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).

Role of gene identified in development of tumours in children

Medical researchers from Children’s Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research (CCIA) have made significant progress in understanding tumour initiation in the aggressive, debilitating childhood cancer, neuroblastoma

14 Sep 2004

BNCT treatment has had an excellent response in a patient with head and neck cancer

A Finnish research group has been the first in the world to publish an article in which BNCT treatment has had an excellent response in a patient with head and neck cancer for whom there was no other treatment available.

14 Sep 2004

University of Nottingham research developments could mean new drugs will reach cancer patients more quickly

A £3 million grant and the establishment of a specialized business unit that will help new treatments reach cancer patients more quickly, have underlined The University of Nottingham’s place at the forefront of cancer drug development.

2 Sep 2004

Women over 70 are safe to not have radiation treatment after heaving a lumpectomy

Two new studies reported in The New England Journal of Medicine suggest that older women with breast cancer are safe to not have radiation treatment after heaving a lumpectomy.

1 Sep 2004

Charlie Watts treated for throat cancer

The drummer for The Rolling Stones Charles Robert "Charlie" Watts is currently being treated for throat cancer. He is reported to be at the end of a six-week course of radiotherapy after being diagnosed in June of this year.

15 Aug 2004

Novel pharmacological target for cannabinoid-based therapies

Cannabinoids, the active ingredients in marijuana, restrict the sprouting of blood vessels to brain tumors by inhibiting the expression of genes needed for the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

15 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

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

Innovative treatment for cancer patients who have previously undergone chemotherapy, surgery or radiotherapy

At the inauguration of Hadassah's new day care center of the Sidney Weisner Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cancer Immunotherapy today, Prof. Shimon Slavin, head of the department, described an innovative treatment for cancer patients who have previously undergone chemotherapy, surgery and/ or radiotherapy.

26 Jul 2004

New information guide on cervical cancer

Information and support charity CancerBACUP has launched an up-to-date guide to cervical cancer.

22 Jul 2004

Effective treatment for soft tissue sarcoma (rhabdomyosarcoma)

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a highly malignant aggressive form of soft tissue cancer in children, the causes of which are currently unknown. Although the fibrous growths can be found all over the body they commonly develop around the head, neck, bladder and testes in young boys.

15 Jul 2004

Educating patients can help limit side effects of chemotherapy and radiation

A new study finds patients about to undergo chemotherapy or radiation expect a high number of side effects, and that age, gender, educational background, and the type of cancer all influence how many side effects a patient expects.

12 Jul 2004

Chemoradioimmunotherapy for advanced breast cancer

A successful, and novel, technique to kill metastatic breast cancer cells by circumventing their chemo- and radioresistant mechanisms was by presented by Dr John Giannios, Head of Radiotherapeutic Cancer Research at the IASO Hospital

8 Jul 2004

Combining targeted immunotherapy with chemotherapy and radiation therapy to successfully kill metastatic tumour cells

A successful, and novel, technique to kill metastatic breast cancer cells by circumventing their chemo and radioresistant mechanisms was by presented by Dr. John Giannios, Head of Radiotherapeutic Cancer Research at the IASO Hospital

7 Jul 2004

Successes in frozen ovarian tissue technology may offer hope to women being treated for cancer

Doctors in Denmark have succeeded in producing a two-cell embryo after ovarian tissue was removed, frozen, and then thawed and replaced two years later.

29 Jun 2004

Continued commercial development of research into DNA repair

Recent developments have greatly improved the understanding of the mechanisms used by cells to identify and repair breaks in DNA, and the potential for drugs that target DNA repair in the treatment of a range of human diseases including cancer.

28 Jun 2004

New computer cluster will help understanding of how human cells and organs work

A new computer cluster funded by the University of Sheffield and located within the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, will help scientists to improve their understanding of how human cells and organs work.

22 Jun 2004

Targeting a gene that protects cancer cells from the lethal effects of radiotherapy could help improve the impact of treatment

Targeting a gene that protects cancer cells from the lethal effects of radiotherapy could help improve the impact of treatment, a leading Cancer Research UK scientist will tell conference delegates in Glasgow this week.

21 Jun 2004

Computer cluster helps understand how human cells and organs work

This will ultimately lead to more effective ways of treating cardiovascular disease and cancer as well as other diseases. It will also eventually allow doctors to tailor treatment in a way specific to that patient rather than a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.

17 Jun 2004