Radiation Therapy News and Research

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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.

Researchers develop novel imaging test to predict immunotherapy response in kidney cancer

A novel imaging test shows promise for identifying kidney cancer patients most likely to benefit from immunotherapy.

4 Jun 2019

Study identifies promising cancer target for liposarcoma

A study conducted by a team of researchers from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore at the National University of Singapore has revealed a close association between liposarcoma (LPS), a type of cancer that develops from fat cells, and the bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) protein family.

3 Jun 2019

Study shows both IDH-mutant WHO-defined molecular subgroups could benefit from PCV chemoradiotherapy

A recent, updated predictive analysis of the three WHO-defined molecular subgroups based on isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 (IDH) mutation status and 1p/19q co-deletion status represented in the high-risk treatment arms of the NRG Oncology clinical trial NRG-RTOG 9802 indicates that both IDH-mutant sub-groups (IDHmut-noncodel and IDHmut-codel) could benefit from the addition of PCV chemotherapy to radiotherapy treatment.

3 Jun 2019

E-cigarette use on the rise among cancer patients and cancer survivors

E-cigarette use is climbing among cancer patients and cancer survivors, according to a new study by a UT Southwestern Medical Center oncologist.

23 May 2019

Black patients less likely to adopt active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer than white men

At a time when a growing number of men with prostate cancer considered "low risk" are opting for active surveillance or watchful waiting rather than immediate treatment with surgery or radiation, a new study reveals that black men are less likely than white men to adopt an active surveillance strategy for their disease.

23 May 2019

Proton therapy results in fewer side effects for many cancer patients

Proton therapy results in fewer side effects than traditional X-ray radiation therapy for many cancer patients, according to a new study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania.

22 May 2019

Researchers examine the protocol for treating aggressive prostate cancer

Treating an aggressive disease is always challenging but improving the way therapies are applied can benefit patients by giving them a better outcome.

20 May 2019

Adult-onset inflammatory bowel disease tied to higher mortality

While the onset of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease) in adulthood is tied to a higher mortality, the actual number of deaths has been falling, a Swedish study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Gut reports.

17 May 2019

Researchers describe the impact of chronic hepatitis D on parts of the immune system

Approximately one out of every ten people with hepatitis B are coinfected with hepatitis D, which is among the most serious liver conditions.

15 May 2019

Innovative transplantation technique helps find early signs of type 1 diabetes

By the time type 1 diabetes is diagnosed, most of the insulin-producing beta cells have already been destroyed.

15 May 2019

Radiation-induced vascular damage could be treated with IL-1 inhibitors

Radiation therapy against cancer can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease much later in life, as the radiation causes chronic inflammation of the exposed blood vessels.

14 May 2019

Promising radioisotope couple for cancer diagnosis and therapy

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in ACS Omega a promising combination of radioisotope-carrying molecules for use in radiotheranostics — a diagnosis-and-treatment approach based on the combination of medical imaging and internal radiation therapy with radioactive elements.

9 May 2019

Updated ASTRO/AUA Guideline on adjuvant and salvage radiotherapy after prostatectomy

The American Society for Radiation Oncology and the American Urological Association today announced updates to their joint clinical guideline on adjuvant and salvage radiotherapy after prostatectomy in patients with and without evidence of prostate cancer recurrence to include new published research related to adjuvant radiotherapy.

1 May 2019

Angiotensin receptor blockers could improve response to cancer immunotherapy

A research team led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has found that combining a specialized version of an antihypertension drug with immune checkpoint blockers could increase the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies.

30 Apr 2019

Prior radioprotection via EGLN inhibitor improves survival in mouse model of pancreatic cancer

Administration of the EGLN inhibitor FG-4592 prior to ablative radiotherapy provided protection against fatal gastrointestinal bleeding and improved survival in a mouse model of unresectable pancreatic cancer.

30 Apr 2019

Working to advance accuracy of radiation therapy for pediatric cancer patients

Doctors at Children's Hospital Los Angeles continue to lead the field of radiation oncology by pushing the leading edge of technological advances. A new report by Arthur Olch, PhD, highlights use of specialized software that could advance treatment accuracy for pediatric cancer patients.

26 Apr 2019

Study: Prior authorization practices cause unnecessary delays and interference in care decisions for cancer patients

Restrictive prior authorization practices cause unnecessary delays and interference in care decisions for cancer patients, according to a new survey of nearly 700 radiation oncologists -- physicians who treat cancer patients using radiation-- released today by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

26 Apr 2019