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).

Freeze treatment for lung cancers - promising and less invasive

Doctors in the UK are using a probe that freezes tumours at temperatures of -190°C to treat lung cancer in patients who otherwise could not have surgery.

24 Oct 2005

Patients with head and neck cancer may be spared the risk and expense of surgery by undergoing a CT scan

Researchers with the UF Shands Cancer Center have identified criteria doctors can use to evaluate CT scans four weeks after patients undergo initial treatment. If these criteria are met, there is a 94 percent likelihood a patient's lymph nodes are cancer free, said Stanley L. Liauw, M.D., a resident in radiation oncology.

18 Oct 2005

Yeast cells help show how GSAO (glutathionarsenoxide) angiogenesis inhibitor drug works

The humble yeast has revealed the molecular workings of an anti-cancer drug that stops the growth and spread of tumours in humans by starving their blood supply.

18 Oct 2005

Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer

Results from a University of Pittsburgh study evaluating intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer determined the ideal doses for lessening treatment side effects. The findings were presented today at the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) in Denver.

18 Oct 2005

Treating malignant melanoma of the uvea with radiation therapy can spare patients from significant vision loss

Treating a rare form of eye cancer with radiation therapy can spare patients from significant vision loss, according to new research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

18 Oct 2005

Radiation therapy combined with hormone therapy after surgery is more effective in keeping the breast cancer from returning

The current standard of care for early-stage breast cancer is breast conserving surgery (lumpectomy) to remove the tumor followed by radiation and hormone therapy to kill any remaining cells.

17 Oct 2005

Treatment recommendations for breast cancer should not be based on a woman's marital status

Research has shown that being single, married or divorced can influence cancer survival, but a new study shows marital status appears to have no impact on the outcome for women with breast cancer who are treated with lumpectomy and radiation.

16 Oct 2005

New radiation technique to treat cancer that has spread to the brain prevents hair loss

Patients whose cancer has spread to the brain can avoid typical hair loss (alopecia) when treated with newer radiation techniques, thereby improving their quality of life while still controlling their cancer, according to a study presented October 16, 2005, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 47th Annual Meeting in Denver.

16 Oct 2005

Long-term use of NSAIDs cuts the risk for oral cancer in smokers by half but increases risk of cardiovascular problems

An analysis of 20 years of data on the health of over 900 adults has found that long-term use of traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, cuts the risk for oral cancer in smokers by half.

9 Oct 2005

Call to stop exposing women to breast cancer risk by needlessly using radiation therapy as a component of Hodgkin disease treatment

Young women who are treated for Hodgkin lymphoma with chest radiation therapy have a high cumulative absolute risk of developing breast cancer later in life. This risk increases with age at end of follow-up, time since diagnosis, and radiation dose, according to a new study in the October 5 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

4 Oct 2005

Compound called GRN163L blocks lung cancer

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found a compound that shows promise as a way to block the spread, or metastasis, of lung cancer.

1 Sep 2005

Danish scientists have identified which head and neck cancer patients will benefit from additional drug treatment during radiotherapy

Tumours that have low concentrations of oxygen (hypoxia) are resistant to radiotherapy. A drug called nimorazole (a hypoxia radiosensitiser) can improve the outcome of radiotherapy for patients with these types of tumours. However, at the moment there is no way to identify people with tumours that lack oxygen, who need this additional drug treatment, from those that only need radiotherapy.

30 Aug 2005

Discovery may significantly advance the treatment of cancers and infectious diseases

Current treatments frequently achieve only limited results with these types of diseases, which affect hundreds of thousands of Canadians.

29 Aug 2005

Best treatment for the immobilizing trauma of spinal cord compression in metastatic cancer

In this week's Lancet, Patchell's UK research team evaluate traditional surgical and radiation therapy options and conclude that direct decompressive surgery plus postoperative radiotherapy is more effective than either radiotherapy alone or other surgical options.

22 Aug 2005

Good news for the hundreds of thousands of cancer patients who undergo radiation therapy

Scientists report that they have a better understanding of the complex effects of radiation on tumor biology and that specific radiation treatment regimens may enhance the effectiveness of radiotherapy, even in tumor populations that have been notoriously difficult to treat.

16 Aug 2005

Giving prostate cancer patients radiotherapy after surgery could help prevent the progression of their disease

When cancer is confined to the prostate, removal of the organ can successfully control the disease. However, for patients with cancer extending beyond the prostate the risk of recurrence after surgery can be 10–50%.

11 Aug 2005

Australian scientists rejuvenate the immune systems of mice and humans using a common hormone

The scientists, led by Associate Professor Richard Boyd and Dr Jayne Sutherland from the Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories, have revitalised the thymus which produces the T cells required to fight infection but which shuts down from early adulthood.

11 Aug 2005

Radiotherapy News and Research

Further Reading

Freeze treatment for lung cancers - promising and less invasive

Patients with head and neck cancer may be spared the risk and expense of surgery by undergoing a CT scan

Yeast cells help show how GSAO (glutathionarsenoxide) angiogenesis inhibitor drug works

Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer

Treating malignant melanoma of the uvea with radiation therapy can spare patients from significant vision loss

Radiation therapy combined with hormone therapy after surgery is more effective in keeping the breast cancer from returning

Treatment recommendations for breast cancer should not be based on a woman's marital status

New radiation technique to treat cancer that has spread to the brain prevents hair loss

Long-term use of NSAIDs cuts the risk for oral cancer in smokers by half but increases risk of cardiovascular problems

Call to stop exposing women to breast cancer risk by needlessly using radiation therapy as a component of Hodgkin disease treatment

Compound called GRN163L blocks lung cancer

Danish scientists have identified which head and neck cancer patients will benefit from additional drug treatment during radiotherapy

Discovery may significantly advance the treatment of cancers and infectious diseases

Best treatment for the immobilizing trauma of spinal cord compression in metastatic cancer

Good news for the hundreds of thousands of cancer patients who undergo radiation therapy

Giving prostate cancer patients radiotherapy after surgery could help prevent the progression of their disease

Australian scientists rejuvenate the immune systems of mice and humans using a common hormone

Hospital funding gives radiotherapy cancer boost

Many testicular cancer patients are able to father children

One shot testicular cancer drug as good as radiotherapy

Cancer Research eBook

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

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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