heard the phrase, "You have lung cancer," but only 50 can say they've completed a new treatment at Temple University that doubles their chances of surviving the deadly disease - and without the conventional radiation regimen or surgery.

4 Mar 2009

Radiation therapy equipment vendors to test system integration

The American Society for Radiation Oncology will host a connectathon at its headquarters in Fairfax, Va., this September as part of the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise - Radiation Oncology (IHE-RO) initiative to promote seamless connectivity and integration of radiotherapy equipment and patient health information systems.

24 Feb 2009

Cancer Research UK launches first super cancer centre in Birmingham

Birmingham will become the first link in a unique chain of Cancer Research UK Centres to be launched round the country.

20 Feb 2009

Trial of Quadramet (153 Samarium-lexidronam) in combo with Velcade shows positive results

Quadramet (153 Samarium-lexidronam) is a radioactive medication that targets the bone, specifically bone cancer, and is used to treat pain caused by cancer that has metastasized or spread to the bone.

15 Feb 2009

Temozolomide sales reach $1 billion

Sales of Temozolomide, an anti-cancer drug developed by Cancer Research UK scientists, have reached $1 billion.

8 Feb 2009

Source of cancer stem cells' resistance to radiation discovered

Much to the dismay of patients and physicians, cancer stem cells - tiny powerhouses that generate and maintain tumor growth in many types of cancers - are relatively resistant to the ionizing radiation often used as therapy for these conditions.

5 Feb 2009

Scientists discover missing link in the way cells protect themselves against cancer

Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered a missing link in the way cells protect themselves against cancer, according to research published in Genes & Development.

5 Feb 2009

Revealed! - Missing link in how cells protect themselves from cancer

An international team of scientists have discovered a missing link in the method used by cells to protect themselves from cancer.

3 Feb 2009

Public information about breast screening in UK has serious shortcomings

The information about breast screening sent to women in the United Kingdom has serious shortcomings and should not be used as a basis for informed consent, warn researchers in a paper published on bmj.com today.

29 Jan 2009

Sequential and alternating chemotherapy and radiation equally effective in larynx cancer therapy

Larynx cancer patients treated with alternating cycles of chemotherapy and radiation have similar outcomes to patients treated with chemotherapy followed by radiation, according to data from a randomized controlled trial in the January 27 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

29 Jan 2009

Breakthrough in treatment of cancers and infectious diseases

Dr. André Veillette, a researcher at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), and his team led by postdoctoral fellow Dr. Mario-Ernesto Cruz-Munoz, will publish in the upcoming issue of the prestigious journal Nature Immunology of Nature Publishing Group.

19 Jan 2009