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.

New twist on century-old plastic surgery technique helps repair patient's skull base

A Rutgers-led team of surgeons developed a groundbreaking procedure based on a century-old plastic surgery technique, to save the life of a patient who suffered complications following the removal of a cancerous tumor inside his skull.

1 Aug 2019

Women with breast cancer should start postoperative chemotherapy soon

Women with breast cancer should start postoperative chemotherapy, when recommended, ideally within four months of their cancer diagnosis because new study findings show that waiting longer is associated with poorer overall survival.

23 Jul 2019

AI-enabled device detects if targeted chemotherapy is working

A new portable device that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) and biosensors can rapidly detect if cancer cells thrive after chemotherapy treatment.

17 Jul 2019

Researchers pinpoint treatment target for rare liver cancer in adolescents, young adults

New findings show how a genetically aberrant, fused protein promotes a rare form of liver cancer in adolescents and young adults. The researchers also saw that a certain mix of drugs could target the fused protein and the enzymes that it recruits.

10 Jul 2019

New class of cancer-killing agents shows promise in destroying cancer stem cells

Scientists at The University of Toledo investigating improvements to a commonly used chemotherapy drug have discovered an entirely new class of cancer-killing agents that show promise in eradicating cancer stem cells.

9 Jul 2019

New research uncovers mechanism behind the newest generation of cancer drugs

New research that uncovers the mechanism behind the newest generation of cancer drugs is opening the door for better targeted therapy.

9 Jul 2019

Immune-boosting compound could make pancreatic cancers susceptible to immunotherapy

Pancreatic cancer is especially challenging to treat – only eight percent of patients are still alive five years after diagnosis.

4 Jul 2019

Introduction of default physician order reduces unnecessary imaging for cancer patients

Simply introducing a default physician order - a "nudge" - into electronic health records cut the use of unnecessary daily imaging in half during palliative radiation therapy sessions for patients with advanced cancer, according to a Penn Medicine study published today in JAMA Oncology.

28 Jun 2019

Using artificial intelligence to personalize the dose of radiation therapy for cancer patients

New Cleveland Clinic-led research shows that artificial intelligence can use medical scans and health records to personalize the dose of radiation therapy used to treat cancer patients.

28 Jun 2019

Immune system could be blamed for ineffectiveness of high-dose radiation against lung cancer

When it comes to using radiation against lung cancer, preliminary clinical studies were pretty clear: More is better.

27 Jun 2019

Researchers explore new immune checkpoint for head and neck cancer

A checkpoint may delay travelers but it can help give cancer free rein by suppressing the natural immune response that should destroy it, researchers say.

25 Jun 2019

Women more likely to suffer from long-term cognitive impairment after brain tumor radiation

Young women who undergo radiation therapy to treat a pediatric brain tumor are more likely to suffer from long-term cognitive impairment than male survivors, according to a study by Georgia State University researchers.

25 Jun 2019

Chemotherapy can wreak havoc on the heart

Cheryl Krafft was diagnosed with an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and was put on a very high-powered chemotherapy regimen to rid her body of the cancer. What she was not counting on was the chemotherapy causing another equally deadly problem.

21 Jun 2019

Cancer patients taking statin medication has lower risk of suffering a stroke

Cancer patients taking cholesterol-lowering statin medication following radiation therapy of the chest, neck or head had significantly reduced risk of suffering a stroke, and possibly other cardiovascular complications, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

20 Jun 2019

Postmenopausal breast cancer survivors at greater risk for developing heart disease

Thanks to advanced medical treatments, women diagnosed with breast cancer today will likely survive the disease.

19 Jun 2019

A 'health number' that could tell about prostate disease

When it comes to staying on top of your health, doctors often tell you how important it is to "know your numbers." Blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index can tell you a lot about your heart health, but if you're a man, you need to know one more - your PSA, or prostate-specific antigen.

18 Jun 2019

New approach could help in treating brain tumors, other rare cancers

Large randomized clinical trials can uncover biomarkers that indicate which cancer treatments are likely to work best for individual patients. But it's been challenging to find these biomarkers in rarer cancers where such robust data aren't available.

13 Jun 2019

Radiation associated with increased risk of adverse cardiac events in lung cancer patients

As advances in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) extend patients' lives, more of these patients are facing a different threat: adverse cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and heart failure.

11 Jun 2019

Robotic surgery for oropharyngeal cancer not better than radiation therapy, study finds

In 2012, scientists at Lawson Health Research Institute launched the world's first clinical trial comparing robotic surgery to radiation therapy for the treatment of oropharyngeal cancer (cancer at the back of the throat).

7 Jun 2019

ASTRO applauds new prior authorization legislation that aims to reduce obstacles in cancer care

On behalf of the nation's radiation oncologists and the more-than one million cancer patients in their care this year, the American Society for Radiation Oncology applauded today's introduction of bipartisan federal legislation that would rein in restrictive prior authorization practices that unnecessarily delay patient access to critical cancer treatments.

6 Jun 2019