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).

Nimotuzumab drug approved for Mexican distribution

YM BioSciences Inc. (NYSE Amex:YMI, TSX:YM, AIM:YMBA), a life sciences product development company that identifies and advances a diverse portfolio of promising cancer-related products at various stages of development, today reported that nimotuzumab has been approved for marketing in Mexico.

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

Albumin for cancer treatment

Tiny particles of albumin, a protein found in the blood, can be used to carry radioactive isotopes to the site of a cancerous tumour in the body and so avoid many of the side-effects of conventional radiotherapy.

16 Sep 2009

Toll-like receptors that activate immune cells being developed as alternative cure to cancer

A Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist, called imiquimod, which activates dendritic cells, is in clinical use as a topical application for basal cell carcinoma. In addition, a number of TLR agonists have been evaluated in clinical trials as an adjuvant for cancer vaccines.

16 Sep 2009

Stem cells - the answer to autoimmune diseases and cancer in the future

Stem cells are multipotent cells of the immune system. Scientists hope to use them for curing autoimmune diseases, cancer and innate genetic defects in the future.

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

FDA approves BioVex' design of a Phase III clinical trial to evaluate OncoVEX

BioVex Inc, a biotechnology company developing clinical stage treatments for cancer and the prevention of infectious disease, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the design of a single, pivotal, Phase III clinical trial evaluating its lead product, OncoVEX (GM-CSF), for the first-line treatment of patients with squamous cell cancer of the head and neck.

15 Sep 2009

Elekta announces interim results

Demand for Elekta’s clinical solutions, products and services remained strong in the first three months of 2009/10. Order bookings rose by 19 percent in local currency with solid performance in all regions. Net sales grew to SEK 1,440 M and operating result rose to SEK 89 M. Earnings per share improved to SEK 0.62 from SEK 0.02.

From Elekta 15 Sep 2009

Cytheris' INSPIRE study data of HIV-infected patients with low CD4 T cell counts announced

Cytheris SA, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on research and development of new therapies for immune modulation, today announced presentation of data from an interim analysis of CLI-107-06 (INSPIRE), a Phase I/IIa study of HIV-infected patients with low CD4 T cell counts. The patients were treated with a three-injection cycle of the Company’s investigative immune-modulator, recombinant human Interleukin-7 (CYT107).

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

Malnutrition, poor sanitary conditions and HIV leads to defective immune system

The most common causes worldwide include malnutrition, poor sanitary conditions and human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infection. Other causes of temporary or permanent damage to the immune system include old age, medications (e.g. cortisone, cytostatic drugs), radiotherapy, stress after surgery and malignant tumors of the bone marrow and the lymph nodes.

14 Sep 2009

Trabedersen granted orphan drug designation from both FDA And EMEA for treating pancreatic carcinoma

The biopharmaceutical company Antisense Pharma GmbH has announced today that it has received orphan drug designation from both the European Medicines Agency EMEA and the US Food and Drug Administration FDA for its investigational drug trabedersen in the treatment of pancreatic carcinoma.

14 Sep 2009

Accupac to manufacture Access Pharmaceuticals' MuGard

ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (OTC Bulletin Board: ACCP) has entered into an agreement with a leading commercial manufacturer to produce its FDA-approved MuGard for North American distribution. One or more U.S. market seeding studies could begin as early as Q4 2009, the company says.

11 Sep 2009

Abstracts on Merck Serono oncology treatments to be presented at ECCO and ESMO

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, continues to drive the global effort to ensure patients receive personalized cancer therapies. A total of 17 abstracts concerning Merck Serono oncology treatments will be presented at the joint 15th Congress of the European Cancer Organisation (ECCO) and 34th Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), to be held in Berlin from 20-24 September 2009.

11 Sep 2009

FDA approves Supplemental New Drug Application for DOXIL

Centocor Ortho Biotech Products, L.P. today announced that it received a Complete Response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for DOXIL (doxorubicin HCI liposome injection) in combination with docetaxel for the treatment of women with locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer.

10 Sep 2009

GI Company's Phase II study demonstrates safety of rhITF oral spray formulation

Published today, as an original investigation, in the peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Oncology, are statistically significant Phase II clinical results of The GI Company's lead clinical compound, rhITF (recombinant human Intestinal Trefoil Factor) oral spray. The article is titled, "A Phase II, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of rhITF Oral Spray for Prevention of Oral Mucositis in Colorectal Cancer Patients Receiving 5-Fluorouracil-based Chemotherapy."

10 Sep 2009

Lack of awareness in aged men reagarding prostate cancer treatment options

Prostate cancer remains one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States. In fact, one in six men will develop prostate cancer. It is also the second-leading cause of cancer death in the United States. But a recent survey suggests that many men at risk for the cancer still aren't aware of all available treatment options.

10 Sep 2009

INSPIRE Phase I/IIa study data to be presented at ICAAC

Cytheris SA, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on research and development of new therapies for immune modulation, today announced that data from an interim analysis of its INSPIRE Phase I/IIa study of HIV-infected patients with low CD4 T cell counts treated with a three injection cycle of the Company’s investigative immune-modulator, recombinant human Interleukin-7 (CYT107), will be presented during an oral late breaker session at the 49th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), to be held September 12-15, 2009, in San Francisco, CA.

9 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

Banner Good Samaritan treats cancers and neurological disorders with the Novalis Tx radiosurgery platform

John J. Kresl, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center are now treating a wide variety of cancers and neurological disorders with highly-accurate, non-invasive, image-guided radiosurgery using the Novalis Tx(TM) radiosurgery platform from Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) and BrainLAB.

4 Sep 2009