Radiation Therapy News and Research

RSS

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.

Long-term, regular use of baby aspirin may reduce risk of colorectal cancer death

Long-term, regular use of baby aspirin-;at least 15 times per month-;prior to a diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) may reduce the risk of death from the disease by limiting the spread of cancerous tumors pre-diagnosis, according to a study led by Cedars-Sinai Cancer researchers.

29 Mar 2021

New imaging technique can better identify the presence of residual cancers in rectal tissues

Rectal cancer, along with colon cancer, is the third-most common type of cancer in the United States, and treatment and surgery greatly affect the quality of life of patients.

26 Mar 2021

Novel gene therapy reprograms glioma cells into functional neurons

Glioma is a fatal neurological disorder that has limited interventional treatment, despite extensive research over the past several decades.

24 Mar 2021

Scientists use clinical data to study the molecular groups of atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor

Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) is a rare brain tumor that predominantly occurs in young children. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital used data from two clinical trials to study the molecular groups of ATRT and correlate them with clinical outcomes.

19 Mar 2021

UAB researchers find potential new pathway to treating radiation-resistant glioblastoma

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have identified a potential new pathway to treating radiation-resistant glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer.

15 Mar 2021

Researchers establish organoid culture models from prostate tumor biopsies

Scientists at Urology Research Laboratory of the Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern and Urology Department of the Inselspital of Bern, have established organoid culture models from prostate tumor biopsies.

8 Mar 2021

New inhibitor makes drug-resistant tumor cells respond again to chemotherapy

A new substance could improve the treatment of persistent cancers. Researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the University of Greifswald have developed a new inhibitor that makes drug-resistant tumour cells respond again to chemotherapy.

8 Mar 2021

New proton therapy targets treatment-resistant cancer cells

Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a novel proton therapy technique to more specifically target cancer cells that resist other forms of treatment.

18 Feb 2021

Study: Radioactive bone cement is a safer alternative for treating bone tumors

A radioactive bone cement that's injected into bone to provide support and local irradiation is proving to be a safer alternative to conventional radiation therapy for bone tumors, according to a study led by University of California, Irvine researchers.

16 Feb 2021

Researchers discover previously-unknown function in enzyme critical for cancer growth

Considered the most lethal form of DNA damage, double-strand breaks must be repaired to prevent cell death. In developing therapies for hard-to-treat breast and ovarian cancers in patients with BRCA gene mutations, scientists aim to identify ways to keep cancer cells from using DNA break repair pathways.

11 Feb 2021

Genomic test may help guide treatment decisions for patients with recurrent prostate cancer

A commercially available genomic test may help oncologists better determine which patients with recurrent prostate cancer may benefit from hormone therapy, according to new research from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and 15 other medical centers.

11 Feb 2021

Cellular survival after radiation exposure depends on the specific protein behavior

Exposure to radiation can wreak indiscriminate havoc on cells, tissues, and organs. Curiously, however, some tissues are more vulnerable to radiation damage than others.

10 Feb 2021

New combination treatment approach improves overall survival in mice with glioblastoma

In a study of mice, researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a new approach that combines an anti-psychotic drug, a statin used to lower high cholesterol levels, and radiation to improve the overall survival in mice with glioblastoma.

9 Feb 2021

Dartmouth-invented camera system captures real-time video of the beam during radiation treatment

Dartmouth's and Dartmouth-Hitchcock's Norris Cotton Cancer Center (NCCC) is the first cancer center in the world to install BeamSite Cherenkov imaging cameras in its radiotherapy treatment rooms.

6 Feb 2021

Reducing barriers in cancer care for LGBTQ2SPIA+ patients

In an upcoming issue of the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences, published by Elsevier, undergraduate researchers from the University of Alberta's Radiation Therapy Program in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry describe how LGBTQ2SPIA+ patients face unique cancer risks, including fear of discrimination, higher incidence of certain cancer sites, and lower screening rates, resulting in more cancers detected at later stages.

2 Feb 2021

Reduced-dose radiotherapy with cisplatin produces good outcomes for HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer

A combination of reduced-dose radiotherapy using intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) combined with concurrent cisplatin met the threshold for disease control and quality of life compared to the standard of care for good-risk patients with HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma on the NRG Oncology clinical trial NRG-HN002.

29 Jan 2021

If I have cancer, dementia or MS, should i get the covid vaccine?

As public demand grows for limited supplies of covid-19 vaccines, questions remain about the vaccines' appropriateness for older adults with various illnesses.

27 Jan 2021

Five-day regimen of radiotherapy safe, effective for men with high-risk forms of prostate cancer

A study led by researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found shortening a traditional 45-day course of radiation to a five-day course delivered in larger doses is safe and as effective as conventional radiation for men with high-risk forms of prostate cancer.

26 Jan 2021

UC researchers test new combination therapy for head and neck cancer in animal models

Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, and while effective treatments exist, sadly, the cancer often returns.

22 Jan 2021

Researchers develop FLASH ultra-high-dose rate radiation therapy beam for cancer treatment

A joint team of researchers from Radiation Oncology at Dartmouth's and Dartmouth-Hitchcock's Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth Engineering, and Dartmouth-Hitchcock's Department of Surgery have developed a method to convert a standard linear accelerator, used for delivery of radiation therapy cancer treatment, to a FLASH ultra-high-dose rate radiation therapy beam.

19 Jan 2021